BFers and EASY

dib · July 2010

If you BF and use the EASY method (eat, activity, sleep, you) - how long is your baby awake? I haven't read the book, but my MIL suggested this method. I started to try it this morning, but DS associates eating and sleeping so much, I"m not sure he knows the difference between hungry and tired. And when he reaches for my chest with his mouth open, I can't not feed him (I front-loaded him this morning with feedings, hoping they'd tide him over till after play and a nap and he wanted to eat when he got tired, so I fed him and he fell asleep).

My problem is because I"m BFing (this might work better for MIL while she's with him during the day since she can give him a bottle), I don't know how much he's getting to eat, so I don't know whether I can deny him food before he goes to bed. Ideas?

carrotcake06 · July 2010

Honestly? Read the book. (not trying to be snarky, but if you're going to do it why not have all the facts before you start?)

MrsWindyCity · July 2010

When DS was younger, the only way he would ever sleep during the day was after nursing. It was so tough on me because I was nursing all.the.freaking.time and never getting out of the house. Eventually, I started recognizing his tired cues, and would try to put him to sleep - rocking, dancing, whatever immediately upon seeing them. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. I just kept trying and had DH try on weekends/evenings (he is actually much more patient than me, lol). Sometimes, it still doesn't work but we have a lot more success now, that's for sure.

DS usually gets cranky/overtired if he's been up about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes, so we try putting him to sleep before that - around 1:20 or so. Otherwise, if he's overtired, he starts crying and can't go to sleep. The exception is the evening, when he is usually good for about 3 hours, or during the day sometimes if he's had a really long nap.

BabyLove987 · July 2010

I don't BF before naps, but I do BF before bedtime. LO is usually awake for 2-3 hours at a time during the day (3 naps), but her naps are pretty short. Eating is usually sometime in the middle of the awake time, so she is still eating every 2.5 - 3 hours. You could try waking up LO and playing with him after eating, even if it is only for a few minutes, to help him separate eating and sleeping.

dib · July 2010

carrotcake06:
Honestly? Read the book. (not trying to be snarky, but if you're going to do it why not have all the facts before you start?)

MIL just mentioned it last night and she hasn't brought the book yet. Yes, you should be less jump-to-conclusions. I'm just asking for other people's experience.

92405bride · July 2010

I started doing this routine when my baby was probably 4-5 weeks old, and it was honestly a lifesaver. I pretty much was offering the boob every single time she was cranky because I thought she was always hungry, when really she was just tired and needed to be soothed to sleep. Since we started so early, she really does not associate nursing with sleeping at all, and nursing to sleep wouldn't even work for her.

At this age, babies probably can go at least 3 hours without nursing, so I'd suggest after waking up from a nap or in the morning, immediately feed, play for awhile, and at the first tired cue (yawning, playing slowing down, etc) soothe to sleep with other method other than nursing. If you always nurse to sleep, it's likely there will be some crying at first, but he'll get used to going to sleep without nursing probably within a few days. My baby can be awake for 2-4 hours, but if it's closer to 3 hours, I do feed her before her nap.

I did read the book and it was really helpful - I didn't really care for the author's tone, but I would recommend it.

dib · July 2010

BabyLove987:
I don't BF before naps, but I do BF before bedtime. LO is usually awake for 2-3 hours at a time during the day (3 naps), but her naps are pretty short. Eating is usually sometime in the middle of the awake time, so she is still eating every 2.5 - 3 hours. You could try waking up LO and playing with him after eating, even if it is only for a few minutes, to help him separate eating and sleeping.

The couple times I've tried to wake him up, he is a very cranky awake. But I could keep trying. And maybe feeding in the middle of the awake time is something else. I'll give that a go later this afternoon. It's hard to find the solution, cuz I'm only with him during the day 3x/week and MIL has the other days and obviously he reacts different to both of us and we can't act EXACTLY the same way.

NiniJ55 · July 2010

Try a paci. If DS is truly hungry he would just spit out the pacifier. DS has a strong sucking urge so the pacifier was a lifesaver for us. Otherwise I don't know - he plays after nursing all the time so we don't have this issue - sorry.

jenn&Dave2005 · July 2010

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/29470977.aspx

That's my favorite babywhisper post.

melody921 · July 2010

I read this book and did this method while I was still BFing. DS would stay awake for up to an hour after a feeding then nap. He ate every 3 hours.

cajungirl0717 · July 2010

I tried the EASY method when I was on maternity leave. It worked ok. LO always wanted to sleep after she ate, but I kept trying to keep her awake at least 30-45 minutes after the bottle. When I started her at daycare, I quit worrying about the EASY and figured she would set her own routine when she was ready, and she has. I can't do the same thing on the weekends anyway because I EBF on weekends and she gets bottles during the week. She will respond to time in bw feedings differently for bottles and breast

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