Ready for 4-hour EASY?

[Finns mum]

I know Tracy recommends 4-hour EASY at around 4 months, but I'm beginning to think my 11 week old is ready for it? Before starting EASY, he was feeding around every 4-hours or less often (that's when he was asking for it), and I actually started on the 4-hour EASY. The sleep and awake time didn't seem to suit him though, so I went to a 3-hour EASY. Just recently though, he's started having 45 minute naps and he's also cut down on his feeds - I get the impression that sometimes he's just not hungry enough. He also sleeps through the night, going from the DF til 7 or 7.30am, and if our routine ever gets disrupted, he happily goes 4 hours without a feed during the day. He's quite a big baby (13 lb) and is developing early in most ways. What do you think - is he ready? And any tips on how to transition? Our current routine is this:
E: 7.30
A: 8.00
S: 9.00
E: 10.30
A: 11.00
S: 12.00 (except he now regularly wakes after 45 mins and won't settle, so we end up with 45 minutes of A time before E)
E: 1.30
A: 2.00
S: 3.00 (45 minute nap problem again)
E: 4.30
A: 5.00
Bath, wind-down: 6.00
E: 6.30
Bed: 7.00 (he's so overtired from waking during the nap, that he can take over an hour to settle now)
DF: 10/11.00

[estherofi20]

Hi there

Well i changed my DS, from a 3hr to a 4hr at 12WO, 'cause he just wasn't hungry at the 3hr mark, and he was starting to get fussy at nap times, so i think you could try to change it. I did it cold turkey from one day to another, but if you think it would be too drastic, you could try the gradual process, here's the link: https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=50527.0

[Finns mum]

So it can be done early, then? My LO is so overtired from missing all his naps anyway, that I think cold turkey will be the way to do it, it can't be any harder I hope! Thanks.

[estherofi20]

good luck with that!!! keep me posted!

[Lara's Mum]

i agree... i switched dd on her own doing at 13weeks and she was all the better, but do u think u should change if the weather is too hot? do u breast or bottle feed? i would think if u breast that the heat would probably intervene and u wouldn't be able to give him water as it is not recommended before 6mo....

JMHO

HTH

love

[Lana]

We switched Bram right around three months to four hours between feeds.  It did make naps pretty interesting some days but I found that evened out pretty quick once he settled in.  We also went cold turkey on it and only one day was a bit crazy.

[Finns mum]

I didn't know about water before 6 months? My health visitor said it was ok as long as it wasn't interfering with his feeds, and I have given him a tiny amount over the last few hot days. Whoops...!
As it is, the temperature has dropped dramatically, and it's now quite cold, so am pressing ahead & crossing my fingers! Have put him down for his first nap - kept him up longer, and he went down very well. Fingers crossed for the rest of the day...!

[Lara's Mum]

good luck...........keep us posted

love

[Jodi and her boys]

Hi there. I am new here, due to recent needed support in weaning my ds from the paci!  I am proud to say he is off it.  Now the problem is that he wakes up at 45 min in his naps.  Before, he would fall right back asleep, but now, we do PU/PD, shhh/ pat, you name it. He fights and fights his naps now, and he never did that before.  Do you think this is related to the paci or do you think I should put him on a 4 hr EASY?  it sounds like he is the right age (14.5 weeks).  Also, I would definitley due it cold turkey as I would go crazy trying to figure out the process!  It is only one bad day?

Thanks,

Jodi

[estherofi20]

Hello there Jodi

How is your DS, taking his feeds?? does he seem hungry still at the 3hr mark or so?

[Jodi and her boys]

I must say that he still eats a full feeding (at least I think he does).  I breastfeed him and he does "play" more while he eats.  I know he can at least go 3.5 hrs between, because I have let him last that long due to poor naps.  Should I switch even though he still eats a full meal?  His naps are driving me nuts!  Even when we took the paci away last week, he would still sleep for 1 1/2 hrs.  Just three days ago he started getting very tempermental at the 45 min wake up.  THanks for your help!

[estherofi20]

Well Jodi, if he is still taking full feed, i wouldn't be sure if he is ready... but you could try to go for a 3.5 hr EASY, and see how it goes. How is he sleeping at night?

[Jodi and her boys]

He still wakes up one to two times to eat.  His df is at 10, and he may wake up at 3-4ish, sometimes it will be 1am and 5 am.  And wouldn't you know that this morning, he didn't take a full feed, in fact, he wasn't even hungry!  I fed him at 4 when he woke up. I tried at 7 and he didn't eat!

[estherofi20]

You could try going for the 4hr then, and see how it goes. Check out the link i posted earlier for the transition, this transition goes on a period of  2 weeks, that way you can see better how his feedings are going.

[Jodi and her boys]

Thank you!  I decided to go cold turkey and to feed him if he woke early and acted hungry. Nap one went great!  He was so ready to go down and lasted the whole two hours.  I fed him at 11, we did some errands, and then I put him down for nap #2.  He slept great for an hour, then had some major gass.  I ended up patting him for another 45 min on and off, and let him wake up at 2:45. He lasted until 3 to eat again!  I think the 4 hr EASY may work... I will keep you posted.  Does this improve night time sleep?

THanks!

Jodi