Feeding on demand or by the hour: advantages and disadvantages of each method. Feeding your baby according to a schedule or on demand: which is better? Pediatrician answers

Did you also have such horror? And have you changed your attitude towards feeding on demand, nipples, water, etc.?

I gave birth in the winter, but the first three months - I can say without magnification - IT WAS HORROR. I felt almost no feelings for MY child. For me it was an eternally screaming lump.
Hanging on the chest and lying on the bed around the clock, loneliness and disappointment, depression, tears and this is not a complete list. There were also tears, freakouts, screams and fights with my husband.

Now say:DOES A CHILD NEED THIS ON-DEMAND FEEDING? AND A MOTHER WHO CAN’T GO TO THE TOILET WHILE NOT TO SLEEP?

I know many mothers who didn’t read anything and weren’t interested in anything, gave birth normally, gave them water to drink, gave them a pacifier, rocked them in a stroller, fed them according to a schedule, and now weigh even more than my one who was fed on demand. And I have 4 such examples. They escaped all the horror that I went through.
As a result, when we get together, mine, every two, or even earlier, demands, i.e. screams so much that it is impossible not to let them, but they are calmly snored or wait for feeding.
CONCLUSION: if God gives a second one, I won’t be such a fan of GW on demand anymore. And I will do everything as I consider best for myself and MY child!
We experienced mastitis, with a temperature of 39.5, when the baby was 2.5 months old. Feeding in half an hour, 30 minutes at a time, and my eyes were already rolling out of my head. My husband didn’t know what to do with himself - the little one was yelling, I had a fever and there was no one to leave the little one with so that he could simply go to the hospital. Because he eats on demand from me.
Although breastfeeding specialists unanimously say that if the baby is completely on breastfeeding, there will be no mastitis and there is no need to express. AND I HAD!!!
Thank God, everything worked out, but how much nerves and strength it required, only He knows. Only recently did my husband finally return to our bedroom (baby is almost 7 months old). And so I slept in another room, because... the little one slept with me, and I felt cramped, I fed him every two hours, but he didn’t get enough sleep, because he also has work and needs fresh brains. Only RECENTLY started having sex, because... Before that, I was JUST NOT IN A CONDITION.
This is the price of on-demand feeding.

Regime, pacifier and water. This is how all our mothers and fathers grew up, and I did not see any deviations among them. And in general, what’s wrong with feeding according to the schedule??? Or in pumping, if it is really necessary? But every mother feels this herself. Isn't it better to trust your intuition, or rather your mother's??
In general, I was very upset, sorry if something is wrong...
Gloria

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olechka25
And you know, I agree on some things! I was thinking about this myself recently. Mine was also hanging for the first three months, we have the following results - we are calming down only with boobs, we are 7 months old. The child does not know moderation in food, he can eat constantly, especially boobs, but also complementary foods, and in the end he overeats and regurgitates. Now I’m persistently getting used to the regime, we can hardly stand it for 3 hours, we’re slightly overweight - 9,100 with a height of 68 cm, and we were born 2,750, we don’t take a pacifier, in order to fall asleep - only with my mother, and I’m horrified to think what will happen in a year. I don't plan to feed for more than a year. If there is a second child, we will have a regimen and a pacifier, but I think that if I didn’t apply it often, there wouldn’t be enough milk even for the second month, but I gave my son a very useful thing for him for as much as six months!

mamaMakara
I also read a lot of things and selectively believed them, I fed them on demand, but we had water from 1 month, then instant tea, a pacifier from 3 months, I learned with difficulty, from 5 months. started introducing complementary foods. Honestly, I don’t understand how you can give universal advice to everyone: “do it like this,” or “like that,” why, for example, doesn’t a child just want to drink water? Because the magazine says that milk satisfies thirst???? Where do you get the information that it satisfies my child? Why can't I give him water and torture him because everyone is talking about it? I don’t believe that all children refuse to breastfeed because of water or a pacifier with a bottle, we had ALL of the above, I never contacted breastfeeding consultants, the milk did not disappear, and she was fed with me until 8 months on 80% breastfeeding and 20% reduction in complementary feeding! And then, on my own initiative, I began to give larger portions of complementary foods and reduce breastfeeding, but I can say that thanks to the same pacifier, both I and the baby were calm.

Buttercup
I was so imbued with the ideas about breastfeeding during the course, the lack of a pacifier, and water, that I couldn’t even imagine how it could be different. I’m reading about your experience, and of course I can only sympathize. Everything turned out “as written”. The baby fell asleep after a MAXIMUM of 10 minutes. sucking. For the first 2-3 months I applied it somewhere around every 1.5-2 hours, and now at 7 months, I can go outside, forgetting to feed, so it endures 4 hours. At the same time, feeding is still painful; some of my nipples are very sensitive. But these are, of course, small things in comparison...
And how much milk do you have, I mean, splashes like a fountain when the child eats? Maybe it all depends on the quantity? Mine is still choking, so it’s simply impossible for him to eat for hours...

mama_puzozhitela
I probably don’t have the right to express my opinion here, because... I don't have any experience of my own yet. But “on demand” means not only at the request of the baby, but also at the request of the mother. That's what all the breastfeeding specialists I've read say. This is probably individual, but for my mother, for example, it was easier to feed us on demand, and not by the hour, because... She slept with us and didn’t even fully wake up when she fed - as a result, she rested during the night. But my mother-in-law, on the contrary, fed for hours and pumped for hours after feeding, after which she simply collapsed from fatigue.

