3 hour EASY with 4 week old.

[Johanne]

I have been doing a loose version of EASY since DS2 was about 3 days old (I woke to BF 3 hourly and tired to have a period of activity before sleep, so the essentials were there. We are still following the routine now and I have read the sample routine for 4 week olds and we are doing something similar. He naps very well in the morning and afternoon until we get to about 4 pm onwards when he should be having catnaps and cluster feeds. For the last few nights he won't nap from then on even though he is yawning, all he wants to do is feed and feed. this goes on until about 9pm if I let him when he falls asleep just about on the breast. It's like one huge cluster feed  Obviously he is overtired and he needs to go to sleep much earlier and have the catnaps. When he does fall asleep he sleeps until about 3.30am and then is easy to put back down again and settles himself to sleep. He'll then sleep until about 7.30am. Last night I used shh pat successfully and he went to sleep at 8.15pm and he still slept until 3.20am. These are great long periods of sleep. I haven't been doing the DF because when I used it previously he'd woken up every 3 hours during the night as well.

The thing is, should I wake him up at 10pm for the DF anyway because at some point I'll have to get rid of the 3am feed, or should I just thank the Gods right now for the long period of sleep and leave well alone?

[summersusu]

I never did the dreamfeed.  Just my opinion, but if it is working without the DF then go for it.  My DS never had the dreamfeed and he dropped the 2 or 3 am feeding just fine. I just wanted to get as much sleep as possible so I would go to bed at 9pm and wait for him to wake to feed, I couldn't force myself to wake up and feed him again at 10 or 11 when he would sleep from 9-2 or so around that age. 
Just my thoughts 

[HeatherC]

At this age, the basic day's events of just eating and staring at mom are exhausting for a lo.  And while they seemed to have plenty of rest during the day, they are still pooped out by the evening.  Plus, most mom's supply is lower in the evening, thus causing the need for more frequent feeds.  If on a 3 hr routine during the day, it is common at this age to feed every 2 hrs in the evening.  However, also watch for the possibility that he just wants to suckle something to calm down. 
I think you're both doing great!

[JACQP]

Hello - am very new to this. I started EASY yesterday after giving up on Gina Ford! Am desperate to get daytime naps sorted, which he hasn't had since he was 3 weeks old! We had a very bad night last night which surprised me as he took every nap yesterday, but regressed severly in the night. I also wanted advise on the dreamfeed and whether it is worth doing as whether I wake him(Gina Ford) or let him sleep through the feed he will barely have any milk and then wakes up at about 2am. My concern was the same - how will he ever drop the early hour feeds! He will be 8 weeks on Friday and seems a very far way from getting a long stretch in the night x

[summersusu]

JACQP
I know you just started on the EASY, but could you post your schedule.  Others will be able to assist you better and give advice if you post what your schedule is like for the day.  I know you are desperate to get some sleep at this state but waking twice at 8 weeks is normal.  Again, posting your schedule would help.  Like I said above, I never did the dreamfeed but there are many that do and have success.  Hopefully you will get some help soon. 

[Johanne]

We're having a gassy, non--sleeping, crying, all over the place day today following a very windy evening and shhh pat failure due to the wind and then the fact it was 2 hours since the last feed so i fed him (this was 9pm). He then went straight to sleep at 10pm and woke up at 3am and was up for an hour and a half because of a 40 min feed, followed by a nappy change and then he had a BM and needed another change.... He was still asleep at 8am when I woke him up because we needed to go to baby clinic and to an activity session at the library with DS1. I am using some infacol now but the naps are about 20 mins today - this is very unusual. 

That said, when he got weighed at the clinic today he has put on 11oz since last Thursady and he is bf'd?!  Is this a growth spurt? 

Jo

[HeatherC]

JACQP-do you have the BW Solves All Your Problems book?  If not, here is a link to our FAQs section to get you started on EASY.  If after reading these you still have questions, please make a post.
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=82.0

Johanne, I remember using the gas drops with every feed and before bedtime.  They really do help.  If you suspect a growth spurt, feed more often during the day (2.5 hrs).