Do you keep track of what time feeds happen, how long etc?

[ElmMum]

Since DD was born 4 weeks ago, we've been jotting down what time feeds start, how long they last and which side she fed from.

Without it I can never remember when her next feed is due or how many we've done in a day.

Does anyone else do this?? And will we ever get to a stage when we don't feel we need to any more?

All seems a bit anal, but without it, I really do get lost!

We did this with dd (now 2.7) or rather my husband did, he did a table on the computer and printed it out for me to fill in every day!

My health visitor was well impressed and although I wasn't as enthusiatic as dh it certainly helped.

We stopped when she was about 3 months old as then she was having the same amount of feeds every day and at the same times.

It also helped us feel a bit more in control iykwim.

Nah, i just feed whenever she wants and use a bracelet to remind me which side to start on next time.

I fed on demand so didn't bother recording anything. The midwife/hv asked in the early days how often and how long she was feeding and I'd give a rough guess.

I knew exactly when ds had fed and had a fair idea for how long

dd, 3.5 years later i still had a fair idea what i was doing

21 months after that dd2 arrived (like your dd also almost 4 weeks old) and I have to say I have no clue what i'm doing and when, just that she's the most adorable content bundle in the world and she seems to be thriving on it! About an hour ago I fed her for about 5 mins, stopped to help dh do a job, then got distracted because she'd filled her nappy, then had to change older daughter's nappy and by that time poor dd2 had given up and fallen asleep!

Think you just have to do whatever works best for you and remember to enjoy this precious newborn stage as it passes very quickly!

I did this for the first few weeks with dd. I think it just put my mind at ease to be able to see at a glance how many feeds she had and at what times etc. I am expecting my second baby now and doubt if I will do it this time though as I hope to be a bit more relaxed about things. I kept the little notebook and I think it will be nice to look at it with her when she is older.

wow at your spreadsheet sccopmuckanddizzy!

scorpio, i'm sure i'd forget whether the bracelet was the side i'd just fed on or the side to feed on next! i go for the pook each boob to see which feels heaviest approach!

We did this too, as new mummy brain kicked in, I couldn't remember anything....never mind what side i'd fed her from stopped about 3 months or so, once we were on more regular feeds.

If it's helping you, then carry on But I don't think it's necessary, tbh, and you'll almost certainly get bored of doing it after a while!

It can be handy to have something that reminds you which breast she fed from last, but I certainly wouln't advise bothering with recording the length of time she feeds (or even how many feeds she has each day, tbh). Not by 4 weeks, and not as long as she's content, thriving, putting on weight, wet nappies etc etc etc.

Demand feeding means just that - whenever and for however long she wants. I know that's not always strictly practical but it's the best principle. You don't need a chart

Thanks tassisssss, am pg with dc2 so no doubt the spreadsheet will be back!

I do this... wait for it... dd is 19 months old now, and I still record in my third notebook every nappy change, meal, breastfeed and nap. It started in hospital after she was born when I had to record these details for the mw's, then I carried on and it felt reassuring as I can always check what she had when. I KNOW everyone is going to say I am totally mad - but it doesn't harm anyone, and helps me to function!! I fed on demand too - but just wanted to remember which side next, and wanted to work out if there was a loose pattern (and there was - so it helped us in establishing some sort of routine!). Now it helps to make sure she gets a balance of all the right foods at all the right mealtimes, which I'm sure you do instinctively but with my notes I am more sure in my own mind iykwim!! am pg with #2 and haven't decided whether I'll run two concurrent books, or condense the two, or (shock horror!) stop dd's recording... I know I can't carry on forever, but don't really know when I will stop!!!

happynappies - I can relate to your way of doing things.

snaf - I am feeding on demand, the notes just help me see if her demands = roughly 8 feeds a day and if there's any pattern developing.

Interesting though, to hear how everyone does it!

ElmMum - I found my notes helped us to establish a pattern with three hourly feeds and naps, then it spread out to four hourly with two naps, and now she just feeds morning and night and has one long nap in the day-time, so my need to make notes for bf purposes is no more - its now more about food, and I make little notes of her new words of the day! My brain is like a sieve, so if anyone ever asks me anything, like what was she eating at 8 months, all I have to do is look in my book. HV thinks I'm crackers!!

The columns in my notebook where (a) wake up time, (b) start of feed time, (c) end of feed time, (d) l or r, (e) nappy - dirty or wet and (f) time she went to sleep...

I only remember the night times/length because I'm longing for her to sleep 7-7 LOL! Don't write things down though. DD2 is 14wks

No,was far to disorganised and sleep deprived!!Just put little un on the breast that was fuller.Am in admiration of all you organised people especially Happynappies-how did you find the time??

I feed her when she seems to be hungry, give both sides a prod first. If one obviously fuller I feed from that side first; if no discernable difference i reckon it doesn't much matter which side I feed from first.

I wrote down the times of feeds when DS was small, but tbh it didn't help me much as I'd got some '3 hrly feed' thing in my head, and of course it doesn't work like that!

I find it a bit sad looking at those notes from the early days, as I can see that DS wasn't feeding that well and we ended up in hospital when he was a week old. I then got a bit obsessive about writing down times when we were there so decided not to do it when we got home. I think if it makes you feel more confident then go for it, but it wasn't for me.

I did ocassionally write down times of feed/sleep/nappy every so often, when I was tearing my hair out that DS had no 'routine' and was quite surprised to find out that there was a pattern.

Oh, and I'm pg again and am determined not to look at the clock and just feed feed feed this time round. I spent far too much time worrying how long DS should be 'lasting' between feeds first time round.

Wrinklytum - I didn't really 'find' time - I just kept my notebook next to me and scribbled down times when feeding - when I look back at my first book half of the writing is left-handed (and I'm right-handed!). Now I suppose I jot things down at the end of the day and it only takes me a minute. DH keeps asking me to stop, but it is an automatic habit now!!

no never, I fed from whichever side felt fuller but that was the extent of my planning

I ff my ds (3 months ) and didn't do this at first (mixed fed til 2 months) but at around 2 months I started and it really helped a lot, to see patterns and help me remember times of feeds. Also with ff it meant I knew exactly how much he'd had in a day so writing it down could let me see his overall intake in 24 hours and see if it was low to help decide if he was hungry before making a feed up or if it was more likely to be wind and so make up a smaller one.
Without writing it down I was completely lost.

I did the bracelet on side to feed from next and/or which feels fuller if I forgor the bracelet.
COuldn't be fagged with stuff like spreadsheets and DS1 would have had them on the floor, chewed up anyway

LOL!No way.
I feed from the left at the pc, the right on the sofa, and when he asks for it.
That's it.