Julia
The point is to avoid endless hanging on the breast, and not to feed strictly according to a schedule. I can feed after 2 hours or after 4 - depending on how my mother wants. But I was unable, either mentally or physically, to do 12-20 applications per day, as some advise “for every squeak” and to lie down all day. Okay, still at 1 month, but at 2-3 months. Children are already so smart, they want to play and look at the world, and not just at their mother’s boobs.
And this can really lead to the fact that the boobs become everything for the child (I have such an example - a 4-year-old little man constantly gets into his mother’s bra in case of any discomfort).
If there are no problems with milk, everything is simpler: the baby is full, the baby is sleeping, and there is absolutely no need to breastfeed at every squeak - you can rock him, talk, distract him. At 2 months they can already hear and listen to you perfectly.

ithaka
All children are very different. I’m talking about the experience of IV and SV.
The eldest son (IV) very quickly sucked his portion from birth and fell asleep. The regime was clear almost from birth. The youngest one hung on his chest, just like yours. Moreover, there was little milk, so I didn’t think about any dummies or regimens, I endured it :). Then I had to transfer him to breastfeeding (we have a conflict, my son’s bilirubin increased from my milk, they told me to feed him 50/50 with breast and formula). He fiddled with the bottle in exactly the same way! I drank 10 grams, fell asleep within 20 minutes. woke up, another 10 grams... I can’t imagine how I would accustom him to the regime. He simply couldn't eat more or sleep longer! Was it necessary to starve him? She fed on demand, he soon gave up breastfeeding - she pumped, gave it in a bottle. Only after 7 months. he began to eat his portion at once and sleep for 2-3 hours twice a day, and not five times for 30-50 minutes.

My point is this: the fact that your friends’ children eat less often or sleep longer there does not necessarily depend on your and their approach to feeding. I treated both children exactly the same, but the results are different because they themselves are different. It’s just that your child and my second son are more demanding and less “easy” children. I assure you, in five or six years you will forget how you did not sleep at night, and how many times a day and night your child ate. Meanwhile, you gave him breastfeeding, which is very necessary for his future health, which could very well not have happened if not “on demand.” I suggest you enjoy this :).

MariaD
But in my opinion, fanaticism is bad in any business! I don't consider myself a super experienced mom, since my first baby is only 6 months old. I also took courses and read a lot on the Internet, but theory was theory, and practice was practice. Only a mother can feel what is best for her and her child. My girl had a lot of trouble with her tummy for the first 2.5 months. of my life, and I had enough milk and this little greedy thing ate until the milk was already “coming out of my ears”, she began to spit up and her stomach hurt again (that is, she did not fall asleep on her chest). The pacifier simply saved us, that is, my daughter ate, then I gave her the pacifier and the girl fell asleep (and the parents along with her, instead of running around all night with a screaming child in her arms).

Spar
The first two paragraphs seemed very familiar to me - thoughts and feelings experienced in the first months after the birth of my daughter. The same showdown with my husband (it turns out his mother is not at all obligated to help us, as she does, the apartment is neglected, I don’t look after my husband, and in general I’m an ungrateful person!). The same despair that I don’t have time to do anything, sorry for the details, sitting in the bathroom, I listened to whether I would have time before the girl cried or not.
Madhouse with feeding on demand: I wrote down in a notebook how long she ate, and which breast I fed, pins on the straps so as not to mix up the breast and not give it empty. Around 2.5 months. She began to cry during feeding, and not just cry, but sob, she ate only if she hung vertically on me.
I listened to the pediatrician, who prescribed kefir from the dairy kitchen at 2.5 months. As a result, weight gain is below normal. And only thanks to the fact that in the first months of such a life she gained 1 kg, by the year we remained in normal numbers.
There is a separate conversation about her sleep - she slept only if she swaddled or clasped her hands, and then she slept and cried. During the day I slept mostly in my arms. Although she ate after 3 hours already at 2 months. And at night I slept for 4 hours without waking up.
I only felt relief when I started supplementing feeding at 4 months, the baby became calmer and began to sleep better.

