Routine for 7wk old - EASY or other?

[strangerjo]

I read the Baby Whisperer and am trying the EASY routine (eat-activity-sleep-'you time'). Did anyone have success with this or any other? In particular I'm trying to break the cycle we're in where he feeds until he's asleep because I wonder if this is contributing to us overfeeding him (i.e. he uses the bottle/milk to sleep). Any views would be welcomed! Thanks

[PansOnFire]

Yes, I used this with DS1 and it was great for us. I used white noise to help him fall asleep and he also had a dummy. I ignored the part about controlled crying though as it just wasn't something I wanted to do, DS barely cried anyway so when he was upset it was definitely for a good reason. It does say something about jiggling them to sleep being bad etc but what I did was hold him and cuddle him, rather than pace the landing. It wasn't every night but definitely on the nights he struggled to settle (or when I just couldn't resist!).

We used it as a base for what we were doing, obviously some days it went out of the window but it certainly helped to keep DS in a routine that he was secure in. I don't think we started it until he was about 12 weeks though and we had to wait until he sort of grew into the routine if you know what I mean? So, try a few things to lay the foundations but is continue with the feeding on demand etc until he's a bit older. By 4 months he was well into it.

One thing I will say though is if it's difficult then it might not be right for your baby, my DS2 really didn't take to it and he does something completely different. He still sleeps really well and goes to sleep independently and he's now 10 months.

Good luck!

[porsmork]

I read the Baby Whisperer too, and took a lot from it, especially the different types of cry, and the idea of a routine that is flexible.
However, EASY didn't quite work for us at that age, as ds would get 'milk drunk' and nap after a feed, there's no way I could have kept him up for an activity. So we sort of went by 'AESY'.
I understand not wanting to get into a feed to sleep pattern, but at 7weeks it might be tricky for anything else, it depends on how alert your little one is, and if he gobbles his food and needs a sleep to digest! If it reassures you, ds is now 16 months and he just naturally grew out of falling asleep after a feed. He did this when he grew into having only 2-3 naps per day (so less naps than feeds). I know that by around 6 months he was falling asleep for naps and bedtime by himself.
I think at the early stage, having a sense of routine was more for me to remember to get everything done, and have a rest, rather than benefit to Ds. Good luck with whatever you decide! X

[TormundGiantsbabe]

Feeding to sleep is normal for babies so young. Switch the bottle for a dummy once he has dropped off.

[skankingpiglet]

I agree with Tormund. What makes you think you are over-feeding him? Is this something the HV has told you?

[strangerjo]

Thank you everyone. I think we're overfeeding him because he eats far more than we were advised. He never refuses or stops a feed. If we didn't stop the feed, he would really never pull away from the bottle. We are really worried about this.

[porsmork]

How is his weight? What centile is he on? And how much does he consume in a day? X

[TeaBelle]

I spent 12 hours doing the easy routine. Worst day of dd's life. I spent the whole day trying to get her to do something she didn't want to do. I stuck with being baby led until 6 months which led to a much happier baby. I would have preferred a routine but dd just wasn't that kind of baby. Be led by baby, not you

[WellErrr]

I think 7 weeks is too young for any routine. Plus almost all babies sleep after a feed, it seems mad to try to keep them up.

[skankingpiglet]

The advised amounts are an average to use as a starting point. The amount they actually consume varies hugely between different babies and even in the same one day to day, especially at 7wks when they seem to spend more time being in a growth spurt than not. It's amazing how much some can pack away and still be a normal size: My DD is 22mo now, she's nearing the 75th percentile for height, and just below the 50th for weight so a slimish child, yet she often eats the same portions as me (and I'm pregnant with DC2 and eating well at the moment!). I'm frequently amazed at the volume of food she consumes, and I'm not sure where she puts it all, but she's definitely not over-weight so must need it all.
As Porsmork asks, what centile is he on? How does that match with his centile for length? That's a far better indicator of if he is feeding too much/little.
If his weight is a concern (ie he really is having too much) then you might want to think about a trip to the GPs as needing to constantly feed can be an indicator of silent reflux, so worth checking out.

[SpoonintheBin]

I tried it with ds1 and in my opinion it's not a natural routine, babies at that age take a lot of comfort from milk and it makes them sleepy. They want to sleep after feeding. The easy routine goes against nature. It's much easier and natural for you to follow a routine of wake, look around/play/cuddle, change, feed, sleep. Repeat!

[HandbagFan]

Maybe it just works for some babies and not others? 'Not a natural routine' but my 8wk old is asleep on me now (self settled) after waking from a nap, having a bottle of milk then having a play on his mat. I'm not forcing a routine on him, it's just what he wants. I can out him down and do the washing up, or I can enjoy the cuddles and carry on browsing mumsnet...