Feeding on demand or to a schedule?

[Birminghambabe]

Just wondering what works best for you? Thank you!

Feeding when they're hungry worked. What is feeding to a schedule? Making them wait or waking them up before they do? I couldn't imagine making a hungry screaming baby wait or interrupting my peace and quiet to wake a sleeping child!!

Food is the only source of nutrition and hydration for a baby.

Think how often you sip water, drink a cup of tea or nibble on a snack. Very few adults can go 3-4 hours without a drink, yet many (older relatives in particular) people have been conditioned to think it's normal for babies to wait hours for milk. Feeding on demand is kinder and what we are biologically programmed to do.

On a schedule definitely. And I don’t mean that you refuse to feed a hungry baby, because no one would do that, quite the opposite actually. A schedule means more that you wake them up if it’s 3 hours since the last feed because you want them to have got the bulk of the calorie intake during the day so they don’t want as much overnight.

For newborns it’s feed on demand regardless of how they are fed. Their stomachs are tiny and you might find they feed little and often.

For breastfed babies, sticking to a feed schedule rather than on demand can impact your milk supply.

As baby gets older they may settle into a rhythm or routine with their feeds.

Fed on demand up to six months to establish supply and also naps are all over the place till then. From six months and weaning we put a sleep and meal schedule in place and it only works if feeds are spaced evenly otherwise they’re not hungry for food, or too hungry for milk to nap, etc, or you can’t get enough milk feeds into the awake hours to go through the night.

Feed on demand. Both mine established their own routine fairly quick

I fed my son every 2 to 3 hours to get his calories in. Helped him sleep through the night early on.

Feed on demand. I made the mistake with my first of listening to my mother, who still goes on about feeding me and my brother at 4 hourly intervals and no less, and an absolutely useless health visitor. I only managed to feed DC1 for 4 months and it was awful because she had what I now suspect was a tongue tie and silent reflux. Ignored my mother and health visitors second time round, demanded DC2 be checked for tongue tie which I was told she didn't have by midwives only for lo and behold she absolutely did and she BF for 15 months very happily. Feeding on demand established my supply and was so much easier than trying to enforce a routine.

A breastfed baby is fed on demand.. you can not over feed a breastfed baby.
Some people need educating about breast feeding.

Following your baby's lead and feeding as frequently as they demand will help your body know exactly how much milk it needs to make to meet your baby's needs. Scheduled feeds may interrupt this natural process of milk production.

Feed on demand always. Dd never cried because of hunger because the moment she showed hunger cues I fed her (bf). No point letting a baby get to point of hysterics for food!

Depends on the child to be honest. First DD was happy to be fed every 3 hours and slept through really early on. This was from birth.
Second DD fed little and often and sometimes would only last 1 hour between feeds and took ages to start being more regular.
I would always go for schedule for my own sanity but do what works for you and your baby.

Breastfeeding I did on demand. I bottle fed my twins in the end and I did them on a schedule, 3 hourly then went to 4 hourly. I used to think that feeding on a schedule meant as some posters have said to keep them waiting but in reality it doesn't work like that, sometimes the feed is a bit sooner if they want it and sometimes a bit later if they are asleep or whatever. I was surprised how easy it was to do it on a schedule.

On demand. But then once you understand their needs, pre-empt their hunger so they’re not screaming for it. That will then turn into a schedule

Assume breastfeeding? I fed on demand and found both mine naturally fell into a feeding routine for feeding at around 12 weeks.

It depends if breast or bottle surely?
Breast on demand.
Bottle to a schedule but you can bring forward a little if they seem really hungry but don't give over the max daily allowance in the day

Yes very easy

This no more than 3 hours between feeds in the day until weaned on to solids.
But they usually fall in to their own pattern by 4 weeks or so
DS did 6:30 am
8:30am
11am
1:30
4:30pm
6:30pm

Then a feed around 1am and another at 4ish. By 6 weeks his night feed was closer to 2 and he often woke @5. By 10 weeks he would sleep through from a midnight feed.

On demand, but with a backup schedule. So if they weren't showing signs of hunger at 3hrs (in the day) for a newborn, then I'd offer. Same, but probably after 2hrs for breastfeeding the day.

Feeding on demand for sure. My first that meant feeding very frequently with little in the way of sleep. My second that meant huge feed then a long sleep and feeding every 3 hours.

Both EBF

Feed on demand a schedule makes no sense for tiny babies especially if breast feeding. It can also affect your supply

On demand. And read up on what they’re telling you so you get it in them as quickly as possible. I bf both and it’s not easy getting a crying baby to feed, can’t imagine it’s much easier with a bottle. DS sticks his tongue out when he’s up for a feed or drink, once you notice it it’s very obvious.

My brother and his wife refused to feed their baby sooner than scheduled. It was painful to be around a wailing infant being jiggled and shushed because the next bottle was not due for 45 minutes.

Feed on demand. Best tip I got from midwife… never wake a sleeping baby… They’ll tell you when they are hungry and demand will go up in a growth spurt.

Interested to know the sleep and meal schedule you put into place after 6 months. Would you be able to share with us please?

Best tip I got from midwife… never wake a sleeping baby

Sorry I think this terrible advice after the first 2 weeks. It is common sense if you let a baby sleep for 4 hours between say 2pm and 6pm then they won't do another 4 hours stretch @ 8pm or 10pm when you want them to.