Now, more than 4 years later, analyzing that situation, I remember that one night in the maternity hospital, unable to bear her crying, I simply went into the corridor... And, sobbing there from the feeling that I could not feed her (the breasts were not strained) and because I can’t stand her crying, and most of all because what kind of mother am I if, a few hours after the birth of such a long-awaited daughter, I was able to leave her alone in the ward. And most of all, my irritation with the child was caused by the fact that the past, free, as it seemed to me then, life was gone for an indefinite period, if not forever. I also believe that these nervous breakdowns were due to the fact that the birth of the child coincided with the first year of my married life with my husband. Still, there is a blending of characters, and then there’s a newborn with all the ensuing consequences!

What's the result? We wanted a child again, me more than my husband. All negative emotions faded before the happiness that these kids give. Moreover, I now see that over time some problems replace others without disappearing forever.

Now my youngest son is 2.5 months old. He doesn't look like his sister at all!!!
In the maternity hospital I felt completely different, I couldn’t look at him enough! I feed on demand, almost literally at the first squeak I give breastfeeding, I feel that I want it (although I have to feed every 1.5-2 hours, and even less in the evening, at night he sleeps at most after a bath, without waking up for 2.5 hours ). He does not take a pacifier (I have already tried 4 options for pacifiers, from the most expensive to the simplest), and does not drink well from a bottle. In general, everything is not like my sister’s!
My health recovered much faster than the first time, although my son’s tailbone was completely broken when he was born. And we started having sex earlier. But I know that I will breastfeed only and on demand (God willing). Of course, maybe I’ll try to lengthen the interval between feedings, but at least until complementary feeding I want to maintain this feeding pattern.

In short, what I wanted to say with such a long essay - CHILDREN ARE ALL DIFFERENT!!!. What suits some may not suit others. And in the matter of breastfeeding on demand, a lot still depends on us, mothers, on our mood and internal emotional well-being.
In the end, SV and IV are also far from the worst option, the artificial one itself is from 3 months. (as mom said). And in general it’s easier the second time!!!

I wish you to feel all the joy of motherhood, and test your thoughts with the next baby!!!

Mamesita
There were endless lying on the sofa (or sitting in a chair) and depression, and loneliness, and the inability to eat normally and - sorry - go to the toilet, wash...
No regime, no Internet, no breastfeeding consultants, no childhood friends, no mother, refusal of the pacifier, wild screams in the stroller, wild screaming throughout the entire course of massage to eliminate torticollis, sleeping only at the breast or not sleeping at all, and so on and so forth... (When all this + the presence of stitches, sex resumed 2 weeks after giving birth (I didn’t want to, and I still don’t want to, but I have to feign pleasure less and less :-)).
If the so-called Breastfeeding on demand really gets on your nerves, then, of course, it’s better to pump and leave the baby with the dad (my brother’s wife does this and goes for a walk with her friends). Mothers are people too... We can't give our children everything, but maybe we can try to give them everything we can?

Shahinya
Girls, dear, if you are suffering so much with breastfeeding, maybe it’s okay? A? You yourself write on IV - healthy, normal children grow up?
Out of savings or what? They fall asleep with boobs - so give the bottle to dad - rest yourself, there is no regime - so with the mixture you get such a wonderful regime - the mixture takes longer to digest. And as for fulfilling all the regulations of Spock, Komarovsky, and breastfeeding consultants - you are thinking individuals, children are all individual - think, choose the best option for your baby, for yourself. Mothers fed according to the schedule - everything worked out for them - well, listen to your mothers - why do you need anyone else? I am grateful to the consultant and the forum for giving me breastfeeding - it was difficult for me, but I made a choice for my child, and I already chose the child myself: no pacifier, no water, boobs - forever :))!

NadiaM
And we have good experience in feeding on demand!
The first month they fed anyhow. Then there’s a 2-hour break, then an hour, then after 5 minutes she’s screaming... I started looking up literature on the Internet and read that even when feeding on demand, the interval between feedings should be no less than 1.5-2 hours. If the baby cannot withstand that much, it means that the previous feeding was not correct or is crying for other reasons (the baby fell asleep without eating, does not latch on correctly, something hurts, etc.). I began to monitor the feeding, and if he fell asleep early, I pinched his cheek, shook him a little, and he sucked as much as he needed. They fought the gas with Espumisan, nothing else helped, but then she gave him a spoon and the baby calmed down. Then everything went like clockwork. Feeding with a break of 2 hours. I ate for 5-10 minutes and fell asleep.
At night, at first I tried to put him in the crib, but the little one immediately woke up, and if suddenly (lo and behold!) he fell asleep, then I kept twitching - whether he was breathing or not tossing and turning, maybe he was dilated, cold or hot. Then she spat, and we slept peacefully together. I sit in his mouth and sleep myself. Sometimes I didn’t even notice when he finished eating. When he gets hungry again, I take it to another barrel and go back to sleep. I got enough sleep and felt rested, and everyone else slept too, since the apartment was quiet at night. Now he has begun to sleep more soundly and longer. So we moved his bed next to ours, and he sleeps in it, only in the morning I take him to my place.
After 2 months I started giving her a pacifier. Again, I read on the Internet that you should not give a pacifier at first, as you may learn to latch onto the breast incorrectly, and when the process is established, this will not happen. The pacifier calmed me down when I started to get nervous about changes in weather and new experiences.
I tried giving the mixture at night. The doctor advised us to sleep longer. I drank no more than half and still woke up after 2 hours. So I didn't bother. Well, first boil everything, measure it, brew it, then wash it and boil it again. No, it’s easier to breastfeed, and sleep, rest.
We still eat breast milk during the day before bed, at night and once at night. Again, largely for selfish reasons. With a small breast he falls asleep in 10 minutes, but without it he needs to be rocked to sleep for half an hour. And I plan to feed him like this until he refuses to breastfeed. When this will happen, I don’t know and don’t make any guesses, but the experience of my friends suggests that by the 2nd year the children are already falling asleep well to the TV or fairy tales or lullabies, I will slowly teach them. In the meantime, I get a thrill when my little one works at the breast, and then falls asleep contentedly. Such a surge of maternal love that you forget about all the inconveniences.

