demand feeding or schedule?

[Mica]

just wondering what all of you do. we were combi-feeding from 2 weeks old until this past weekend, now it's all formula. because we were really trying to make things work with breastfeeding, we were feeding on demand. I don't have a problem with it, even still. but here's the pattern we're in - LO will be awake for about two hours at a time. he'll eat (a full bottle) shortly after he wakes, then he'll hang out for a bit, then he might have a snack (a couple of ounces) after an hour, and then another snack before going back to sleep. when we were breastfeeding, the snacks would be from the breast. I'm wondering if I should make some adjustments now that we're all formula? my hunch is that I should try to give him a little bit more at his first feeding and see if he'll go longer before he wants to eat again. I just don't want to stuff him. he can drink about 4-5 ounces at a time. he goes for pretty long stretches at night - sleeping 4-5 hours at a time. but it might be nice if he could go a little longer in the day. like, if he could actually go 2 hours without eating!
does anyone else demand feed? how does that work out for you? anyone switch from demand feeding to a schedule? how did you make the adjustment?

 

[patooti]

I am trying to make the switch here. Lo is almost 6 mo and we are still combi feeding but almost no bm left now so down to trying some nursing at night and in morning or whenever he needs the comfort. But because we've fed on demand using an EASY type schedule where he gets up, feed, change, play repeat and because his naps are often tiny and only 20 to 45 min long this is exhausting for me at 6 months.

I'm increasing his bottle volume to 200 ml from 140 (he was refluxy and still is a little) and aiming to stretch them to about 3 hourly during the day. Today he woke at 5 had a bottle, back down up at 7 had a change and some nursing and napping on my lap now. When he wakes I will feed him next bottle at around 930 and then after that about every three hours so 1230, 330 630 and then bed. We only just started this so remains to be seen how we will go.

 

[Mica]

Good luck!
I've tried a couple of times to give LO a little more at a feed, but it seems he still wants to have a snack after a little while. It's almost like he's cluster feeding, but he's never really fed any other way. His feeding pattern isn't terribly bothersome, I just wonder if and when it will change - if it's something that will happen on it's own or if it's something I need to work on with him.

 

[ProudArmyWife]

We feed on demand. She has set her own little schedule though. She eats every 3-4 hours typically but if she is showing hunger signs still then ill give her more. We use a pacifier too though so I can determine wether she is just wanting to comfort suck or if she is actually hungry since she is a very sucky baby. When we switched over from breast feeding I just gave her a couple oz at a time to see what she would take. Rather than stuffing her right off the bat. She is now taking 4-4.5oz every 3-4 hours and this is a schedule she set up all on her own

 

[Mica]

^ Wow. That's great that your LO is already pacing herself like that. At one month old?
Mine's three months old and our feeds in the day aren't very spaced out, unless he takes a long nap or something. Oh well. At least I know his patterns.
We introduced a pacifier a few weeks ago, but he hasn't really taken to it. I thought he would, because he seemed to do so much comfort sucking when we were breastfeeding. He's not into it.

 

[Nessicle]

Fed both of mine on demand. I've never understood why anyone would force feed every 3 hours etc sometimes they're hungry sooner and sometimes they go longer. Both set their own feeding patterns though to every 3 hours and then every 4 hours