On Demand Feeding

[Tink.x]

How long should I do On-Demand feeding for, before I start a feeding routine. In other words how old should baby be. xxx

 

[Tink.x]

Can any-one advise? xxx

 

[bubbles123]

I put my LO onto a 3 hourly feeding schedule at about 6 weeks. As far as I know there is no correct age to do it - just go with what you feel comfy with. I noticed that he was crying for food about every 3 hours so tried it out on day and it's worked well. He's 14 weeks now and I'm just moving him onto 4 hourly 6oz feeds. I don't stick to the feeding schedule all the time though - like if he's been sick I tend to wait until he cries for food rather than feeding by schedule.

 

[mrsraggle]

I feed on demand and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

 

[suzib76]

i have never had a schedule so to speak but fed lana on demand and by about 10/12 weeks she was regulkarly taking a bottle at 9,12,3,6 & 8pm - a few weeks later she changed to 8,12,4 & 8 - but i never enforced anything, she did it all herself, and now these feeding times have stuck

 

[Lauraxamy]

Laila sort of has a routine that she fell into herself but if she demands feeds earlier I let her have it and she's 2 months in 4 days.

 

[Mynx]

Evie's nearly 7 months and is still demand fed. She demands, I feed
She usually wants a bottle every 4 hours (ish!) depending on how much she drank on the previous one. She's also on 2 meals a day (sometimes 3) and I usually give her these meals about an hour and a half after her last bottle. That's about as routine as it gets for Evie and her feeding

 

[bubbles123]

How do those of you who demand FF make up your bottles - do you make them in advance? One of the main reason I feed by schedule is that I make the feeds up one by one so would find it hard to do that if I was demand feeding - he would be beside himself by the time it was ready. Like I said though, I don't force feed him. I he doesn't seem hungry I will miss out a feed, leave it a bit longer etc.

 

[Mynx]

The recommendation is to make the bottles up as needed because you need to add the powder to the water when it's a certain temp to kill off any bacteria in the powder.

I'm a bit naughty really. I always make mine up the night before. I pour the amount of cooled boiled water needed into sterile bottles, and leave them on the side (away from sunlight and heat) and I also measure out the formula powder into little dispenser pots.
When Evie wants a bottle, I just heat up the water in the bottle, then add the powder, shake and away I go
I've always found this way to be the easiest for me but I know alot of ladies also make up the formula before hand, cool the bottles down quickly then store in the fridge (not in the door compartment) but that didnt work for us because Evie HAS to have warm milk, cool or cold milk makes her quite sicky and it takes much longer to heat up the bottle from cold rather than room temp

 

[bubbles123]

Pretty much everyone I know makes the bottles in advance or in a similar way to you Mynx with no ill effects. I have been considering the idea for a while but never seem to get there. One day!!

 

[tinkerz23]

LO has been on formula for about 3 weeks now. She is 14 weeks old. Before FFing I fed on demand, and still do. She has settled herself in a routine. She takes 5 to 6 bottles per day every 3 hours, 5oz per feed. If she wants more, she gets more.

As for mixing formula, I use the powder and mix it as we go. I use "nursery" water and mix it when she is hungry. She takes her formula at room temperature. If I ever am out of nursery water, then I would boil some, let it cool, and make feeds as I go. I haven't been out of water yet, so I haven't done that. When my son was born 10 years ago, we used liquid and I mixed it and made bottles in advance. I have found the powder is quite a bit cheaper though.

 

[Natasha2605]

I haven't tried to get Summer into a routine but at 3 weeks she seems to have made up her own we routine, that she's stuck to for the past week or so. She feeds at 10,2,6,10 etc. Anything from 3 to 5 oz, depending on how bothered she can be to suck. Give or take half hours here and there, depending on when she's slept for longer or is hungrier xx