Among mothers - already established and future - there are real disputes and “battles” on the topic of feeding children. Today on the website we will raise the issue of feeding on demand and according to a schedule: all the pros and cons, the pros and cons of this mode of raising a child.

Feeding the baby on demand and according to schedule

Only recently having become pregnant or having decided to have a child, young women listen to “lectures” from mothers, grandmothers and other older acquaintances about the need for a regimen for the baby.

Some time ago (about 20-25 years), no one imagined that it was possible to feed a child in any other way than at specific intervals (strictly 3 hours), avoiding night feedings. Moreover, each breastfeeding should last no longer than 20 minutes.

The need to raise a child according to a schedule was determined by the fact that children were often sent to nurseries in infancy, where they followed exactly the described daily routine. All the children in such institutions ate, slept, and pooped by the hour.

Unfortunately, it was the “regime” that most often led to the rapid cessation of breastfeeding and the transition to artificial formula.

An alternative type of raising a child has become feeding on demand - when the baby is offered the breast in case of any exploratory movements or restlessness. At the same time, a certain period of time is not maintained between feedings, and the feeding itself lasts as long as the baby wants.

Feeding on demand: rules

There are no “rules” as such, or each mother selects them for her child independently. But there are recommendations that WHO gives for the best way to establish breastfeeding:

• Attaching the baby when he “asks.” At the same time, he spends as much time at the breast as he wants;
• Complete rejection of “gadgets” that replace the mother’s breast (pacifiers, bottles). If necessary, water or medicine is given from a spoon;
• Correct attachment of the baby;
• The baby needs to be fed from both breasts at one feeding;
• Refusal to express the remaining milk in the breast after each feeding;
• Introduction of complementary foods no earlier than 6 months of age;
• Feeding up to 1.5-2 years or until the child is independent from the breast (self-weaning).

We emphasize on the site that you can “vary” between these recommendations and do what is convenient for you and your child. For example, many children normally combine breastfeeding and sucking a pacifier/pacifier, as well as maintaining a certain period between feedings.

Feeding on demand or by the hour: pros and cons

Let’s first look at the advantages of on-demand feeding:

• With this type of feeding, the child gains weight more actively;
• There are fewer problems with lactation. Even with “milk crises”, the child is able to suck on the breast and adjust the amount of milk to himself;
• The period of regurgitation ends earlier than in children fed according to the regimen;
• Many psychologists believe that when feeding on demand, a special contact arises between mother and baby.

Despite all the benefits and advantages, breastfeeding on demand also has a number of disadvantages:

1. The inability to leave the child with someone other than the mother, due to his complete attachment to the breast;
2. Fatigue, chronic lack of sleep of parents;
3. Frequent feeding can be harmful to the baby's gastrointestinal tract. The milk does not have time to be digested before a new portion arrives. Some experts believe that this may also be the cause of tummy pain;
4. Feeding on demand often involves co-sleeping between baby and mother. Some young parents accept this. But in such cases, “young father syndrome” may occur, when the newly made father feels uncomfortable in the marital bed. In addition, the intimate life of parents often suffers.

Feeding by the hour also has a number of positive aspects:

• The baby can be safely left with dad or nanny from feeding to feeding, or longer if you express milk first;
• Feeding schedule promotes better absorption of food (according to pediatricians);
• A child who is accustomed to the routine sleeps better on his own and allows his mother to rest;
• A mother can always understand when a child cries from hunger and when for another reason;
• There is no need for mother and baby to sleep together.

Disadvantages of feeding by the hour, except those described at the very beginning of the article:

1. Worse emotional connection between mother and child (although this point is questionable) than when feeding a newborn on demand;
2. The child's attachment to the pacifier and subsequent difficulties in weaning from it;
3. Possibility of breast problems due to long breaks in feeding (at night);
4. With particularly careful adherence to the regimen (without even 15-minute deviations from it), problems may occur in the form of severe crying of the child.

