Help needed! EASY routine too short!

[Kerrie Hughes]

Hi..I really need some advice. My 14 week old is currently on 3 hour EASY, well that's the plan everyday anyway. He feeds very quickly, done and dusted anywhere between 5 and 15 minutes. He naps for an hour (we are currently working on extending this time but it's not going so well). He gets very tired after an hour and really would like to go to bed. All this adds up to making his routine 2 and a half hours.

My question is where I pick up on the routine. For example he feeds at 7am and has activity time and then goes down at 8.30 (he's ready to go at 8 but we keep him occupied and stretch out the time). When he wakes at 9.30 should I feed him or wait until 10? I worry that if I start feeding him when he wakes up he might become a snacker because he is feeding every 2 and a half hours.

I guess really the question is what is the most important - the routine order i.e. eat, activity, sleep; or 3 hour cycle?

Any thoughts much appreciated.

[Deb_in_oz]

usually it is the order but this is where tweaking comes in. while you are working on extending the naps stick to only feeding when hungry so in this case when he wakes you have some A time then the feed at 10 and then some more A time (so still separating the feeding from the sleeping).

also note that it may be worth trying to put him down when he is ready for sleep because you may find that he goes down at 8-8:15 and because he is not overtired he naturally sleeps 1hr30- 2hrs. you don't know until you try. sometimes that "stretching" a baby out can be the cause of the shorter than ideal naps. sometimes i woudl find mself debating wheteher to put Liv down a half hour early because she seemed extra tired some mornings (alomost always the first A time) and i woudl do it and find that she more than made up the difference and owuld take a 2hr 15 nap instead of 1hr30 (or less)  Beware it does not always work, but like i said it is worth a shot and this is all trial and error since he cannot talk to us with words, but if his cues say tired i woudol see if he just needs a shorter first A time.  HTH