Feeding on demand or by the hour: principles, pros and cons. Feeding on demand: a modern approach

29.07.2019

“Offer your baby to breast as often as he asks,” advises the World Health Organization. However, not all mothers and even pediatricians understand how to properly organize on-demand feeding. How do you know what your baby wants to eat? How long should he suck? We will talk about this and other issues in this article.

old methods

Grandparents, and at the same time some medical sources continue to argue that it is necessary to put the baby to the chest strictly by the clock. Feeding according to the regimen appeared during the Soviet era, when a nursing mother had to go to work early.

In favor of this method are the traditions of previous generations and the sense of security that young parents receive in exchange for following the schedule. If a mother decides to feed her baby every 3-4 hours, she does not need to puzzle over whether her baby wants to breastfeed or not. A woman does not try to guess what information the baby is transmitting to her, she looks at her watch, and only the position of their hands is a good reason for her to attach her child to her breast. The advantages in this approach are obtained only for the mother: she can plan her time, knowing in advance when to feed the baby.

Why "on demand" is better?

For thousands of years, women in all corners of the earth fed, raised, cared for and cherished their children, meeting the physiological needs of babies, and not subordinating their needs to a schedule. And today, just like hundreds of years ago, newborns come into this world, needing care and warmth, understanding and participation. The primary task of a mother is to give the child what he needs. Does the child want to stay hungry until the time for eating, set in advance by the parents?

The physiological and mental needs of the child, which are satisfied with the help of feeding:

the need for comfort, warmth, satiety, security;
the need for love and care, emotional contact;
physical contact with mother;
variety of sensations;
knowledge of the world.

Breastfeeding at the first desire of the baby is the norm for mother and baby, which is established by wise nature. During attachment to the breast, an irreplaceable process of emotional communication between the baby and the mother takes place. When the baby suckles the breast, he again feels the close physical contact that was interrupted at the time of childbirth. Lying under the breast, the baby feels the taste and smell of the mother, hears her heartbeat. He partially returns to that warm, safe and familiar world in which he spent 9 months before his birth.

Both the baby and the mother are genetically programmed to feed on demand. The volume of the stomach of a newborn is very small. Breast milk is quickly digested in the baby's body. To assume that 3-4 hours is an acceptable interval between feedings is to be guided by abstract numbers that have nothing to do with the physiology of the child.

How to know when it's time to feed your baby

Young mothers can learn to understand their child. Although not immediately, but after a few days or weeks, the mother will be able to accurately recognize the signs that her baby wants to suckle milk. It is necessary to give the baby a breast at the first manifestations of anxiety, before he starts to cry.

If the baby wants a breast, he:

spinning;
opens the mouth;
tries to suck everything that turns up, whether it is his own fist or a toy;
begins to beep, at first it is a thin squeak or grunt, which gradually turns into loud crying if the mother did not have time to attach it to her breast;
a hungry child behaves restlessly in a dream, he twitches, his eyelids tremble, his eyeballs rotate.

An attentive mother does not allow the baby to cry, putting the baby to her chest at the first sign of the need to suckle.

Newborn feeding

Feeding on demand should be started from the first days of a baby's life. Two to three days after childbirth, a woman's mammary glands produce a small amount of colostrum. Its main task is to help the digestive system of the newborn to adapt to new living conditions.

Colostrum is rich in protein and immune bodies. In order for the baby to be full, receiving small portions of this nutrient fluid, it must be applied to the breast as often as possible. Breastfeeding on demand after childbirth provides the following:

the child under the breast feels protected;
the child learns to take the breast correctly and suck milk;
mother quickly finds a way to understand her baby;
the woman's body adapts to the stable production of large amounts of milk in the following months.

The relationship between the needs of the child and the production of milk in the body of a woman

Feeding on demand for healthy full-term babies ensures that the mammary glands are filled with exactly the amount of milk that the baby needs. There are no uniform standards for how long and how often a baby should suckle milk. One child sucks for a long time and less often asks to attach it to the breast, the other is quickly sated, but more often needs to reinforce his strength again. The baby's appetite regulates the amount of milk in the mother's body. If the baby has completely emptied the breast, the next portion of milk will be produced faster. In a full breast, milk is produced more slowly. If there is a lot of milk left in the breast after each on-demand feeding, milk production will decrease over time.

