demand-feed vs setting a routine early on

[laetitia85]

What's the best way to feed a baby?
Demand-feed or setting a routine early, e.i. set feeding times etc. i know every baby is different but what worked best for you?

sorry if the question has been asked before

 

[beanie]

I would say demand feeding. I personally eat when hungry, I never say to myself "I'll wait till 1pm before I have a snack". I think demand feeidng is very important if breastfeeding as it helps get your milk supply regulated and you find that baby gets into a feeding routine of their own as they get older. They are not used to the feeling of hunger as in the womb they get fed 24/7 but then as they get older they learn to space their feedings out.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

I think it all depends. Are you intending to breast feed? If so demand feeding is best....however I breastfed and set a routine of every 3hrs during the day and 4hrs during the night. However if she demanded it sooner then I fed her sooner, but I didn't let her go longer. IF that makes any sense?

 

[h33]

Hiya

Willow was fed on demand, she fed every hour 1/2 for the first week and then after that went up to 3 hourly, the hv did advise me to leave her to cry to make her go longer but i couldn't do it and just gave her the bottle when she was hungry, when the length between feeds got smaller again i put her onto hungry baby milk. Conal was always fed at a certain time becasue he was in scbu so when we brought him home he had set feeding times every 3 hours but i just fed him on demand again. if they're hungry they're hungry and again when the times between feeds became shorter i out him onto hungry baby milk and then a rusk before bed.

Tbh you'll have to wait and see what suits you as the ladies above have said it's different with bf apparently (i didn't realise) you'll fall into your own pattern it maybe that it works out the baby goes for set times or it might go 2 hours then 4 hours then 3 hours.

Good luck

Heather

 

[enn]

we was feeding on routine but got told by health visitor to feed on demand. so were doing that basically seems to work. shes deeding every 4 hrs atm of course shes older atm too.

i should add im formula feeding

 

[little*red]

we fed on demand at firstand for us it was a nightmare. the very day we put Evie into a routine of set feeding times she slept thorugh the night and has done every since never once waking up for a feed in the night.

As others have said i think its totally an individual choice and its basically trial and error.
Plus a big reason we got Evie into a routine was because of her colic, as we used colief which meant her bottles needed made up 30min in advance, and therefore set feed times suited us all best.

Some babies take to a routine, some dont. I wouldnt stress about it too much though, you'll find what suits you all best once baba arrives .

sorry just thought id add that Evie never cried for food in between her feeding times as she was always satisfied until her next feed.
Also thought id add she is formula fed. her feeding times were 7.30am/8am,11.30am,3pm, 6.30pm and 10.30pm.

 

[trixipaws]

i found feeding on demand best at first (and still do to some extent) but my baby is breast-fed i think formula-fed babies hav set amounts and times? i was advised not 2 worry about routines at first and 2 enjoy my newborn coz they dont stay tiny for very long! im glad i took the advice it worked well 4 me.

my daughter is 3 months old and shes only recently told us shes ready for a bedtime routine ("telling us"=crying lots in evenings!)
we've done it 4 days now and its working fabulously. but she can go 8 hours at nite now, newborns need feeding more often.

 

[Tangerinedream]

Jake is being fed on demand, he just doesnt demand at night anymore, he started sleeping straight through the night (10/11pm-5/6am) at 6 weeks. I think he loves his sleep like his mummy

What Im trying to say is he kind of got himself into a routine

 

[cloud9]

I feed on denamd and am b/feeding...Dylan was born with Juandice and had to be woken every three hours to feed to wash out jaundice but now he knows wether its day or night feeds frequently in the day less at night usually once a nightt now..
demand feeding has worked well for me and we are both hapy which is the main thing.

I don't think there is a wrong and a right way just what works for you and your LO

 

[Redshoes]

Have never even considered setting feeding times for Isaac, he tells us when he's hungry,
though I've wrote down every feed he's had
(give or take a few) since he was born
and he does have his own routine, and has had for some time,
give or take an hour or an ounce or two
Like others have said, if it works for you and your LO, then go with it

 

[budge]

What's the best way to feed a baby?
Demand-feed or setting a routine early, e.i. set feeding times etc. i know every baby is different but what worked best for you?

sorry if the question has been asked before

demand feeding all the way.

 

[Nic'n'Keeley]

I bottle feed Keeley and for the first few weeks i demand feeded but as soon as she got to 8 weeks i set meal times and since then apart from her teethin she's slept thru the night

 

[Sabrina]

I'd say demand feeding although you'll find over time most babies will set their own routine of sorts. I can set my clock by George most days.

 

[mdsremos]

I beast fed for the first week on demand but Charlie became a leech and just never gave up then just ended up full of wind so we reverted to bottle feeding which broke my heart but my milk just rufused to come in and again started with on demand feeding.
Charlie just seemed to fall into his own routine of spot on every four hours, we could time him he was that consistant, and were told that we should never let him go past 6 hours between feeds unless it was during the night and he started sleeping through at 7 weeks old. He would wake at 7am have a bottle and go back down until 11am!!! God do I miss the lie in in the morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[littlemoo]

i was really poorly after i had charlotte and i was breast feeding and i thought it was just easier to feed on demand, but we stayed at my inlaws for the weekend and i filled bottles so other people could feed her... my mother-in-lwa was so good she got up in the night without me knowing so i could sleep in and by tea time that day charlotte was in a routine. it was such a help. it gave me a stricked timing of everything so i knew would i had time for. in my opinion its alot better to get them in a routine. charlotte is still in one now at 1. she goes to bed at half 6 and wakes at half 6. shes much happier for it i think.

 

[Sammystar]

Obviously it differs from person to person, so you just have to do what feels right for you.

When I was breast feeding it was always on demand. After the first few weeks we just fell into a natural schedule anyway.

When I bottle fed Sam I tried to do it on demand, but it was a distaster, as soon as I put him on a schedule things calmed down......

Good luck whatever you decide to do.....

 

[Urchin]

I always demand feed, I think you and baby get less stressed that way and it seems way more natural to me.

Many books recommend getting into a routine and some people swear by it. but remember some babies respond very well to a routine and some don't. I wouldn't decide to try a routine until your baby is here and you can see what they like.