Help...losing the battle and my mind!!!

[Tatumsmom]

I just started my dd( five months) on the four hour easy schedual we are on day four, tonight will be her fifth night.Here is how our days go.

5:00-wakes and eats then goes back to sleep
7:00 wakes and  we start our day
7:00 E- only takes her about ten-15 minutes to eat(breastfeed)
7:10 A- she can stay awake anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours
9:00 S- she sleeps only for about 45 mins to an hour ( the rest of the time is spent tring to get her to sleep or playing depending on her mood.)

11:00-11:15 E- she gets a bottle she eats about four or five oz ( we are switching from breast to formula)
11:15          A- plays for  1 1/12 -2 hours
1:15-1:30     S- same as above....

3:00            E- breastfeed for about ten-fifteen mins.
3:15            A- plays for 1 1/12 -2 hrs
5:00-6:00     S- between five and six she has a catnap for about 45 mins
 
6:00            E- we have just started rice cereal and she has about 2 oz of bmilk to a teaspoon of cereal.
7:00            A- bath, p.j.s, massage
7:15            E- she then has a final nursing session
7:30-8:00     S- she goes to bed between 7:30- 8:00
11:00            dream feed about five -six oz of formula


Here are my questions/problems:

1- How do I get her to eat more at each feeding, She always seems hungry before the four hours. If I feed her before her nap she will sleep for the two hours. But then shes snacking.

2- she still wakes up in the night at around 3:00am and it takes me about an hour to get her to sleep again.I don't feed her. She is then up at around 5:00/5:30. The only way to get her to sleep is to feed her, She eats for about 10-15 mins a( a full feed). Then she is up at 7:00. Sometimes 7:30 then has another full feed and is up for the day.

I just feel that the easy routine isn't working and I'm so tierd I can hardly see.I was getting more sleep when I was feeding her at night becouse it only took about 10 mins to get her back to sleep at 3:00. Have I just not given it enough time ? What I'm I doing wrong?
The first night we did It I was up from  2:30 till seven, but I didn't feed her. Then at seven she only ate for  5mins off one side. So I know she can go the eight hours with out eating but the last few nights she has been impossible to deal with at 5:00 so I've had to feed her( she was really hungry). I really want this to work but I'm losing it. She just never seems to eat very much but is always hungry, and the not napping thing is killing me. I'm pretty much on my own because my husband works long hours and is not home much. Any advice would be great and I hope it's going better for the reast of you.

KH

[Intransit]

1- How do I get her to eat more at each feeding, She always seems hungry before the four hours. If I feed her before her nap she will sleep for the two hours. But then shes snacking.
In regards to this I found that my son has always eaten for about 15 minutes or maybe 10..and about 15 minutes later he comes back to finish the bottle, when he was younger I would pick him back up to do it, but now he asks (in his little way)
Try feeding her again after she has a bit of play time...but not too much so to avoid snacking.

2- she still wakes up in the night at around 3:00am and it takes me about an hour to get her to sleep again.I don't feed her. She is then up at around 5:00/5:30. The only way to get her to sleep is to feed her, She eats for about 10-15 mins a( a full feed). Then she is up at 7:00. Sometimes 7:30 then has another full feed and is up for the day.

Having been only the 5th day( I know you are thinking "ONLY THE 5TH DAY!!!!!???) But this can take some time. Has she always woken up at this time? If you are not feeding her and she is going back to sleep then I would say its a habit, it will take some time, but it will pass. Do you do a dreamfeed?That helps to get them sleeping through the night.
I just feel that the easy routine isn't working and I'm so tierd I can hardly see.I was getting more sleep when I was feeding her at night becouse it only took about 10 mins to get her back to sleep at 3:00. Have I just not given it enough time ? What I'm I doing wrong?
I know it is so easy to give lo's a bottle or bf early in the Am isn't it!? I struggled with the same thing as well. But with time..the 3am waking will be something you have forgotten about. You are not doing anything wrong--you just need to hang in there a bit longer and have faith that all that you are doing will bear fruits someday. I remember reading the book...and little things I would read would be occuring with my ds, and it gave me the encouragement to go on. I can see you have had progress from the 1st night to the 5th..so keep going!
And we are all here to help!
Oh, and about the waking after 45 minutes..if she is fed more than the 15 min mentioned you should see that change. If not, go in about the 45 minute mark and help her into the next sleep cyce.

[Tatumsmom]

thank your for your reply and support. The day routine is going very well even with the shot naps she just takes an extra one in the evening. The nights however are another story, I've been giving an extra feed in the evening along with the dream feed at 11pm. The problem is everynight she is up around 3-3:30am. I go in and give her the soother and she is very restless in her crib her arms and legs flail around (during this her eyes are closed and she is not crying)and after about ten minutes she settles down I leave the room and just as I'm about to go back to sleep she is up again an this goes on till 5am when I finally just feed her and then she sleeps till 7:30am. Is she restless because she's hungry? I've tried changing her diaper thinking she's waking because she is wet, but that isn't helping either. I'm about ready to give up she was doing better before I started as she was only waking once or twice at night but going right back to sleep after being feed.( so I was only up for about ten minutes). Could she just not be ready to sleep through the night?
This is not fun!! Help!!

KH

[corrina01]

She always seems hungry before the four hours.

Have you tried a 3.5hr EASY.  My DD could not go the full 4 hrs, so I swapped on to a 3.5hr EASY till 6 months and then a 4hr EASY at 6 months.

[HeatherC]

KH-in regards to the 3 am waking, are you waiting before going in to her to make sure she needs you or not?  Babies stir alot in the night and don't always need us to help them.  I agree with the others that it's probably habit for her to wake now, so you will need to either let her sort it out on her own and resettle (if she's not crying) or do pu/pd if she is crying.  It will take a while to break the habit, but you can do it.  I would almost suggest doing the df at 10 b/c sometimes 11 is too late for some babies and it can disrupt their sleep pattern at night.
As for the days, try starting your 1st nap routine at 8:30.  This will give her ample time to switch gears from play to nap.  Many babies will get their best sleep first thing in the morning after waking from the night.  THen, the rest of the day should bring more good naps since she will be well rested. 

[Tatumsmom]

Well I think we have finally over come the 3am wake ups!!! She is doing so much better I have here on my own easy routine  during the day she gets feed ever3.5 hours and in the evenings every 3 hours, with a dream feed at 10:30. She can go to about 5am then wakes up for a feed and then sleeps till 7am eats and then we start our day. The napping isn't going very well as our house is under renovations and the noise really interups the naps  . What can you do! Thanks for the help I really needed the support, this is such a great web site!!!
KH