It is a mistake to assume that it makes no sense to apply a child to a half-empty breast. The amount of fat in breast milk increases inversely with its volume. The so-called foremilk, which the baby sucks from a full breast at the beginning, is intended to satisfy a slight hunger and calm the baby. If the child is seriously hungry and sucks the breast for a long time, hindmilk, saturated with fats and very nutritious, begins to enter his body. Therefore, there is no need to wait until the breast is filled with milk again, keeping a certain time. In order to get enough, a few sips of full-fat milk left after the previous feeding will be enough for the baby. Scientists have also proven that the shorter the intervals between breastfeeding, the richer the milk. Thus, on-demand breastfeeding ensures the constant production of nutritious milk in the amount that the baby needs.

It is worth noting that we are talking about healthy full-term babies who suckle well and gain weight. If the baby is not able to empty the breast and does not cope well with the suckling process, he will not be able to set the correct rate of milk production. It is recommended that such babies be awakened and breastfed as often as possible, even if they do not show signs of hunger.

How often to feed

Breastfeeding babies do not adhere to any regimen. The need to breastfeed may occur if:

the child is hungry;
the child is hot and thirsty;
the child is upset and needs mother's care;
the child is bored alone and wants to communicate;
the child is in pain.

The baby's need for milk becomes more intense during growth spurts that occur at 1-1.5 months, then at 3, 6 and 9 months. During these periods, the baby's body goes through stages of accelerated development, and the need for mother's milk increases significantly. It is impossible to predict how often a baby will want to suckle milk in such circumstances. It remains only to carefully monitor the behavior of the child. He will decide when it is time for him to breastfeed and will let his mother know about it.

With the introduction of complementary foods into the baby's diet, the need for breast milk decreases.

The duration of the feeding process

The child can spend under the breast from a few seconds to 1-2 hours. If the baby sucks milk for more than 10 minutes, it means that he is hungry. Short-term sucking can be caused by thirst, fatigue, emotional overload. Long sucking occurs in the first time after childbirth, before going to bed, during teething, in the wee hours, during illness, with psychological discomfort, and sometimes in the absence of deep psychological contact with the mother. You should not interrupt the process of feeding, taking away the breast from the baby, the child must let go of the nipple.

Reasons Parents Don't Want to Choose Feeding on Demand

Self-doubt. If the baby's mother does not trust herself, if the woman is afraid to do something wrong, the behavior of the newborn very often remains a painful mystery for her. Instead of overcoming her fear and trying to understand the baby, a new mother can choose to feed by the clock, which will not require much effort from her.
Someone else's authority. How many well-wishers revolve around a young mother, rushing to fill her up with their experience and good advice. Previous generations fed their children strictly on schedule. Often natural feeding is perceived by them with hostility. If the opinion of hardened relatives or an orthodox professor who sternly sparkles with glasses on a glossy cover plays a decisive role for the baby's mother, she can ignore the voice of reason and choose the option that others impose on her.
The desire to bring order and predictability into a new life. Quite often, it is difficult for young parents to get used to the changes that have taken place in their lives with the birth of a baby. If earlier mom and dad lived according to the regime, then the appearance of the child did not leave a stone unturned from their previous schedule. In order to gain at least some control over the situation, some parents try in this way to tame the chaos that has reigned around.

cultural traditions. The laws by which society lives are very often more significant for young parents than their own instincts. If in the environment in which mom and dad were brought up, control over the behavior of the child was considered the norm, if the needs of babies were traditionally not given due attention, the parents of the newborn prefer to follow the received attitudes, repeating the behavior model adopted in their circle. Not wanting to follow the change in the behavior of the baby and respond to his requests, the mother will choose feeding by the hour.

How difficult life is feeding by the hour

A rare child will meekly agree that his parents force him to starve before the appointed hour. Having chosen feeding on a schedule, you need to be prepared for the fact that the baby will loudly and persistently declare his rights, demanding food. If the heart does not tremble, and after a while the confrontation with the baby can be won, the victory won will not bring any joy. The emotional state of the child and his physical development will be seriously damaged. The baby may not gain weight well. Attempting to attribute this fact to a mother's innate inability to give her baby enough milk will only make things worse. A desperate woman may stop breastfeeding altogether, assuming that formula would be the best option for her baby. In fact, it is enough just to transfer the baby to feeding on demand. Over time, everything will get better and the understanding will come that the mother's genetic non-dairyness is just a myth, invented in order not to destroy the theory of feeding by the hour.

