"Traditional breastfeeding" vs Baby led?

[Jayneypops]

Hi,
I thought you could only bf one way and that was on demand? But today I heard someone in the gp waiting room talking about Traditional bf methods being better for mum and baby? They were saying that experts are going back to recommending mothers do this rather than baby led following recent studies.

How is it different? Does anyone follow the traditional methods instead of baby led?

 

[halullat]

Baby led for us, we had to use the traditional method originally due to jaundice and I hated it and my LO hated it. He knows when he's hungry and when he's not, he's gaining weight well so I don't see how trying to force him into a schedule could do him any more good, plus he is pretty predictable, I roughly know what time of the day he will be hungry every day and night. Saying that, when he was jaundiced baby led would have been disastrous due to the fact that he was so exhausted he wouldn't wake for feeds. But for me now I would never go back to the traditional method unless he medically needed it x

 

[Rachel_C]

'Traditional' as in scheduled? That's not the biological norm so calling it traditional is a bit of a misnomer. As far as I know, BF became routine-based when (male) doctors got their hands on it and started interfering - wanting things scheduled, measured etc. I believe it also led to formula becoming popular as it is far easier to measure formula in a bottle. I wouldn't trust anything about 'traditional' being better unless somebody can give you proper studies. "Experts are saying" often seems to mean, "I've heard this and I'm choosing to believe it because it suits me" .

'Baby led' doesn't mean blindly following what your baby wants/seems to want if it's at the expense of their health. Just as you wouldn't let a BLW baby eat peanuts if you know it will cause an allergic reaction, you don't need to feel that you've stopped being baby led about BF if you need to 'encourage' a jaundiced baby to feed or something similar. Being baby led is about trusting that your baby knows best... but obviously they have to be healthy and alert enough to know! It's more about your focus - what does my baby really need rather than what do I as a mother want?

 

[Celesse]

Surely baby led IS traditional breastfeeding?! Anything else is a fad.

 

[halullat]

Yeah the idea that traditional is on a schedule is odd (not on your part op, but in general), the traditional method is pretty new

 

[patch2006uk]

I'm pretty sure that studies have shown routine to be worse for baby's development, as well as potentially causing supply issues. Baby led is how breastfeeding is supposed to be.

 

[CandyDay]

I would say baby led is the way to go. As adults we don't all get hungry at the exact same time. So why would a baby be any different? I don't know why people thinking following babies cues is bad to do. Just because they are babies doesn't mean they know nothing. They know when they are hungry and when they are tired. To put all babies on the exact same schedule doesn't make any sense. They follow their natural instincts. We as adults sometimes try to be too controlling and think that we know best always.
Jaundice is different as you are scheduling things to make them better. And when you are sick you don't think clearly. Nor do they.

 

[Jayneypops]

Really interesting to hear your views

I can't imagine putting my LO on a feeding schedule (of course for medical reasons is different). It seems the most common sense way to aapproach it, to just let them tell us when theyre hungry.

 

[HPmum2B]

I find this interesting. I did not know there were different 'methods' to breastfeeding. My first DD, I just breastfed on demand. But she fed constantly and nursed for comfort.

So far I had been feeding DD2 on demand, however in the daytime she goes 3 to 4 hours between feeds and is then up most of the night feeding. I am 6 weeks in and have a toddler to look after to, so I am exhausted. Yesterday I decided to wake LO every 2.5 hours during the day, and 1.5 hours in the evening in an attempt to help her tank up a bit more. So I guess this would be putting her on a schedule? The first night seemed successful so I will see how tonight goes.

 

[FAB mama]

I suppose the "traditional" way is what our pediatrician was encouraging at the beginning… that seems ridiculous to call it traditional though. When LO was feeding constantly he told me that he doesn't need to eat more than a couple hours apart and only feed for 10 minutes on each side. That didn't seem right to me and I pretty much ignored it. I'm glad I did. I don't think he's well educated on breastfeeding!

 

[patch2006uk]

I find this interesting. I did not know there were different 'methods' to breastfeeding. My first DD, I just breastfed on demand. But she fed constantly and nursed for comfort.

So far I had been feeding DD2 on demand, however in the daytime she goes 3 to 4 hours between feeds and is then up most of the night feeding. I am 6 weeks in and have a toddler to look after to, so I am exhausted. Yesterday I decided to wake LO every 2.5 hours during the day, and 1.5 hours in the evening in an attempt to help her tank up a bit more. So I guess this would be putting her on a schedule? The first night seemed successful so I will see how tonight goes.

See, I wouldn't say that's scheduled feeding. That's just trying to establish day and night! A (admittedly strict) schedule IMO is something like 'baby feeds at 8am and not again until 11am. if they cry and demand food before 11am, pacify them with dummies, rocking, etc. Do not feed before 11am'.

 

[HPmum2B]

I find this interesting. I did not know there were different 'methods' to breastfeeding. My first DD, I just breastfed on demand. But she fed constantly and nursed for comfort.

So far I had been feeding DD2 on demand, however in the daytime she goes 3 to 4 hours between feeds and is then up most of the night feeding. I am 6 weeks in and have a toddler to look after to, so I am exhausted. Yesterday I decided to wake LO every 2.5 hours during the day, and 1.5 hours in the evening in an attempt to help her tank up a bit more. So I guess this would be putting her on a schedule? The first night seemed successful so I will see how tonight goes.

See, I wouldn't say that's scheduled feeding. That's just trying to establish day and night! A (admittedly strict) schedule IMO is something like 'baby feeds at 8am and not again until 11am. if they cry and demand food before 11am, pacify them with dummies, rocking, etc. Do not feed before 11am'.

Yeah, I suppose schedule feeding is aimed at spacing feeds further apart and I am actually pushing them closer together. Hopefully, if LO gets the hang on night time, I will go back to demand feeding. And I would feed her before the 2.5 hours are up if she requested it... but generally she just sleeps. lol.