Trying to get longer naps and extend feedings

chloeval

Right now lo is eating every 3 hours so 5 bottles and his naps are short. I'm trying to extend awaje time in hopes for longer naps I'm also tying to feed every 3.5 hours instead of 3 but will need to increase bottle size and lose a bottle so only feed 4 bottkes. Just not sure if he can take 4 8.5 oz bottkes as opposed to the 5 7 oz bottkes he's taking now. This would also make an earlier bedtime. He sleeps through the night 730-730. Am I crazy for trying to change schedule ? I'm just thinking he might be getting be in need of a dufferent schedule in irder to get better naps so he's not so cranky by afternoon. He will be 16 weeks sat.

taraleanne

I think you should go by his schedule  

If he's thriving, happy, growing, has all the right diapers etc... then why change it? Babies are notorious for short naps at this age and it will change. I wouldn't try to extend awake times if I were you. You'll end up with an overtired baby. He sleeps 12 hours at night so that's alot of sleep too! I know because my LO does the same thing and naps are short and he's about the same age.  Read this: it will help explain their sleep habits at this age. 

https://www.babysleep101.com/Resources.html#4_Month_Old_Sleep

taraleanne

p.s. I also have a cranky baby in the afternoon/evening....adding in another feed in the afternoon, even though it seems like he JUST ate, has seemed to help my crank pot turn into a happier evening baby! 

katfaz

I thought about playing around with my LO's schedule to try and stretch awake times in order to lengthen naps.  I did an experiment the other day and kept her up longer than usual and let me tell you.... nap time was dreadful because she was overtired.  It took longer than usual with more crying than usual to get her to sleep, then her nap was cut short.  Overtiredness is terrible!  That was enough of a sign for me that it's not worth messing with just yet.  Maybe I will try again next month.  Everyone tells me I am lucky to get 12 straight hours at night and that I should be happy with about it and not worry about what happens during the day, so I am starting to buy into that.

VPGIRL06

Stay with his schedule. Changing his feeding won't change nap time and plus he is obviously getting the calories he needs in the day. Some kids don't take longer naps until later

VPGIRL06

Plus your hitting the "4 month wakeful". Ours manifested in the forms of short naps instead of night wake ups

sarbieb

My lo is 16w and she's taking shorter naps as well. We follow sleep,eat,play kinda naturally and I follow her cues for timing. Don't try to change it. Just do what he needs when he needs it and you'll all be happy!

chloeval

Taraleanne when do you add the extra feeding in the afternoon and how much do you feed? Does it screw up the last feed befire bedtime ? Thanks everyone

taraleanne

Hi,

Sorry, I meant to say I add it in, in the evening. So he's almost eating all evening long!  I add it about 1.5 hours before last feeding. So far no troubles feeding before bed time. But I've only been doing it for a few days. If I can, I try to squeeze it in, in the afternoon sometime. He usually likes to go 3 hours between feeds like your LO but if he's up and fussy at 2 hours, I will see if he's interesting in a "snack" and sometimes he is. It calms him enough to have another nap, even a short one and then he's much happier in the evening. I'm experimenting you see   Normally he eats, plays, sleeps but since evenings are so wishy washy, I just try to nurse him again somewhere between play and sleep again and it seems to be working. As "all over the place" as it is, at least he's not really unhappy in the evening. 

chloeval

Hey whatever works right maybe I'll try. How much though is the extra feed? I just want to be sure that 1 1/2 hrs later he's still interested in that last bottle before bed

taraleanne

Well, I'm not entirely sure because I breastfeed but what's been helping is giving him 4oz of pumped milk in between breast feeds.  You kinda gotta experiment with what works I think! 

[Deleted User]

1. Go by your baby's cues. Feed on demand, not by a schedule.

2. Your baby is not even 4 months and STTN. messing with his schedule by trying to keep him awake longer may very we'll backfire on you when he becomes over tired and won't sleep.

3. Go by your baby's cues. They are only small once.

patchen30

At 3 months I wouldn't try and force a schedule...I'd wait to gently encourage one after 4 months.

carrotcake06

My oldest ate 6x a day until almost 9 mo, when he when went quickly down to 4x. Going down to 4x a day this young seems too early, IMO.

I've had the best success w going by LOs cues, tracking them, looking for patterns, and then encouraging those patterns but being flexible enough to realize that my babies are humans.