Well, if the child does not come to terms with the order that the parents impose on him, family life will turn into a real nightmare. Short periods of calm will alternate with the deafening cries of a hungry baby. Exhausted, tormented parents will begin to doubt the adequacy of their own child. Others will blame mom and dad for failing to provide the baby with proper care. And the kid will lose confidential communication with adults who do not want to answer his demands and continue to starve the child. In this situation, parents understand on an intuitive level that for the calmness of the child, you need to take him in your arms and attach him to his mother's chest. But then their coherent scheme will collapse, and you will have to admit how much they were mistaken, not wanting to choose feeding on demand.

Choosing feeding according to the needs of the baby or by the hour, each mother must honestly admit what is more important for her: her own peace of mind or the comfort of her beloved little man. If you ignore the advice of experienced grandmothers and put the interests of the child first, guards on demand will be the only acceptable option. Indeed, as life shows, the clock does not subjugate the appetite of the newborn and his mood, and the production of milk in the body of the mother also does not depend on the position of the hands on the dial.

Mutual understanding between mother and child

A newborn baby is already a person with their own individual needs. In order to establish a dialogue with your own child, you do not have to wait until he begins to speak in the language of an adult. Sensitive parents learn to understand their beloved person from the first days of his life. While he asks not so much: to feed, warm, caress, calm, entertain. Often, all his desires can be fulfilled by attaching the child to his chest.

Feeding naturally helps parents recognize the signals that their baby is sending, and now find a common language with him. If a mother prefers breastfeeding on demand, she is showing respect for her baby's needs. This fact is proof that in the future the opinion of a grown-up son or daughter will be just as important for her as it is now. By learning to listen to their own child, parents will never lose his trust, and the connection between them will not be interrupted.

Breast-feeding “on demand” differs from feeding according to the regimen in that the child himself determines the number and duration of feedings. Mom only needs to follow the desires of the baby and apply it to the breast every time he wants it.
Feeding “on demand” is recommended by the WHO.

While the baby sucks on the mother's breast, her body produces the hormones prolactin and oxytocin responsible for lactation. Thus, feeding “on demand” contributes to the self-regulation of milk production in the exact amount that the baby needs. While regular feeding can reduce the amount of milk, as the breasts are not stimulated enough.
Frequent and complete emptying of the breast helps the mother avoid milk stagnation - lactostasis, which can lead to mastitis.

The child's need for the mother's breast will be explained not only by hunger and the satisfaction of the sucking reflex: for a newborn baby, this is a way of communicating and interacting with his mother, an opportunity to feel protected, to calm down.

How often can a baby ask for a breast?

A newborn baby needs at least 8-12 feedings per day to maintain the body's water balance and receive nutrition.
The baby himself makes it clear when he wants to eat. It is better to focus not on a cry, but on everything that precedes it: smacking, sucking fists, “seeking” head turns (“search movements”). Offering the breast after the baby has started to cry can make proper attachment to the breast difficult and impair milk flow.

Gradually, an individual feeding regimen is developed, the needs of the child become more predictable, for example, he suckles more often before bedtime and after sleep and less often during wakefulness.

Breast milk is digested faster than formula. Breaks between feedings can be up to 40 minutes, while feeding according to the regimen is recommended every three hours. Do not be afraid to "overfeed" the baby. Regurgitation relieves the baby's stomach of excess milk.

It should be borne in mind that the child asks for a breast with any discomfort, and the problem is not always solved only by applying to the breast. For example, if the baby has a tummy ache, the next portion of milk will not solve, but only aggravate this problem, so a tummy tuck, a gas tube or a dummy can help in such a situation. During the period when the child is teething, he wants to rub his gums all the time, and it is better to offer a special teether instead of the chest so as not to hurt the mother.

Is it necessary to limit the duration of feeding?

Milk is 87% water, and during feeding, the baby first receives "forward", more liquid milk, and then "hind", more fat. If the duration of feeding is regulated by the regimen, and the baby suckles slowly, he may not have time to get to the “hind” milk; and this can lead to the fact that the child will become less able to absorb milk, since his body will produce less of the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Newborn babies usually suck more slowly, intermittently, may fall asleep at the breast and wake up again to suck more; already from 1-1.5 months, a stronger child quickly sucks out the amount of milk he needs. Infrequent and short feedings can be the reason for slow weight gain, but you should not continue one feeding for more than an hour.

Should I feed my baby at night?

The absence of night breaks in feeding contributes to sufficient stimulation of the breast and milk production. The peak level of prolactin, which is responsible for the production of milk in the body, occurs in the early morning (5-8 hours), feeding at this time stimulates lactation.

Do I need to wake my child up to eat?

