How r u planning to feed...

[Iriki]

I'll be breastfeeding and will be feeding on demand. Did it last time, works well for me, I guess you just have to find something that works for baby and you.

 

[nickynoo...]

In my breast feeding classes they didn't eally recommend one or the other but apparently there's a couple of things to consider:

Breast - they get much smaller amounts so cant let them go more than 3 / 4 hours max without feeding which may mean you have to wake them in the night for the first month or two. They also said that in the first few weeks the more you feed the more milk you produce so you need to be doing it regularly at first (she reckoned you could do a feed without fully waking the baby once you had enough practice....hmmm we'll see)

Bottle - baby aparently gets more so can go longer between feeds and you may not need to wake them in the night so long as they dont sleep too long

I'm planning to breast feed myself if I can as dont fancy having to get up and make btls in the night / early morning in a cold house - but who knows what's going to happen

 

[i.love]

I'm planning to do a mixture of both systems - only feed when he asks, but not more often than every 2 hours I think (I have it written down, can't remember if it's 2 hours or 1 hour now). This is to prevent him from feeding not because he is hungry, but just because he misses mummy. My cousin had this problem - her baby was eating too much, couldn't digest food properly and had tummy ache.

 

[ForestLas80]

I reckon it'll be on demand for the first few weeks and then settle into a natural pattern of breast feeding very 3 hours in the daytime. Will have to see how baby gets on with that. Us first timers are all in the same boat with this. Will be interesting to see how it goes for us all....exciting but a little scary!!

 

[nikki8092]

Even though i already have 2 children who i breastfed not every baby is the same so chances are number 3 will also be a new experience for me. My first (Paige) was a dream child slept through from 6 weeks never grumpy, fed when she needed feeding and not just for comfort. My son jake however total opposite. Only started sleeping through at around 15 months, and fed all the time as he liked the comfort of being close to mummy... i was knackered lol x

 

[Bunnykins]

You kind of get to know when they want feeding, their cry is different and they root around on you or start trying to suck whatever is near their mouth (clothes, shoulders, hands etc). I always nappy change, wind and cuddle first then feed if he's still crying, which he nearly always is!!
I've had to feed mine on demand as he literally screams until he loses his voice whenever he is awake unless I feed him, because he has colic, most times during the day he feeds really well gulping it down for 20 mins then he'll go 1.5-2.5 hrs before next feed, on an evening his colic is bad so he'll cluster feed and be on me for 3 or 4 hrs on and off with sometimes only minutes between, but he's not really drinking, he messes around much more and its more for comfort. However when he does go down for the night finally around 11pm he tends to sleep for between 3 & 5 hrs (depending on how awake he's been) then he wakes himself up and I nappy change and feed him and he will gulp it properly and we get another 3 hrs, he will cluster feed a bit in the morning as he's more hungry cos of not feeding much through the night.

its almost a routine but he's decided it, he has put on a lot of weight (from 6lb 11 to 8lb 11 in 4 weeks) but he is not fat and he needed that weight as he was too skinny, now he is a normal size the health visitor says his weight gain and feeding will stabilize. I guess every baby is different and bottle feeding is different to breast as u can see how much they are getting so could probably do a set routine, with mine I can't tell if he shouldn't be hungry as I don't know how much he has had because he's breast fed so I have to trust what he is telling me.

Also if breast feeding in the first week whenits colostrum they only get a few drops its like taking a pill with all your nutrients and calories your getting what you need but your tummy feels empty and u still feel hungry, so they do cluster feed way more, also this is their way of helping your milk come in and for it to be a good supply, so I'd say don't fight it and feed when they ask even if it feels completely over the top and they've fed 10 times in the last 2 hrs!!

Like I say this is only my experience, but I wouldn't overthink it or worry too much it will all fall into place when Lo is here!!

 

[suzzi]

im feeding on demand did with my others and ds slept from 6 weeks through the night,

ive head that keeping a record of the times and amounts, if you bottle feed, is a good start to getting them into a good routine, im gonna give this a go x might help with sleeping longer at night.

 

[Sarah13]

Bunnykins your little bunny seems to have the same 'routine' as mine! Maybe just greedy boys! He's never gone longer than 4 hours though and sometimes I feel like all I do is breastfeed! Maybe boys are more needy, my daughter wasn't so demanding and slept longer between feeds.

I think it's very hard not to feed on demand, certainly for the first few weeks as that 'hungry' screaming they do makes you feed them, I can't stand it, it's like a mummy magnet, the worst is when your driving so you can't do anything about it! I've also never had to wake him for a feed, he's far to greedy to miss one!

 

[charlotte2010]

I have only breastfed my daughters and it was on demand. they did wake in the night but they slept next to me in bed and i would just turn over and feed them it was easy and after the 1st 3 months i didnt need to wind them anymore so i didnt even have to wake! i could just roll over feed and sleep at the same time.

bottle fed babies get fatter on the powder milk and the idea of getting up and making a bottle sounds like to much for me lol plus the sterilizing i dont know how people do it.

 

[nikki8092]

Totally agree Charlotte, i really couldnt be bothered to get up in the middle of the night to make a bottle, just seems like too much hard work for me lol x

 

[Dee83]

Yeah, bottle feeding does sound like a real pain to me too! Unfortunately i can't breastfeed though due to a medical condition so i'm stuck with it! xx

 

[nikki8092]

Aw thats a shame. Just noticed your little boy is due on my little boys birthday x

 

[ft90]

Im feeding my LO on demand at the moment. I was exclusively breastfeeding but he was always too hungry so im giving him formula mostly now. He's 3 weeks tomorrow but is having more than a 2 month old has on average. He's gained loads of weight, but he's long and skinny not fat so im not too worried.

I stayed in hospital overnight the night after my section and they made me wake him for feeds and it was a disaster! He wasn't hungry and just cried from 1am til 5.30, so on demand works better for us!

Xx