If you have chosen on-demand feeding for your child, how often to apply it, how long to keep the baby at your breast - you will understand for yourself. Choose for yourself and your baby what is convenient for you; in addition, some principles of feeding on demand and according to a schedule can be quite successfully combined.

In fact, everything is very simple: it is the baby who plays the leading role in determining the feeding regimen. In this case, the baby is applied to the breast as often as he requires, and he is allowed to stay at the breast for as long as he wishes. A typical daily routine for a healthy newborn looks like this: the baby wakes up with an insistent cry, indicating that it’s time for a good snack. Mom comes up to him, takes him in her arms, but the baby doesn’t even think about calming down! Here you need to quickly change your child’s diaper, so as not to make him wait, and put him to your chest. Let us repeat once again: you need to put your baby to your breast every time he cries. Indeed, there is currently a lot of talk about the fact that a baby cannot be hungry if he wakes up, for example, forty minutes after feeding, and therefore does not need to be put to the breast in this case. Meanwhile, leading feeding experts agree that it is impossible to overfeed a child with mother's breast milk. That is why in modern pediatrics the “gold standard” has been adopted - putting the baby to the breast “at the first cry.” As long as the breast can calm the baby, this should be used. If he doesn’t want to suck, he won’t, then you’ll have to look for other ways to calm him down. In short, don't be afraid to offer him your breast every time he cries.

Why is this?

Children of the first three to four weeks most often nurse for a long time - thirty to forty minutes, sometimes up to an hour. This is due to the fact that, firstly, sucking the breast for a newborn baby is hard work (this is why weakened children are fed not from the breast, but from the nipple, which is much easier for them). The baby will fall asleep at the breast to rest and then nurse again. After the first 10-15 minutes he will suck in his sleep. When the little one is finally satisfied, he will either let go of his mother’s nipple or stop sucking, and you can “take away” the breast from him to put him in his crib. In addition, sucking for a baby is not only a way of feeding, but also satisfying the sucking reflex. Babies are born with a high sucking reflex (more precisely, with a high need for its satisfaction). The fact is that sucking triggers the process of inhibition in the central nervous system. This means that in order to feel calm during the day, the baby needs to spend a certain amount of time sucking. Therefore, while eating, he not only absorbs food, but also takes a sedative procedure. If you wean your baby quickly, the need for pacifiers will inevitably arise. And finally, being at the breast is also a way to be with mom. Indeed, this is the dream of all babies - to be in the arms of their mother, and they achieve this at all costs, but they still don’t know how to do anything other than suck. It is not surprising that they so often ask to be breastfed and stretch out the feeding procedure for a long time: as soon as you show your mother that you are full, they instantly “overload” you into the crib and leave you alone... It’s strange, after all, that adults have so many they pay attention to the organization of proper care, cleanliness, high-quality children's cosmetics, cribs made of environmentally friendly materials, sufficient walks and a balanced diet, but for some reason they often deny their children the main thing - recognition of them as people: for some reason it seems that they are still just a set of reflexes and physiological functions.

What does this give?

Free feeding stimulates lactation in the best way, since the baby is usually attached to the breast more often than would be expected with regular feeding. The mammary glands are better emptied, which reduces the risk of milk stagnation - lactostasis and subsequent inflammation of the mammary gland - mastitis. Children regain their weight after birth much faster, and then grow and gain weight better. Since feeding on demand is the most physiological (corresponds to real, not hypothetical biorhythms of the body), babies feel more calm. This means that the mother will not have to first withstand the child’s anguished cry, holding out for the “correct” feeding time, and then be tormented by doubts and guilt, trying to wake him up at the “right” moment.

It has probably already become clear that the simplest and most correct thing is to let the baby decide for himself when and how much to eat. As a rule, many young mothers easily agree to offer the baby the breast every time he asks for it, but for some reason they flatly refuse the second part of this provision: they do not agree NOT to feed the baby when he does NOT ask for it. If the baby decides to take a nap for four hours in a row, they begin to worry that the baby is not eating enough, and begin to wake him up to feed him. Think how you would react to such a “compassionate” attempt from your loved ones! Meanwhile, sleep is much more important for a little person than for adults, since its central nervous system and higher nervous activity are just being formed. Perhaps in some ways it is even more important than nutrition! All basic information processing processes occur in babies during sleep. Therefore, if your child “falls asleep,” go to the crib, check if he sleeps sweetly, and move away. Don't worry: as soon as he gets really hungry, he won't hesitate to let you know. If the baby wakes up frequently (say, every 40-60 minutes), the young mother may be in doubt about which breast to put him on: should she alternate breasts at each feeding? There is a fairly simple scheme: it is considered most advisable to transfer the baby to the other breast every 2-2.5 hours or after he has emptied one of the mammary glands. With this approach, stagnation of milk in the breast practically does not occur. Needless to say, maintaining night feedings is one of the most important criteria for natural feeding. From a purely physiological point of view, the child must gain weight of at least 5.5-6 kg in order to maintain an interval of 5 or more hours between feedings. For children with lower body weight, refusal of night feedings is a gross violation of natural mechanisms. And with regard to children who have already exceeded this weight limit, pediatricians still have a firm belief: the child himself must give up night feedings, and adults should not forcibly deprive him of food at night.

