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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Where are the peope (breast or bottle) who feed whenever, even if that's 20 times a day sometimes?

43 replies

emkana · 14/07/2006 19:21

Because that's me, I feed ds entirely on demand and couldn't even tell you how often he feeds or what gaps there are between feeds, but I feel a bit in the minority with that sometimes, or are other people here like that? No criticism intended, but on the born in June 06 thread there is a lot of talk about feeding times and nap times etc, and I just let ds sleep and feed whenever he likes so I feel a bit left out.

OP posts:
Original poster
emkana · 14/07/2006 19:23

Just saw that mandymoo started a similar thread today...
oh well

OP posts:
FrannyandZooey · 14/07/2006 19:30

Evening emkana

I fed on demand until ds was 2

It has such advantages IMO, but can be hard work and doesn't tend to get you many compliments - usually criticism or well-meaning crap advice.

Your baby is so young - how can people really be talking about a routine?

Nemo1977 · 14/07/2006 19:31

with ds I always had set ish times and nap times...with dd was impossible due to reflux etc she just fed constantly so used to just make up 2ozs of water to add the enfamil to.

jollyfolly · 14/07/2006 19:37

i agree with f and z.......... feed on demand and just go with it. It might not always fit in with your routine but hey it is not for ever... am still feeding my 14 month old (although had abit of a should i should'nt i continue moment when he reached one.... mainly because of other peoples opinions)... on demand and have found he has only just now sorted out some sort of routine for him self, although now the weather is hot again that has gone a bit pear shaped again!
if you can cope with his demands just enjoy what you are doing for him!

lapsedrunner · 14/07/2006 19:42

I did, and with hindsight really wish I hadn't.

NotQuiteCockney · 14/07/2006 19:44

I fed on demand, with both DSes. Stopped being "on demand" at about one, but that's just my personal preference.

DS1 would feed for hours at a time. DS2 would have snacks, every 2 hours or so.

Jasnem · 14/07/2006 19:47

I've always fed on demand, but have noticed a general routine which has appeared all by itself (ds is almost 5 months) except for when he's ill, over tired, hot, out for the day etc!

I've never put him down for a nap, he just goes to sleep when he's tired (in the buggy or on the floor usually).

I call every feed before 9ish breakfast, then snack, lunch, tea, supper, night feeds (sometimes a few of each).

popsycal · 14/07/2006 19:48

ds2 seemed to feed all the time for ages and ages
when we are at home, I still pretty much feed him when he wants it - he is 16 months
sometimes i will try to distract him but generally will feed him

your baby is sooo tiny - go withthe flow
as for sleep - cherish it whenever he wants to sleep

popsycal · 14/07/2006 19:50

forgot to add.....
i remember feeling exactly as you do on my post natal thread.......for AGES after everyone else had set times.

Squarer · 14/07/2006 20:17

Enkana - I fed on demand, even though it was bottle fed on demand. It just formed part of what I believe and breastfeeding didn't work out. I just let my DS eventually find his own routine, be it milk or food or sleep. He now naps for an average of 2 hours at lunchtime and goes to bed of his own accord at 7. Tonight it was 6 but that was a special occaision .
Do what you want to do. In my opinion, making what you want to do being doing what your baby wants to do is great

Squarer · 14/07/2006 20:18

Emkana

Camberwellbeauty · 14/07/2006 20:23

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edam · 14/07/2006 20:29

Oh, I remember that feeling well. But I don't think feeding routines are much good at his age - he's so tiny, it would be wrong to restrict his feeds. Ds fell into a routine when he was older but think it wasn't until about three months, maybe more.

sfxmum · 14/07/2006 20:30

well i did and pretty much still do when i am home (dd 13m). plan on doing same for next one if and when...keep it up

Enid · 14/07/2006 20:48

hello

dd3 11 weeks and I feed her loads and often

it is their drink too dont forget so they need plenty of drinks in the hot weather

Enid · 14/07/2006 20:49

oh and she sleeps through from 9.30 - I wake her at 7am

except I have started to wake her in th enight to feed as I think she is too little to go 10 hours

Mandymoo · 14/07/2006 21:13

Enid - 9 - 7.30am? !!

DS is 10 weeks old and, as i said in my thread, i was concerned that i was still feeding on demand but its good to see so many others are too!

He sleeps from 7pm - midnight then wakes once or twice in the night for feeds.

He's feeding little and often but is now over 13lbs so i'm obviously doing something right!

Mojomummy · 14/07/2006 22:21

I fed on demand, DD didn't gain much each week & I felt she was permenately at my breast.

Baby 2 due soon, hoping desperately this isn't going to be the caes. have 2 pals whose babies were born in March & they seem to have a 3 hourly routine going.

have got my dummies ready this time

FrayedKnot · 14/07/2006 22:33

I was encouraged by MW to write down how often DS fed, & did so for the first 2 weeks (first time mum syndrome obv.) and it's hilarious to read them back now, big blank spaces where I wrote "he fed about every 20 minutes for 4 hours" - or often just a big question mark & "loads".

That pattern kind of carried on until he was about 4 months, I think, when it started to settle into longer intervals & longer naps.

Caligula · 14/07/2006 22:37

I fed both on demand all the time, one child breast, one bottle.

Slightly more difficult with bottle, what I did was make up those very small bottles with only 2 oz each time, and put them all in the fridge so that there was always a small amount of milk for DD if she only wanted a bit.

clairemow · 14/07/2006 22:45

Frayedknot - I did that too! Lots of start times, and then "?" for finishing a feed... gave up after a week or two... (writing it down that is, not feeding)

blueshoes · 14/07/2006 22:54

emkana, that would be me.

I religiously recorded all dd's feeds (that's just me) and remember counting and telling the HV dd fed a total of 17 times day and night. After months and months, I finally realised that dd wasn't really feeding for, say, 40 mins. She fed, then fell asleep at the breast and finally unlatched after 40 mins. I counted that as one feed. In reality, she probably fed not more than 10-15 mins but if not in deep sleep would cry when unlatched, so I assumed she was continuously feeding.

Took about 4-5 months before I could see a pattern emerging.

sniff · 15/07/2006 05:54

erm that would be me to I probably offer to feed her to much there is no routine during the day to her feeds at all but there is just now at night time and she doesnt have routines for nap times either she sleeps when she wants she wont have a dummy so she sucks for comfort to and its tiring but I at the moment I dont care about not being in a routine as such we are in a routine as a family with me feeding and we are all happy and not stressed out and that means more

SittingBull · 15/07/2006 06:07

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ZacharyQuack · 15/07/2006 10:07

Emkana, I feed both my two on demand. DD1 seemed to naturally fall into a 3 hourlyish routine and slept throught the night at an early age, so I was soooo smug until DD2 came along and feed about every 8 minutes and woke twice a night for many months! Not so smug now.

I didn't really see any pattern with DD2's feeds and sleeps until she starting having three decent "solids" meals a day.

I think each baby falls into their own rhythm and there's not a lot can be done to change it. You can spend a lot of time fretting over it, or just go with it and accept that it will be what it is for the next few months.