Getting started

[kelseylea]

I have an 8 week old daughter and just started EASY.  I have a few basic questions.  When using the sh/pat how long should I do that before I lay her down & then should I continue once she is down?  Are most 8 wo's on a 4 hour schedule? She was eating about 4 oz. every 4 hrs with a feeding in the night.  I'm wondering if I try to feed every 3 if that will help her sleep through the night.  How many naps during the day should she be taking? Any guidance/info would be greatly appreciated.  There's so much info to sort through at first, it's kind of overwhelming.

[Intransit]

Hi there, and welcome to the site!
First, I would suggest that you take a look at the sample routines for easy at this young..
In regards to the pat shh..after winding your LO down...place her in her crib. If she cries, this is when you would use pat/shh--but in the crib. The time where you would do it in a chair..would be when she gets upset and is crying. You would sit with her..and put your mouth near her ear...and shh shh shh...the book has a spot on description of how this will go..and no lie..it was exact..for us anyways.
At this age, I would say a 4 hour easy might be a bit much.The sample schedules will illustrate where and when to do feedings..they are of course a guideline...but for example feedings at 7,10,1,4,7 and a dream feed should definitely put you and your Lo on the road to sleeping through.
HTH

[LŠuren]

Hi kelseylea
You will also find a more indepth guide on how to start EASY here.  https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=62100.0  I think it answers quite a lot of your questions, Sarah has answered your question about shush/pat already. 

Let us know how you get on.

[kelseylea]

Thanks for the advice.  Yesterday went OK, I guess for the first day.  She was very fussy for her last nap of the day and would not stay down.  She ended up falling asleep on my husband's chest.  Guess we'll have to work on that one.  After her 6pm feed she was not at all ready for bed anywhere near 7.  Will earlier bedtime come easier when routine is established.  It seems like between 7 & 8ish is when she wants to play alot.  she did go to bed around 9 with a df @ 10.  She barely ate an oz. at 10.  Is that normal for the df?  Hopefully today will be better than yesterday, I'm going to try to stick to a 3 hr EASY instead of 4 and see if that helps her sleep through the night. 

[LŠuren]

...She was very fussy for her last nap of the day and would not stay down.  She ended up falling asleep on my husband's chest.  Guess we'll have to work on that one.  After her 6pm feed she was not at all ready for bed anywhere near 7.  Will earlier bedtime come easier when routine is established.  It seems like between 7 & 8ish is when she wants to play alot.  she did go to bed around 9 with a df @ 10.  She barely ate an oz. at 10.  Is that normal for the df?

Hi
Sounds like she was overtired for her last nap 

Do you want to post yesterdays routine with amounts of milk for each feed and we can have a look to see where it needs tweaked for an earlier bedtime and beter dreamfeed.

Did u just start the DF yesterday?  It usually takes about 1 week for any real benefits to show.  Here is somemore info on CF and DFing.
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=54662.0

Lauren

[kelseylea]

Here's how yesterday went.  By the way--today has been better and we were even a my MIL's house and she went down for a 2 hr. nap in the afternoon without any problem. 

E-8am--4oz.
A8:30-9:30
S-put her down about 9:30 finally fell asleep about 10:30

E  11am  4oz.
A til 12:15
S 12:15--2:15--was able to leave room at 1240 after about 20 min. of sh/pat

E  1415  3.5oz
A til 1500  started showing signs of sleepiness--laid her in the crib at 1513  did sh/pat for over 20 min. was wide awake when I would stop.  Got her up and then she fell asleep on DH chest from 1715-1830

E 1830 4oz.
A 1900--2030
S 2030--put in crib--fell asleep easily (she has always fallen asleep easily on her own when it's bedtime)--she usually would go to bed btwn 2100 & 2200

DF 2200  1 oz (1st day of dream feed.)

Woke at 0130--hungry--ate 3 oz.
Woke @ 0300, 0400 0500 & 0600--fussy--think she had gas/needed to have a BM--used paci.-didn't get her out of bed.

Today
Finally got up at 0600 at she ate 5 oz.--I laid her back in her crib after she ate--awake the entire time--until she had a soiled diaper and got up and changed her about 0730--she was up for just  a little bit and then I put her back down and she slept until 9:15 when she ate 4 oz.  She then had A til about 1030--started showing signs of sleepiness--tried to put her down without success.  Picked her up about 11 and she immediately fell asleep in my arms.  S-til 1200 in carseat on the way to MIL's

E-1200--4 oz.
A til 1315
S 1315-1500

E--1530--4 oz.
A- til 1700
S- catnapped

This is how the day has been so far.  Let me know what we need to work on.  Thanks for all your help.  I'll let you know how the rest of the night goes.   

[LŠuren]

HI kelseylea

Thanks for posting your routine, here is the routine we followed at 8weeks.
(based on one day)

W 0730
E 0800
A 00830
S 0900 - 1.5hr
A 1030
E 1100
A 1130
S 1200 - 2hr
E 1400
A 1430
S 1530 - 1.5hr
A 1700
E 1800
A 1815
S 1915 - 30min
E 1945
A 2000 - bath
E 2015
S 2100
E 0345
As we went on and got more in control the bedtime got closer to 8pm. Ideally though, the S at 1915 SHOULD have been his bedtime and he was going to bed to late.  I remember dreading the time times, because we were constantly doing something for Calum, i.e. feeding, bathing and we never had a night to ourselves - I hadn't found the site at that time, just read the 2 books.    It also looks like he could stay awake 90min between naps.   

This is the example routine in the book;
    E 7am
     A 7.30am (inc. a 10 - 15min at the end of this 'A' time for wind down for nap)*
     S 8.30 - 1.5hr  shorter and you haven't been able to extend then you would do EASA

    E 10am
     A 10.30am (inc. a 10 - 10min at the end of this 'A' time for wind down for nap)*
     S 11.30 - 1.5hr   shorter and you haven't been able to extend then you would do EASA

    E 1300
     A 1330 (inc. a 10 - 10min at the end of this 'A' time for wind down for nap)*
     S 1430 - 1.5hr   shorter and you haven't been able to extend then you would do EASA

    E 1600
     A 1630
     S 1730 - catnap only  30 - 45mins

    E 1900 & bath or vice versa    or    E 1800   &    2000  with bath in the middle (clusterfeeding)
     S 1930                                               S 2030

    DF between 10 -11 https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=54662.0

The 'A' times in the 2nd example routine are not for any set age and are just an indication of what the routine could look like. For example, If your LO can only stay awake 1hr (inc feed) then you would need to bring forward the 'S' time and have a shorter 'A' time - your wind down should take place at the later end of your 'A' time (hope I am not making this confusing). If you LO can stay awake longer than one hour you use the 'A' time that is given as an example above as a guide.

You will find that your 1st short nap is because your Lo is way overtired, 0930 is too late to put your LO down. So I think what you should put your LO down earlier for her naps so she is not overtired and 'fighting" sleep.