Routine or on demand?

[Connah'sMommy]

When we had connah we FF from the start. We demand fed for the first few days but then we loosely followed the Baby Whisperer 3 hour routine.

As i said, it was loosely followed as we didnt do everything she reccomended but we did do the *feed every 3 hours and a dreamfeed when that became necessary.

So my question is,is this a good thing to do when BF?

The reason i ask is because with FF you know how much they are taking where as with BF you dont know Would it work?

I plan to demand feed for the first few days/week maybe but then fall into a routine.

Experiences/opinions welcome

 

[CeriB]

Because BM digests easier than formula, LO may not go 3h in between feeds. I would feed on demand TBH - LO will settle into his own routine soon enough.

 

[mrs_park]

^ WSS!

As breadtfeeding is all about 'supply and demand', feeding on demand ensures that your body makes the right amount of milk for your baby. As Cerib said, your baby will fall into a routine. When growth spurts hit your baby will want to feed more frequently, and therefore will tell your body to create more milk

 

[Connah'sMommy]

thanks, that makes alot of sense!
I do plan to express too as i would like LO to take a bottle. Maily because OH would like to be involved and i will be going back to work when LO is 4 months.

Any idea on how much to express per feed? Like ill be expressing some in advance for the coming 2/3 days...should i do them in 3oz feeds? xx

 

[CeriB]

This may help https://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html

I used to go by what it says on the formula boxes

 

[Future-Sailor]

Don't think you can have a routine with a bf baby from the start. Only after 3 months a routine emerged for us; until then it was feed on demand!

 

[Elmo5]

Why worry about how much they are getting?

If they look satisfied and you can see they are gaining weight I can't see it matters.

 

[Connah'sMommy]

thanks everyone,im sue that if i wasnt making enough by expressing LO will let me know

im overthinking and paniking a bit much over this i think...really woried i wont be able to do it for some reason too :/ xx

 

[Cattia]

I have always fed on demand, but found that Abigail established her own routine after the first couple of months, and would go about three hours between feeds. When she hit a growth spurt though it all went out the window and she would feed every hour. She also cluster fed in the evening. I am doing the same with Geirge and at the moment he feeds every 1-2 hours.
When I pump, I just take everything I can get out of a full breast, and I figure that is what he would have got if he fed off that breast so that would be about the right amount. I usually get about 5-6oz but I don't know whether he would actually drink all that in one feed as at the moment we are using it in little bits to mix his infact gaviscon with so he has a bit three times a day.
I have no experience of FF, and my babies have both gained weight well, so for me the great thing about BF is that I have not had to worry about whether I am producing enough milk or how much my babies are taking as my body takes care of all that for me, I think it takes a lot of stress out of it.

 

[kelly29]

i just feed on demand i don't have much of a routine when it comes to bf just give it whenever the only time i always give is morning and night but even then its not the same time x

 

[M&S+Bump]

I'd love to have a routine but Joe is having none of it - when he's hungry, he's hungry and he doesn't care whether it was 30 minutes ago or 3 hours ago I last fed him, he'll scream the place down. He has very very rarely gone more than 2.5 hours between feeds apart from overnight.

 

[Laughing Girl]

We've always fed on demand........no routine, changes from day to day and feed to feed - sometimes a slurp, sometimes a boatful!

 

[teal]

I've always fed on demand xx

 

[maybebaby3]

i fed on demand. after about 6weeks things get easier and maybe establishing a routine would work.

 

[Lilly12]

I feed on demand, sometimes she just wants a "snack" in between "meals" or is more thirsty than hungry , or just wants some comfort etc.
can't really put a routine to that

 

[Broodypants]

I fed completely on demand for the first few weeks but after that I did work out a rough feeding schedule each day once Erin had woken up. I always fed her sooner if she was hungry but I liked to know roughly when she would feed so I could plan trips out to the supermarket etc.

I found every two and a half hours worked brilliantly for us from about five/six weeks. I never stuck to the same times cause sometimes she'd wake up late and I wanted to take advantage of a lie in!
x

 

[mrs_park]

thanks everyone,im sue that if i wasnt making enough by expressing LO will let me know

im overthinking and paniking a bit much over this i think...really woried i wont be able to do it for some reason too :/ xx

Don't worry hun, I was (and still are!) the same! I think it's pretty normal, you just want your baby to be nourished and well fed!

I'm slowly getting used to the fact that I just needto trust my body that it is making enough milk for my baby. Just need to learn to stop overthinking!

You will be fine hun

 

[cleckner04]

I'm all about demand feeding too. I still demand feed and Emma is 21 months!