How long?..

It should be noted that as the baby grows, he will eat more and more orderly. Firstly, the feedings themselves will become shorter. This will happen for everyone at their own time: someone will begin to let go of their breasts by the month, as soon as they are full - in about ten minutes, and someone will stretch out the pleasure for 20-30 minutes even after six months. Shortening feedings is due to the fact that children, as they grow up, will become stronger and begin to suck out the required volume of milk in a shorter time, they will have a reduced need for sucking as such, and, finally, they will find other ways to communicate with their mother. Secondly, feeding hours will become closer and closer to regular hours, and the intervals between them will become more and more equal. Soon the mother herself will be able to accurately predict when the baby will want to have a snack.

10 questions about on-demand feeding.

Everyone has known for a long time: in order for there to be enough milk and for the baby to grow up calm and content, it is necessary to breastfeed him on demand. But not everyone knows what it really looks like.

Today we'll answer the most common questions moms ask when discussing on-demand feeding.

1. What intervals between feedings would be correct when feeding on demand?

In the first months of life, babies are latched at various intervals, ranging from 15 minutes to 2-3 hours. When feeding on demand, the mother does not pay attention to the intervals between attachments, but simply offers the breast at the first concern.

To better understand your baby, ask yourself the question: do you personally have certain “correct” intervals between the occurrence of various needs? For example, if you first ate, and after 15 minutes you wanted to take a nap, is this a long or short period? And if you woke up, drank water, and 30 minutes later you wanted to talk to your husband - is it too early? Will you wait another hour so that needs can be properly distributed?

To make it easier to understand how often to put your baby to the breast, there is a wonderful formula: “Look at the baby, not at the clock.”

2. I feed my baby on demand, about once every three hours, but he is still very restless between feedings. What's wrong with him?

Feeding on demand involves offering the breast at the first concern, rather than when the baby cries.

In the first month, approximately 90% of all the baby's needs are met with the help of breast milk.

Hunger is far from the only reason for wanting to breastfeed.

The baby wants to go to the toilet, but is unable to tense the necessary muscles - mother’s milk has a slight laxative effect.

The baby is a little cold - the temperature of the milk is about 38 degrees, and the mother’s body with a temperature of 36.6 is warmer than the crib.

The baby is in pain - there are morph-like substances in milk that help relieve pain, be it gas or a headache when the weather changes.

No one, even an adult, experiences needs or discomfort only once every three hours. Either you itched behind your ear, then you wanted to drink, then your leg went numb, then you remembered something, you became sad... A baby’s needs appear just as often, and perhaps even more often. And the simplest and most logical way to help the baby cope is to offer him the breast.

3. I feed the baby as often as he asks: as soon as he gets worried, I first check his diaper, then see if he is hot, then I take him in my arms, rock him, hum a song, and distract him. And if he’s still worried, I give him the breast.

Indeed, in the first months of life, the baby cannot say what exactly is bothering him. If the mother, at the first concern of the baby, begins to first look for the cause of the discomfort and try to eliminate it without breastfeeding, then this is already an artificial delay in breastfeeding. This can no longer be called feeding on demand. When feeding on demand, if the baby groans or becomes restless, the mother first puts him to the breast, and only then checks if everything is in order: the diaper is not dirty, the baby is not sweating, or a fold of his clothes is pricking. As a rule, while the mother is checking, the baby has already managed to satisfy his need at the breast (pee, warm up, drink, or just hug his mother) and, contented, begins to fall asleep, sucking on the breast.

4. How long should a baby stay at the breast?

In terms of duration, there cannot be any norms for children. After all, at one moment he wanted to sleep, and it was enough for him to simply take his mother’s breast in his mouth, so that in a minute he would fall asleep and release the breast. And at another moment he may have a headache, and then the baby will suck for an hour and an hour and a half until the headache goes away.

Also, the duration of one latch may depend on how effectively the baby sucks out milk. With proper attachment, the baby can eat the amount of milk he needs, for example, in 20-40 minutes, and remain satisfied. And another time, in an uncomfortable position for him and with incorrect application, he will suck out the same volume for an hour or two, and ask for more.

If the baby constantly suckles for an hour and a half, but the gain is below normal, it is worth checking the correctness of attachment and the organization of feedings in general.

