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on demand vs waking/schedule

Peanutz21Peanutz21 member
in Breastfeeding
hi it's me again...FTM!

for the first 4 weeks i was BFing baby every 2-3 hours in the day.  if she was sleeping i would wake her.  now that she's doing well, gaining appropriate weight etc the pediatrician recommended i feed her on demand.  for the last few days we've been doing this.  now that we do on demand i never know when she's finished.  when we were doing feeds every 2-3 hours she would eat for 10 min and then pull away or fall asleep.  now that we do on demand often times she is eating 40 min to 1 hour and i can't tell when she is done or just sucking for comfort/fun.   also does switching to on demand have any implications for when she'll be in day care at 3 months?

i've also been wondering what a letdown feels like ... i'm still not sure if this is happening?

thank you in advance!!

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Re: on demand vs waking/schedule

  • Peanutz21Peanutz21 member
    @babywinks @casey78 @theresat858

    thank you for all the help. i'm having anxiety about going back to work already and i still have 6.5 weeks of maternity leave.

    the other thing i am wondering is, now that i'm trying on demand she is sleeping longer stretches during the day (3-4.5 hours) and nursing less frequently (just longer).... is that normal? 

    i'm a little worried my supply will dwindle but i'm thinking the duration of nursing probably equates to the more frequent and shorter sessions ...atleast I'm hoping it does.  i'm thinking the longer sleep stretches are because of her growth spurt as well...

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  • sishamariesishamarie member
    I have a rather intense let down that to me feels like a strong tingling. Although I have never been stung by a jellyfish, I for some reason relate it to that. I also didn't feel my let down till about 3-4weeks old.

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  • spartybride3spartybride3 member
    I've never felt a letdown so I can't tell you what it feels like. We've fed on demand since we were in the hospital. Even with it being on demand, her feedings still follow somewhat of a schedule and happen around the same time every day. I also am not 100% sure how to tell when she is finished, but I just follow her cues (falling asleep, not rooting, looks content, doesn't relatch when I re-offer).
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  • Peanutz21Peanutz21 member
    theresat858 said:
    Is she sleeping a longer stretch at night?  If not, I'd keep waking her during the day, personally...
    she's sleeping about 5 sometimes 6 hours at night.  so hard to know what to do; i'm trying to trust the process - LO is pretty content in general so it is a bit hard to read her cues.  her naps seem to be on the long side and the pediatrician mentioned she may nap longer during growth spurts...maybe this is what it is.  yesterday she slept pretty long periods during the day.  i was starting to get worried the decreased frequency may affect my supply but i'm doing more reading on kellymom and it says this is expected and normal. 

    thanks for all the help ladies....i just need to gain a little more confidence that what we are doing is okay for LO.

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