Question about BFing on demand

blondiemama09 · February 2012

I ebf my DD, but her schedule is still pretty sporadic. She usually eats every 3ish hours. Sometimes more, sometimes less. She's been gaining great, so I have no worries about supply issues. However, since I feed on demand, she isn't eating at the same time everyday. From everything I've read - is that messy w/ my supply - like my body is getting confused by this?

I could be reading into it too much, but I'm confused on that. Here I was thinking BFing on demand was great, but then I have contradicting thoughts about my body getting mixed signals - as far as producing enough/when, etc.

lorahbora · February 2012

I think you're fine. I EBF and my DD is on a random schedule and everything seems fine. I have never heard about a lack of schedule influencing supply. If anything, I hear feeding on demand strongly encouraged.

winter-shock · February 2012

My DD was the same and it was never an issue. The body is an amazing thing. The only time it ever seemed to become an issue is if she literally skipped a feeding or nursed very little. Then I would become engorged.

tokenhoser · February 2012

Humans have been breastfeeding a lot longer than there have been clocks to watch. Your body knows what to do - you really don't have to worry about it.

I never understood what else you'd do to quiet an angry, hungry newborn anyway. I can't imagine trying to put off a feed.

ns1 · February 2012

I feed DD on demand and have since the beginning. I haven't had any issues yet, and her feeding schedule is pretty sporadic!

vanfox · February 2012

No, you're fine. Your supply works on a general internal clock, but milk supply becomes more demand-based the longer you BF your baby. By around four months, it's totally demand-based, but at your LO's age, it's already starting to switch over to her needs specifically.

Like obviously I've been BFing for a long time now and my DS is eating a lot of solids, so he doesn't nurse much during the day. However, if he's teething, he might want to nurse more often and my body easily catches up with him even if he nursed four times one day and eight the next.

PunkyBooster · February 2012

DS was like this. I never clock watched with him, it was all about his signals. Somedays he nursed what felt like for 15 hours.

I made a crapton of milk, so I don't think he messed with it.

OliveBaby · February 2012

tokenhoser:
Humans have been breastfeeding a lot longer than there have been clocks to watch. Your body knows what to do - you really don't have to worry about it.
I never understood what else you'd do to quiet an angry, hungry newborn anyway. I can't imagine trying to put off a feed.

Yep. This.

sweetky_06 · February 2012

PunkyBooster:
DS was like this. I never clock watched with him, it was all about his signals. Somedays he nursed what felt like for 15 hours.
I made a crapton of milk, so I don't think he messed with it.

This. Also - I try to make sure I pump at around the same time everyday (I pump morning and evening) but other than that, I just go with DS.

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