5. My baby asks for the breast very often, will I overload his stomach?

Breast milk, unlike artificial formula, stays in the stomach for about 15 minutes, and then goes to the intestines. Therefore, it is quite difficult to overload the stomach with breast milk. In addition, the volume of a newborn's stomach is very small. And this is another reason why breastfed babies often ask for breastfeeding: they eat in small portions, without stretching the stomach and stopping on time.

6. If I feed my baby as often as he wants, will he get used to my hands?

For a child in the first months of life, being held in the arms of a loved one is a natural need. This is the only way he can feel safe. And mother’s breathing and heartbeat work like a chronograph for the baby, helping to adjust his own rhythms faster and more correctly. It has been scientifically proven that in mother’s arms the babies’ heartbeat is more rhythmic, they better maintain their body temperature, and there are many fewer attacks of apnea (short-term stops in breathing).

7. Why should a baby fall asleep with the breast in his mouth if I can put him in his crib, rock him, sing, and he, after grunting a little, falls asleep on his own?

Breast milk contains substances that help the baby calmly go to sleep, move from the excitation phase to the inhibition phase, and fall asleep on a wave of positivity and love.

If the baby is still bothered by something else, and he falls asleep simply from rocking and monotonous humming, then his sleep will be more intermittent and restless, and will not bring much benefit.

In addition, by reducing the number of feedings, the mother can thus reduce her lactation. There may be less milk.

8. How does a pacifier harm feeding on demand, since I rarely use it?

A pacifier is a substitute for a mother's breast. And, accordingly, by stimulating the pacifier, the baby does not stimulate the breast. Once again, feedings are artificially delayed. It can lead not only to a decrease in the amount of milk, but also to the baby’s refusal to breastfeed. After all, in difficult moments, when the baby cried a lot, it was she who was next to him, and not his mother. And at some point the baby may begin to cry at the breast, refuse it and calm down only with a pacifier.

In addition, the principle of sucking a pacifier is completely different than sucking a breast. And if the baby starts sucking the breast in the same way as a pacifier, he simply will not be able to get milk, although it is there.

9. I have two children. How can you cope with two children without a pacifier and regular feedings, since the older one also asks for attention?

Quite the opposite: with two or more children, feeding on demand is much easier than feeding according to a schedule! It is much easier for an older child, if he is under 6 years old, to study alone for 15 minutes once an hour than for 30-40 minutes, even once every three hours.

In addition, you should not separate time between communication with the older and younger child. While your baby is breastfeeding, you can play calm age-appropriate games with your elder: put together a pyramid, a puzzle, draw, or play role-playing games with toys.

For many mothers, a sling helps them cope with the older one without depriving the younger one of their attention. While the baby in the sling is nursing or sleeping, the mother can cook food, feed the older child, and go to another room to play.

10. Will these chaotic frequent sucking continue until completion?!

Frequent and prolonged sucking is more typical in the first months of a baby’s life. Usually, from the age of three months, the child begins to be interested in something else besides his mother, and simply forgets to breastfeed. During this period, feedings often shift to falling asleep and waking up. And during the waking period, the baby latches on for literally a couple of minutes and immediately runs off to further explore the world with his mother! We talk about feeding according to the baby's first concern until about 6 months. From 6 months, the mother can already distract the baby or calm her down if, for example, it is inconvenient for her to breastfeed at the moment. And towards the end, only 1-3 applications per day remain. And as a rule, they go away easily and painlessly.

Breastfeeding is about more than just food. This is one of the foundations of child care in general. With the help of breastfeeding, the mother takes care of the baby, protects him from illness and sorrow, soothes him when he is hurt or upset, proves to him her unconditional love and acceptance, thanks to which the baby gains self-confidence and courage to explore a new world for him. Have fun breastfeeding!

Poegle Gera CST therapist, lactation consultant

Modern doctors and WHO representatives recommend breastfeeding mothers to use feeding on demand. It is this approach that allows you to optimally meet the needs of the baby. It stimulates lactation and improves breastfeeding. In this case, the newborn is fed only when he wants. The number of attachments and duration of feeding are not limited. Let's take a closer look at how to properly and how often you can feed your baby on demand.

Specifics of feeding on demand

When organizing this type of nutrition, the newborn is not force-fed, but is given breastfeeding only when the baby himself wants. But they don’t take it away until the child is full and stops eating or falls asleep. This option is optimal for babies, since each baby has its own rhythm and routine. He will nurse when he is hungry. This will provide comfort and peace of mind; the child will not need to be forced to eat or wake up if he is sleeping, as with a diet. Therefore, feedings will take place calmly, harmoniously, without whims and hysterics.

The duration of feeding ranges from several minutes to 1-2 hours. If the baby suckles for more than ten minutes, it means he is hungry. But a baby can ask for breastfeeding not only if he is hungry. Sucking calms the baby if he is sick or feels discomfort, fear, or thirst. The baby begins to ask for the breast more often during teething.

