3 Month Old EASY Question

[Jacks Mommy]

Our son is 11 weeks old and has been on EASY since 6 weeks. He is taking 1-2 hour naps and sleeping from 8 pm-5 am with a 10:30 pm dreamfeed. I was just reviewing the BW book again to see if there is anything that I should adjust when he reaches 3 months and Tracy notes that by 3 months he should be eating 5 times plus a dreamfeed. Currently he is eating 6 times plus the dreamfeed. Since we will be increasing the ounces he will be eating at 3 months I figured that would be a good time to remove one of the feedings. The problem is based on his current routine the logical feeding to remove would be the dreamfeed. We decided to get him used to starting his day early so he could have some time with his Dad before work and still okay with this as his wake time. I just wanted to get your POV on if we should keep him as is and remove the DF or if I should transition him to a later wake up time and follow Tracy’s suggested feeding times (7, 10, 1, 4, 7, DF)? If you suggest the timing transition what would be the best way to do this? As you can see we have it pretty good with sleeping and I am afraid to rock the boat.

His current schedule is:

5 am: wake, eat
5:15-6:30: activity
6:30-7:30: nap
8 am: eat
8:15-9: activity
9-11: nap
11 am: eat
11:15-12:30: activity
12:30-2: nap
2 pm: eat
2:15-3:30: activity
3:30-5: nap
5 pm: eat
5:15-6: activity
6-6:30: catnap
7 pm: eat
7:30: bath
8: bedtime
10:30: dreamfeed

[LŠuren]

Jacks Mommy welcome to the boards 

I have just had a look at your routine, I think the best plan of action would be;

Treat the 5am feed as a night feed and put your LO back to sleep and wake him up again at 6 or 7am (or whatever start time your want to go with). if you are too continue with a 5am start, his bedtime needs to be earlier as well.

Your feeding times will be; 7, 10, 1, 4, 7, DF  and your 1 nightfeed. If after doing this you find he isn't hungry for his 7am feed after feeding at 5am, either limit the 5am feed so it just sees him through to 7am or give a full feed at 5am and topup at 7am, until he is developmentally able to last out until 7am with no night wakings.

I would class your 5am feed as a night feed, not necessity a 6th feed. I believe the book is referring to daytime core hours of 5 feeds plus a dreamfeed.

On a 5am start your feeds would be 5, 8, 11, 2, 5pm + DF, bedtime should be 1730/1800 as you are looking to achieve a 12 (ish) hr day.

However saying all of that if this EASY routine is working for you, stuck with it. EASY is a flexible routine and designed to suit around your lifestyle, as long as you follow the EAS in that order it will eliminate any feeding to sleep - don't feel you have to follow the feed times by the book, they are a guide only.

Your doing a brilliant job!!

HTH's 

[Jacks Mommy]

Thanks for the input. We took your advice and made the switch to him eating at 6, 9, 12, 3, 6 and the DF. He is a little messed up on naps since he may or may not go back to sleep after his 5 am wake up. Also, he doesn't seem to be waking up for food, but rather because he has had enough sleep. If we give him a bottle he will take it, but he also doesn't have a problem waiting until 6 am. The real issue is that since we made the shift he is now waking up at 2 am, 3 am and 4 am. Again, he doesn't want a bottle we just have to shush pat him back to sleep each time. Any thoughts on why the sudden change?

Maybe I should go back to the original schedule and see if he stays asleep until 5 am like he used to? If I do switch back I have two questions.
1. Do you know why it is reccomended not to continue the cluster feed after 8 weeks? As you can see with our old plan he was eating at 5 pm and then again at 7 pm before his 8 pm bedtime.
2. Also, I know it is reccomended to have them on a 12 hour day, but he was doing fine waking at 5 am and going to bed at 8 pm. Any harm in keeping with this?