Feeding on a schedule

Re: Feeding on a schedule

• cinderin member

  January 2014

  My son usually ate about every one to two hours around the clock when he was first born. He is almost 6 months now and it can be anywhere from one to three hours between feedings during the day. He sleeps longer stretches at night.
  
  Life is easier for everyone if you just let the baby set the schedule. They know what they want/need.

  
  

   
  When you've been married this long, you need a ticker to remind you.
  
  Baby Boy M - 08/01/2013 
  
  Expecting Baby Bean February 2017

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• taraleanne member

  January 2014

  jfresh said:

  Feeding baby on demand is the best for babies, especially breast fed babies. It's better for your supply and well, they are newborn babies they aren't hungry on a schedule. They have a lot of growth spurts and I would never want to make my son wait another hour to eat because his "schedule" doesn't allow it until 6 pm. He's a baby, he's hungry. They generally fall into a routine, sometimes it gets off, but as they get older timing gets a little more predictable.

  
  

  
  

  THIS. Plus, pretty much every good resource says you feed the baby on demand. Schedules inhibit a baby's ability to thrive. There was never any choice, it's just what you do. Isn't this what they tell us in the hospital after the baby is born? Who are all these people that say this to you?   I dunno who these people are but I know I don't get hungry at the exact same time every day- babies don't either of course and they are growing so rapidly! Some days they need to eat a little more, some days a little less, etc. etc... no to the schedule. Besides, one sort of falls into place as they get older anyway, at least in my experience.

  
  

  You could check out the comments on the "Baby sleep 12 hours by 12 weeks" post in the 3-6m board on why feeding on a schedule is not recommended. 

  

  
  

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• OntheWater member

  January 2014

  I feed on demand, but I do feed on a schedule in the sense that I won't let her go longer than 3 hrs during the day. She normally goes 2.5-3 hrs between feedings, but may be napping when the 3rd hr hits. This is when i would wake her to feed her. She sleeps 11.5-12 hrs at night, so I want to make sure she gets enough feedings during the day.

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• smlowe9311 member

  January 2014

  We do a combination. What I mean by this is during the day we feed her about every 4 hours but of course if she gets hungry before that I certainly will feed her. 

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