There are also disadvantages to this method. The mother should adapt to the baby’s rhythm, at first take the baby with her and sleep together. But, by the way, sleeping together in the first 4-6 months will only benefit the baby. As practice shows, when feeding on demand, children suckle at the breast longer, up to 2.5-3 years. As a result, it is difficult to wean babies from both co-sleeping and breastfeeding, especially if lactation has already stopped.

Benefits of schedule feeding

• The baby receives all the necessary substances and elements for harmonious growth and development;
• The child suffers less from gas, colic and stomach upsets. It is less susceptible to allergic reactions, and the baby develops a strong immune system;
• The baby receives the required amount of food and does not need to be supplemented with formula milk;
• The baby does not need to be supplemented with water or fed with formula milk. There is no need to introduce early premature complementary feeding;
• Regular and natural breastfeeding on demand does not require pumping;
• Regular latching satisfies the sucking reflex 100%, calms the baby and allows you to do without a pacifier;
• Children grow up healthy, more confident and calm. In addition, the child does not develop such bad habits as sucking a finger, fist or other objects;
• Feeding on demand provides a calm and comfortable environment, establishes contact between baby and mother;
• Feeding your baby on demand has a positive effect on sleep. on the psychological state and development of the baby;
• Frequent feeding is an effective stimulation of breast milk production, as well as the prevention of lactostasis, mastitis and various other breast diseases in nursing women;
• This method of feeding improves lactation, which avoids problems with a lack of milk for the newborn. Read how to establish breastfeeding.

Application frequency as required

Mom should be prepared that in the first month of life the baby will ask for the breast often. So, in the first two to three weeks, most of the time will have to be devoted to feeding the baby. The total number of applications during this period reaches 12-20 times per day and can sometimes reach up to four times per hour! But there's no need to worry. The baby’s demands are not chaotic, but are evenly distributed throughout the day depending on the needs and developmental characteristics of each child individually.

Over time, the number and duration of attachments gradually decrease on their own without introducing a strict regime and restricting the baby’s diet. By two to three months, he already requires the breast once every 1.5-2 hours during the day and 3-4 times at night. During this period, the child develops his own eating and sleeping patterns. This rhythm does not harm the baby and does not lead to spoiling, as many believe. However, at the same time, it promotes successful and long-term breastfeeding and has a beneficial effect on the development of children.

After 4-6 months, the average number of feedings is about 12 times a day. As a rule, attachments accompany the baby's awakening and falling asleep. After a year, when they begin to introduce complementary foods for infants, the number of feedings is about eight times a day. Many mothers are interested in how to switch to on-demand feeding and maintain this regimen. This is quite easy to do, you just need to follow certain rules and recommendations.

Rules for feeding on demand

• Apply your baby as soon as required, do not expect excessive crying or hysterics. When the baby gets hungry, he begins to move his lips and look for the breast, spin around and behave restlessly, sucks his finger or other objects, grunts and gradually starts crying;
• In the first three months of life, the baby should be breastfed as often as possible. At the same time, the baby should be fed at least three times at night;
• Do not limit the number and duration of applications. Wait for the baby to eat and release the nipple or fall asleep at the breast. Remember that each child has his own routine and rhythm;
• Do not force your child to eat;
• Give your baby pacifiers and pacifiers as little as possible. Modern pediatricians advise abandoning such devices altogether if you choose breastfeeding;
• Attach your baby to the breast correctly. It is important that it captures both the nipple and the areola. This will ensure complete feeding and protect the mammary glands and nipples from damage;

• Do not introduce complementary foods before six months. When introducing adult food, do not breastfeed your baby 2-3 hours before receiving food. After eating, you can breastfeed if necessary;
• Do not supplement your baby with water until 5-6 months, as newborns do not need it. Breast milk already contains the amount of water that your baby needs. Only in exceptional cases, with severe colic, can a baby be given dill water in small quantities. And in hot weather, bathe your baby more often, wipe the skin with wet wipes and give air baths;
• Sleep together until 3-6 months. Shared sleep has a beneficial effect on the mental and mental development and emotional state of the child. In addition, if necessary, the mother will be able to quickly feed the baby at night;
• Learn to feed while lying down, this will make night and sleep feedings easier. Use different poses;
• Do not alternate breasts, as is done when feeding on a schedule. First, the baby should completely empty one breast and only then move on to the second. This is necessary so that the baby receives both fore and hind milk;
• After feeding, the baby, if he does not fall asleep, should lie quietly for at least 40-60 minutes. Do not bathe, play or exercise your baby on a full stomach.

How to feed a child, by the hour or on demand, is up to each mother to decide individually. But we note that on-demand applications have been used since ancient times, and according to the regime, they appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. The first method has a positive effect on the development of the baby and the well-being of the mother; it fully satisfies the psychological and physiological needs of children.

This is why more and more breastfeeding mothers are using on-demand feeding today. And to simplify the process, follow the rules and recommendations for latching your baby, wean your baby off the breast and sleep together in a timely manner.