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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Is it possible to have a routine with a BF baby?

56 replies

megcleary · 24/03/2011 16:14

DD is 6wo now and DH and I are keen on starting some routine for evenings night.

Is it possible with a bf baby?

OP posts:
meala · 25/03/2011 20:55

YES YES, I had both my breastfed babies on a routine as I couldn't have coped with the constant pressure of demand feeding. I loosely based my routines on those suggested in the book Baby Secrets (Baby Secrets.)

I had two happy and healthy babies and I was much happier with a routine too.

Best wishes with whatever you decide to do Smile

PoppetUK · 25/03/2011 21:05

All three of mine have been on routines and all breast fed. I do think it is harder because you don't have the same amount or quality of milk to give at at each feed. I would compensate by cluster feeding towards the end of the day. A good routine and rhythm came between 8-12 weeks but I had to work hard to get it. If you can get a routine going before 4months just remember to tweak it around the 14-17 week stage to stretch out the feeds otherwise they can become snackers and short nappers (4 hourlyish routine)

The book that helped me was the Baby Whisperer and her trouble shorting book.

Best of luck

alarkaspree · 25/03/2011 21:08

My dd was exclusively bf, settled perfectly into a routine and slept through the night at 8 weeks.

Ds was totally random and slept through the night at 3 1/2.

So an unequivocal maybe from me.

Bunbaker · 25/03/2011 21:09

It is pretty obvious from all the replies that some babies adapt to a routine and some don't. It probably depends on how big your baby is and how much they can feed at a time.

SharkSkinThing · 26/03/2011 18:28

I found that thinking of it as a rhythm rather than a fixed routine made me less anxious when the little moving target that is my DS would throw me a curve ball! Growth spurts, teething, colds, the clocks changing...all these things will knock your routine!

I would agree that a bedtime routine is a good place to start - it may not evolve fully for a few months yet, and don't beat yourself up on things having to be at the exact same time every day, but certainly winding down, quietening the house, a bath, that sort of thing, also really helped us to feel like the day was coming to a close. Got us an hour of grown-up time, too!

DS is 8 months old, and he's still changing routine wise, naps get dropped, solids get introduced, but the bedtime routine is now solid gold and he is always sound asleep by 7pm. He doesn't always stay asleep, and still doesn't sleep through, but he will, one day...:)

kiwijesta · 27/03/2011 10:23

All I can add is that to get a night time routine takes time and practice. We started trying for bath, boob, and bed at 7 weeks and at 10 it was only working 25% of the time, but now at 12 weeks it works like a charm! So my advice try not to stress if it seems like it's not working and persevere, you will get there! Good luck! Oh and we also introduced the dummy at night, really helps and we usually only have to go back once to pop it back it, I have a sucky baby it seems!

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