Sherry, does your dd seem hungry at 3 hrs? If you think she would be able to extend her feedings, you could try it in increments of 15 mins at a time. An important thing to remember about transitioning to a 4 hr routine is that you will be loosing a feeding during the day. You'll need to make sure she still gets enough during the day or she'll wake at night. Mostly, a 4 hr routine baby will drink an ounce or more with each feeding to make up for the feed they've lost (for ex: drink 8 oz x 4 bottles as opposed to 6 oz x 5 bottles on 3 hr) or bf longer. However, if you're lo can't take that much at one feeding, she could still be hungry at the end of the day and into the night. I'm not suggesting that is always the case, but rather just something to consider. You don't necessarily have to switch to 4 hrs right at 4 months; it's just a guideline as to when many babies do extend their feeds.
It has been suggested that lengthening the time between feeds will promote better naps. It has happened for many, but I didn't have the same experience so I can't really say. Of course, you should go ahead and continue to work on extending her naps as it will be beneficial to her regardless of feeding frequency. A rested baby makes for a happier baby
. If you have some success with extending naps, let her sleep until she wakes, within reason, and see how long she stretches her feeds on her own. Otherwise, you'll have some more A time after S, which is very common, and will mean that she might need her next nap a little sooner in the next EAS cycle.
Hope this helps.
