Do you Feed on demand?

[Laura--x]

Or have a feeding routine?

For those who done both... which worked better?

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

I always fed on demand hun. I found it easier and he had food when he wantes, I did try a routine but he wasnt taking some feeds and then an hour later crying for it so I just fed him when he wanted it
xx

 

[Jkelmum]

No way i couldnt feed on demand she would have 1 oz a hr ...I feed every 3 hrs unless she sleeps past that then i wake her at 4 hrs she takes 3~4oz only time i dont wake is a night time ...she feeds 7am 10am 1pm 4pm 7pm 10pm 4am

 

[amylw1]

with other 2 i fed on demand for about 3weeks and then stretched them out to about 3hrs, worked it so last feed was about 11pm and i made an ounce more than they had during day which meant they slept until 3-4am and then had another feed and slept until about 7-8am.

 

[Kimboowee]

I've done both.

He's out of his routine atm, and mygod its so bloody annoying! He'll eat, we'll go out and he'll decided he's hungry again...

Im ready for his backlash when i put him back into his routine tomorrow

 

[Laura--x]

How do you introduce a routine then??

I dont see how it would work, because she doesnt always drink the right amount in her bottle.Sometimes she'll have 2oz.. sometimes she'll take the full 6.obviously when she only takes an oz she wants more an hour later?

 

[dizzy duck]

We make Oliver wait 3 hours unless he is asleep then we wait for him to wake but don't let him go past 6 hours. If he starts I just keep him entertained till the 3 hour mark, today though he has gone at least 4 hours between feeds, just hoping it continues. He has a 5oz bottle each time but doesn't always drink it all, on average its 4oz. Just try and make her last till you want to feed her, hope it works out, take care XX

 

[Happy]

We just feed on demand but its usually every 3-4 hours.

 

[embojet]

Used to feed on demand. Now we have a routine, because she would go hours without seeming hungry but would then finish a bottle. I started by writing down when she ate for a few days and seeing if there was a pattern.

 

[Pink_Witch]

we feed on demand-sometimes hell go just over 2 hours,and might only drink 2/3oz and other times hell go 4 and drink 5oz. Their tummies are so small at this age they physically CANT take loads in one go. At night he will go anywhere up to 6/7hours!!
I much prefer on demand rather than by the clock-i hate to hear a baby crying because its hungry but it has another hour until feed time!!

 

[dizzyspells]

I feed on demand,he has now set his own routine of wanting a feed every 3hrs,he is only really young so is obv still feeding every 3-4hrs during the night.I agree with Pink Witch that there is nothing worse in my opinion only than hearing a hungry baby screaming for a feed,and my little man would scream the village down all the while turning purple!!lol!.

 

[Kimboowee]

How do you introduce a routine then??

I dont see how it would work, because she doesnt always drink the right amount in her bottle.Sometimes she'll have 2oz.. sometimes she'll take the full 6.obviously when she only takes an oz she wants more an hour later?

Just try make him wait just a bit longer between feeds. He's quite good,i'll offer him a dummy, take him for a walk, play, bounce him around.

He soon forgets about food, think hes just got into the habit of taking little and often rather than being hungry x

 

[butrfly]

Elijah is fed on demand - but it seems like there is a routine his body follows. he feeds 6oz (sometimes 9oz) every two hours.

 

[tasha41]

I've been feeding on demand since birth essentially (well since we left the hospital) because Elyse would NEVER take the right amount at the right times in the hospital.. at over 4 months she still won't even take 4oz all the time for me

Personally I think it's the way to go; even if a schedule is more convenient, and I really wish I had that sometimes.. it's better for MY baby.. being really petite.. if I overfeed her she just ends up spitting it all up if she even gets it down, otherwise she stops swallowing or pushes the bottle away/turns her head away from me and whines.

 

[lesleyann]

feed on demand 6oz a time, some times he will want another 1-2oz in an hour or so but at night he normally goes 10/11pm-8/9am then wake up take 6oz and want some more in an hour or 2, to make up for the sleep lol but he stocks up well during the day

 

[kaylynn040485]

Laura u will prob find if u write down all feeds for a couple of days that there is a pattern to Maisies feeding and take it from there. When Jessica showed signs of being hungry i would try and wait even just 20mins so that she would take all of her feed and she now she takes 6-7oz every feed. Kx

 

[ramblinhaggis]

never fed on demand, always routine with my three and will do with my fourth. Every three to four hours. However, to use a routine, you also have to know your babies cries, i would never let any of my three go hungry if they wanted before the 3 - 4 hours. Growth spurts etc mean they need more, more often too.

 

[LuluBee]

When Alex was younger we used to feed on demand but as he got older (probably by about 2 months) he settled into a routine and fed every 4 hours during the day. But Alex has always been really good with his feeds and tbh we just followed his lead, he kind of set the routine himself

 

[Emsy26]

Theo is teething at the moment so he is feeding on demand as advised by HV, as his gums are sore he's not taking as much as he normally would, so whenever he's hungry, I've been told to ffed him and not to wait xx

 

[Dukechick]

I feed on demand. If I didn't, I would have no ear drums left, and Cameron would have no vocal cords left from crying so much and loud! LOL.....

He usually eats every 3 hours on average. I like the idea of feeding him a bit more before bed, I can't remember who wrote that.