EASY and Weaning and Sleep

[Dollyplum]

Hello all,

I am not quite sure where to post this gem, so I thought I would try with both E and S of each message boards.  I am sorry for the duplication, but I really need advice.

Cameron is now 3 months old and has been on the wonderful EASY routine since he was 4 weeks old. I had to start give the wee man baby rice from about 7 weeks on the advice and guidance of my Health Visitor and GP.  This has been a great tonic for him, he became content almost over night. The problem was that he is 98th centile and is already 19lbs in weight at 13 weeks and he is above 99.6th centile in length. The bottle feeds were just not filling him up and this made for an unhappy little boy. Since then he has been progressing lovely and sleeping thought the night 7-7.

Now he is posing a new problem to me...

Cameron has started to refuse naps as part of his EASY during the day. The thing is that its a guide that a baby at his age should be getting 3 naps a day of a total 5 hours. I assume that means three meals a day? Now my wee boy is happy with three ricey/porridgey/sunshine banana meals a day with milk but he likes (nay demands) 6 bottles a day in total. So he gets 3 x bottle feeds and 3 x bottles which are double up to mix his meals? Now all the bottles he gets are each 9oz be it mixing up his meals or be it a drink. Now I am finding it near impossible to keep to the EASY routine I know and love.  As he obviously doesn’t need the 6 naps a day at his age and the amount he protests!

Ppppppppppppppplllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssee Advise me.

Nikki and Cameron xx

[NKmommy]

Hi Nikki,

Congrats on your wee man!

Wow, you have a hungry boy on your hands.   :wink:   I think it is very unusual to feed a 7 wk old baby solids as they should be getting all of their nutrients from formula or breastmilk.  Can I ask why the GP thought that was best instead of upping his formula?  I am definitely not a doc though...       

I think a typical EASY schedule for a 3-6 month old would look like
7 - bottle
9 - nap
11 - bottle
1 - nap
3 - bottle
5 - catnap
7 - bottle

When you do add in solids, the naps usually stay about the same, and many parents would eventually add solids about an hour after bottles.

You might want to check out the sticky with Sample EASY schedules for his age.
http://www.babywhisperer.com/forum/sample-easy-routines-3-6-months-vt10385.html

Maybe you can post your typical routine here to give us an idea?

 

[Dollyplum]

Hi Sheila

My you have a handsome chap on your hands their! Nathan is Gorgeous, the shirt and tie is fabulous!

The addition of the rice from the early age was because the wee man was taking the bottom out of 9oz bottles every 2 hours?  He was frantic all the time and generally VERY unsettled.  It seemed that the formula was going through him and not satisfying him.  As soon as I started to give him the baby rice he was much more settled, and it was then very apparent he was just hungry and needed something that would stay in his tummy a little longer.

I had the same problem when he was born,  I really wanted to breastfeed and was in hospital 3 days trying to get established.  He wasn’t happy with that either, although they said he was a natural feeder he wasn’t happy with the foremilk? He wanted volume there and then?  He would spend an hour feeding and an hour screaming, the midwifes allowed me to struggle for 3 days, until I broke down and asked for formula.  As soon as he drank 4oz he slept for a solid 3 hours, and I never looked back to breast feeding.  It did break my heart at the time.

I think I have him sorted now, as I have extend his EASY to a 4 hour cycle. Well actually is more EAEASY first thing in the morning but gets back on track after his first nap.  This has worked out nice as I just give him a bottle when he gets up and the last thing at night.  He is down to 5 x 9oz bottles and 3 meals a day. He seems more settled now and his naps are good quality sleep.  I have only being doing it a week but it seems to be ok up to now.

Thanks so much for replying to me and kisses to your wee boy.

Nikki & Cameron xx