Author Topic: Moving from 2 hrly feeds to 2.5 EASY difficult!  (Read 972 times)

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Offline mysterymia

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Moving from 2 hrly feeds to 2.5 EASY difficult!
« on: August 09, 2006, 05:44:57 am »
Hi,

We started EASY last week but it all went horribly wrong so we started again two days ago. (Our 7 week LO had terrible trouble with wind/reflux or so we thought but a visit to the dr showed a tummy bug which is settling). Nights have always been good and are getting better since I introduced a late feed (not technically a DF as she wont wake up so I just bath her prior to the feed and she goes straight down).

Our LO was feeding two hrly and not settling really well for sleeps at all - We've progressed a lot to now starting to read her sleep cues and getting her down but she is difficult to keep there. We are using a white noise CD which is really helping and pat/shing and she'll sleep about 30 mins to 1 hr not really settled sleep however. She is waking and ready for a feed still at the 2 hr mark and I have been keeping her busy til 2.5 to feed. This means that she is way tired by the end of the feed. She is not going to sleep after a feed anymore so I feel that we have achieved that also.

Edited to say that although her sleeps are 30 mins to 1 hr she is not asleep all that time. I need to go in and pat/sh many times. I have been trying the pat/sh over the past week since  we started EASY properly and even stayed in up to an hour but didn't seem to help.

My questions are do I persist with keeping her out to 2.5 even though it means that she is getting A time before her feed and pretty much just wind down after? and should I be doing anything different to try and get better quality sleep for her?

Thanks for your thoughts

Edited to add todays events:

E - 0710-0740
A - 0740-0750
S - 0750-0900 woke early at 2 hr mark for feed strung out til 0930

E - 0930-0955
A - 0955-1000
S - 1000-1130 woke early at 2 hr mark for feed strung out til 1200

E - 1200-1230
A - 1230-1250
S - 1315-1400 woke early at 2 hr mark for feed strung out til 1200

E - 1420-1455
A - 1455-1500
S - 1530-1600 woke screaming and inconsolable so bathed to settle before feed

E - 1630-1705
A - 1705-1710
S - to sleep at 1715  - but still awake and grisly an hour later

She seemed better yesterday (day one)

I'm not sure what to do now.......do I perservere to get her to 2.5hrly feeds?
« Last Edit: August 09, 2006, 08:01:21 am by mysterymia »

Offline HeatherC

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Re: Moving from 2 hrly feeds to 2.5 EASY difficult!
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2006, 18:24:08 pm »
I think that as long as she is gaining weight and has no other medical issues, then she should be able to last 2.5-3 hrs between feeds.  You don't have to feed her exactly when she wakes, instead work on resettling her back to sleep until the next feed time.  This teaches her that it's not time to wake yet, but it's still nap time.  She seems grumpy like she's hungry, I'm sure, but it's probably that she's still tired from not napping long enough.
Have you checked our Naps Forum for help with lengthening her naps?
Kelsey, Feb. 4, 2005
Landon, Jan. 2, 2007

Offline mysterymia

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Re: Moving from 2 hrly feeds to 2.5 EASY difficult!
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2006, 02:35:30 am »
Thanks so much for your reply. I have been so discouraged especially when people keep asking how she sleeps and it is a fight each sleep. Thanks I spent some time in Naps yesterday. I hadn't noticed the Naps section before just the sleep one.

I have spent the last two days really watching her every move awake and sleep. I'm pretty sure that we are still missing her window so am working on starting winddown at 45 mins. She still is perfectly happy untill I wrap (swaddle) her and then she seems to fight (she has been wrapped since she was born) She stretches out and buries her head in my chest so I think that it is overtired but it seems to happen as if she knows it's bedtime. I expect that they don't now but it sure seems like it. I have also been staying with her and doing the pat/sh for at least 20 mins or whatever it takes to make sure she is sleeping. (I got Tracey's new book and read up on that bit first - I found it a bit clearer)

She slept much better last afternoon and this morning possibly with the reduced A time. She is also reaching 2.5 hours more easily as she is sleeping a little longer and we had a stretch yesterday afternoon when I had to wake her at 3 hours! (she had slept for an hour and a half)

Do you think that they can 'fight' going to sleep or is it just coincidence? She does seem to be a bit spirited when it comes to settling and sleep. I wonder if that makes a difference?

Offline HeatherC

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Re: Moving from 2 hrly feeds to 2.5 EASY difficult!
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2006, 13:24:48 pm »
Oh, yes, they can definitely fight sleep, and it is more common in spirited and touchy babies I think.  The ones that fight the swaddle the most are usually the ones that need it the most, too.  Usually the fight has to do with overtiredness, other times I suppose it's the temperment.  Just make sure your winddown is consistent and low-key as to not stimulate her anymore and it will soon become a clear signal for sleep to her.
Kelsey, Feb. 4, 2005
Landon, Jan. 2, 2007

Offline mysterymia

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Re: Moving from 2 hrly feeds to 2.5 EASY difficult!
« Reply #4 on: August 14, 2006, 01:03:36 am »
Yesterday afternnoon I tried sitting with her for longer and getting her through the fight! It seems as if now that I have started EASY and the sleep routine that she knows and is perfectly happy on the floor, in her rocker or having her nappy changed it's just that moment when I wrap her and sit down to be quiet!!!

It does mean that we don't get much quiet time as she is fighting and crying but I've persisted and often she will quieten down and then quickly shut her eyes and then I can put her down. They don't stay shut but at least we can pat/sh a bit easier.