Been trying EASY for 2 months

[HeatherJulia]

My daughter was 3 weeks early born Aug 23, and had to spend a month in our Neonatal unit, I had planned to do easy from the day she came home.  Here are a few of my most pressing questions.
She is bottle feed breastmilk ( I pump it all) she is currently just over 11 pounds a drinks about 28 oz a day.  She only naps for 45 mins each time however is content so I don't press it, she only started napping in her bed, Dec 1st, before that I couldn't put her down, at all during the day she would just scream. So I carried her in a sling during nap time.  She is still waking a couple of times a night for a feed.  She seems to do better if I skip the dream feed, she goes down easily between 6:30 and 7:15. (depending on the last nap she can only stay awake about 1.5  hrs at a time) If I sleep through the dream feed she can last until about 1am, then feeds again around 5ish.  If I feed at 10 or 11. ( I have been setting my alarm for 11 due to I usually go to be at 9)  she wakes at 3ish for a feed and again 5ish without a feed.  So should I go with this? Either way I am getting up twice and she seems happier.
Thanks Julia's mom.

[*Natasha*]

We were having the same issues so i just stopped doing it but it is up to you what you prefer. I think they suggest doing a DF a little later when they are slightly older. It sounds like you are doing great especially for a prem baby 

[elmarie]

Hi Julia's mommy,

Welcome to BW! 

Don't you want to post your routine for us so we can look at it!

Elmarie X

[HeatherJulia]

Here is a sample
She wakes at 5ish more about that later however, somewhere between 6 and 6:45, we take her to our bed, due to my DH is usually up by this time and they have a little quite time, however he doesn't actually get up with her he talks to her while watching sports in bed.  If he isn't up she goes to sleep in our bed, I know this is accidental parenting. 
7am feed
activity
8:15 hold in chair for about 5 mins
Put down awake
She usually sleeps 45 mins to an hour. (She wakes happy so I don't think she needs more)
9:15 more activity
10am feed
10:30 hold in chair for about 5 mins
Put down awake, sometimes she needs a shh and hand on chest for a few minutes.
She usually sleeps 35 mins to 45 mins.
We repeat this all day.
I wake her if it goes into a feed time or feed 15 mins early if necessary. She is on a really good 3 hour eating routine.  She came home from the hospital on a 4 hour feeding schedule however because I wanted to follow easy I changed it to 3 hours, and in the hospital my breastmilk was fortified.
Lately I have had to stick in the soother a few times during naps (yikes!)
6:15 bath
6:45 bottle and down for the night around 7. She may need the soother stuck in once however usually goes down easily.
I was setting my alarm to dream feed at 10 then, decided on 11.  I was setting the alarm either way.  I just cannot stay up past 9ish.
She wakes around 3ish for a feed.
Then the dreaded 5 am waking, I have to stick the soother in many times between 5 and 6, when I take her to our bed. 
I am not ready to switch her to the 4 hour routine due to her adjusted age is only 3 months and she cannot currently stay awake for more than 1.5 hours max.  Also her feeds are not great these days she takes anywhere from 2.5 to 5.5 oz per feed and somedays only takes in 23 oz total, so dropping a feed might not be good, not really sure if she might take more if they were further apart.  She is never hungry and never cries to be feed except overnight, yet 7am is always her worst feed rarely takes more than an oz.  I did so much force feeding in the hospital I never do it here at home, when she pushs it away I offer it once more and that is it. 
Any suggestions?

[elmarie]

Hi Julia's mommy,

You are doing a good job.  You still need to aim for a 3h EASY for a while until she is 4months old (taking into consideration that she was 3 weeks early).  Here is a sample routine that you can aim for (adjusting to your times). 5 wake up without a DF seems pretty normal.


7am wake and feed
8.30am nap ( 1 1/2h)
10.00am eat
11.30am nap (1 1/2h)
1.00pm eat
2.30pm (1 1/2h nap)
4pm feed
5 or 6pm  40min catnap to get baby through feed and bath
7pm (clusterfeed)
7.30pm bedtime
10 or 11pm dreamfeed

A time will increase slowly.  Dreamfeed will continue to more and less 7-8months.

A lack of routine can often cause babies not settle down easily.  It is extremely important to start an adequate sleep routine and using the 4s to get her to go down relaxed (p.181 BWSAYP Tracy explaines how to do this).

Please ask if you have q.

Elmarie XX

[HeatherJulia]

Thanks for the support.
The routine you show is exactally what I am aiming for however, she takes shorter naps and seems fine with it so it throws everything off.  I don't want to do the pu/pd due to she is happy when she wakes and can last another 1.5 hours without being fussy. 
Thanks again, Julia's mom