Feeding on demand

[XKatX]

I was thinking about this at stupid o'clock this morning, while I was BF Oliver. Do you feed on demand the whole time you are breastfeeding? Or can you get a routine when BF? I know I should know this by now, but I've never really thought about it til now. Any tips ladies?

 

[Mervs Mum]

Good question!!! Hebe seems to have settled into a natural routine but I still class it as demand feeding. What I have done though is this. I wont feed her at less than 2 hr intervals. When we're at home she will feed more than when we're out and about. I use a dummy to stretch it out when I need to.

I also think you can mistake some crying as hunger and they will take boobie to comfort whatevers bothering them - again once you've winded/changed/cuddled/entertained etc the dummy is a great comforter. x

 

[Mervs Mum]

I am lucky though Kat that she's sleeping thru so I dont have to do any of this at silly o'clock :s

 

[AC81]

I do the same, try not to feed at less than 2hr intervals. Erin also has a feeding pattern which seems to be emerging now. But I agree, she often wants the boob for comfort rather than actual hunger, like if she has wind.

Mervs Mum how do you get her to keep a dummy in? is it an age thing, and after a while they can manage to control it better? Erin just loses hers immediately, so I end up with her munchin on my pinkie finger.

 

[XKatX]

He has a dummy and is starting to get better at taking it. He only wakes once in the night for a feed and nappy change. He goes down at 8-9ish, then is up around 2ish, then down until about 6.30. So he sort of has a routine already.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Mervs Mum how do you get her to keep a dummy in? is it an age thing, and after a while they can manage to control it better? Erin just loses hers immediately, so I end up with her munchin on my pinkie finger.

I think they do learn to suck them - remember it's totally different to your boob. I have..well....erm...long nips so I've found she likes and sucks easily on Avent dummys (more like my nip!!) even though I've seen ones that I think have a more natural shape. My friend's little girl was BF and she dropped hers all the time so she tried the ones with the bigger, round 'cherry' blob on the end - the cheap type - and they worked really well coz when she stopped sucking the cherry bit rested at the back of her gums and didnt fall out.

He has a dummy and is starting to get better at taking it. He only wakes once in the night for a feed and nappy change. He goes down at 8-9ish, then is up around 2ish, then down until about 6.30. So he sort of has a routine already.

Thats a 6 hr ish gap - you could try pushing that on over time so you get from 10-11 to 5 ish??? Its personal pref but I'd be happier waking closer to 'getting up time' iykwim. Then you might find you can give him a dummy at 5am to end up with 10/11 till 6?? Just a suggestion - I dont know if the 'experts' would approve!!

 

[hypnorm]

i did it on demand, it was tiring but it worked for me.
Ewan was a very hungry baby and would feed every 1.5 to 2 hours, and if i didnt feed him there and then all hell would be let loose and it would be really hard to latch him on. he also woke every 3 hours during the night.

I never used a dummy as i dont like them and OH hates them even more.... i did try him with one on one night but i just made him more distressed.

 

[Samantha675]

Still feeding on demand. As they get older their tummys will get bigger and they can go longer. Bren now feeds every 2-4 hours.

 

[XKatX]

He has a dummy and is starting to get better at taking it. He only wakes once in the night for a feed and nappy change. He goes down at 8-9ish, then is up around 2ish, then down until about 6.30. So he sort of has a routine already.

Thats a 6 hr ish gap - you could try pushing that on over time so you get from 10-11 to 5 ish??? Its personal pref but I'd be happier waking closer to 'getting up time' iykwim. Then you might find you can give him a dummy at 5am to end up with 10/11 till 6?? Just a suggestion - I dont know if the 'experts' would approve!![/QUOTE]

I prefer to go to bed a bit earlier. Hubby is up at 6.30 now anyway, so I just get up with him. I would rather have 6 hours, then a bit longer than just the 6 hours. I'm greedy when it comes to sleep!!!

 

[Mervs Mum]

Sounds like he's fitting in pretty well already then!

 

[cupcake]

i feed on demand like Samantha675 every 2-4 hours, i find when hes distracted its less often.
sometimes he will feed even twice in an hour, i try give the dummy to discourage that tho

 

[ryder]

Im jealous, you guys are lucky. Jasmine sleeps for max 3.5 hours...lol

 

[maybebaby]

I think we are in the same situation as Lisa- I feed London when she asks for it but she uses her dummy in between feedings for comfort.

 

[Lucy&Pard]

U ladies are so lucky! I sometimes cant get Leo to sleep until 5am! He is just so alert all the time! The most he sleeps is 6am to 9am sometimes. No wonder I am soooo exhausted!

 

[XKatX]

Well, I'm not sure what happened - but Oliver slept from 10pm to 5.30am!! I'd love to say that I had a great nights sleep, but it was so out of character, that I was awake from 3, listening to make sure he was still breathing!!
At least I was in bed though and not up feeding, changing nappies, winding etc.

 

[clairebear]

i still feed on demand now but it definatly has started developing a pattern and its is roughly every 2 hours jack needs a feed. xx

 

[Mervs Mum]

I cant believe I have a 6 wk old baby who sleeps thru but I was up twice coz my dog was randomly crying!!!

 

[clairebear]

jack used to sleep through until these damn teeth started to try and come through

 

[Jem]

I'm so jealous! Ollie gets up twice and sleeps about 3 hours at a time. Some nights it's every 2 hours, so tiring at times! Faith was like this though and suddenly slept through at 9 weeks so I'm holding out for that day! x