For a newborn baby, long (more than two hours) breaks between feedings can be dangerous with dehydration and a drop in blood sugar, especially if the baby is premature, weak, slowly gaining weight. For mom, this can be fraught with stagnation of milk and a decrease in its quantity. Children are able to suck almost without waking up, and it is not necessary to actively wake up the child in order to attach it to the breast: you can undress, stroke your hands and heels, do a light massage, perhaps during sucking the child will fall asleep again. "Sturdy guys" can not wake up even 3, 5 - 4 hours.

In the feeding regimen, on demand, the baby is applied to the breast as many times and at the time that he requires, including at night (the child mainly expresses his need by crying, so the first thing a mother does when she hears a baby cry is puts it on her chest ). Currently, the World Health Organization recommends that all mothers start feeding on demand from the first days of life.

What are the benefits of on-demand feeding for a baby?

A newborn baby who is fed on demand overcomes birth stress faster.
Frequent bodily contact between mother and child contributes to the establishment of a close emotional connection between them and the development of a sense of security in the baby.
Being in the arms of the mother and satisfying his needs when necessary, the baby receives a constant sense of confidence and security, which contributes to his harmonious mental development.
A child receiving mother's breast at the first signs of anxiety feels comfortable, has a calm behavior, mostly sleeps well, and has a positive emotional mood.
Children who are fed on demand gain weight well, because with this breastfeeding regimen, the baby can be at the breast for as long as he wants. This allows the baby to receive not only "front" milk, which is released in the first minutes of breast sucking, but also "back", especially rich in nutrients.
A baby who regulates his own food in most cases does not overeat, so it is less likely that he will, for example, spit up after feeding. After all, the volume of the stomach of a newborn child is small, and it is designed for the frequent intake of small portions of milk. If the intervals between feedings increase, the child needs a portion of milk much more than he can absorb to saturate, and this leads to overstretching of the walls of the stomach and regurgitation.

Feeding on Demand: Benefits for Mom

Feeding a baby on demand has a beneficial effect on the body of a young mother.

When the breast is stimulated at the time of feeding the baby, the hormone oxytocin begins to act in the mother's body, which contributes to the contraction of the uterus, helps it return to normal size and prevents postpartum hemorrhage. When feeding on demand, the process of uterine contraction is faster than when feeding "by the clock."
Attaching the baby to the breast on demand is the most powerful factor that stimulates lactation. This is due to the fact that the hormone prolactin is responsible for the production of milk in the body of a woman, which is secreted in response to the baby sucking on the breast. If the mother feeds the baby on demand, then the following principle applies: how much milk goes out - so much comes in, that is, milk is produced in the volume that the baby needs.
With frequent feedings, the mammary glands are better emptied, which reduces the risk of developing inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis).
Proper feeding on demand (with a break between feedings of no more than three hours, with obligatory night feedings) is a physiological method of preventing a woman from pregnancy (method of lactational amenorrhea). This is due to the fact that with active breast sucking, a special hormone prolactin is produced, which suppresses ovulation (the release of a mature egg from the ovary), and pregnancy does not occur. But it must be remembered that this is not one hundred percent protection against pregnancy, so other methods of contraception must be used.

How to arrange feeding on demand?

The basic rules of free feeding look like this: you need to put the baby to the breast in response to any discomfort (at the first cry), do not limit feeding in duration, do not refuse night feedings and do not use pacifiers and nipples. It is also important to remember that a healthy breastfed baby does not need any additional fluids or complementary foods until the age of six months.

Breastfeeding at the first sign of anxiety

Feeding on demand should begin in the first hours after childbirth. The joint stay of the mother and the newborn in the maternity hospital in the same ward contributes to the establishment of successful free breastfeeding. After all, when the baby is always next to his mother, she can feed him as often as he wants. Sometimes it seems to a young mother that there is no milk yet, and she does not put the baby to her breast, trying to feed him with milk formula from a bottle. This is a big mistake. In the first days after childbirth, colostrum is released from the mammary glands, which is very nutritious and beneficial for the baby. A newborn baby can be satisfied with even a few drops of colostrum and does not need supplementary feeding and drinking. Therefore, in the first days after childbirth, when only colostrum is excreted, the baby must also be fed on demand.

When breastfeeding, the mother should offer the breast at the first sign of the baby's anxiety. Don't wait until your baby cries loudly. Newborn babies can eat at different intervals from 10 to 18 or more times a day, including up to 2-4 times at night. Such frequent attachment to the breast does not mean at all that the child is always hungry. Mother's breast is required for the baby not only for food, but also for psycho-emotional comfort. Do not forget that young children have a well-developed sucking reflex, and the baby needs to satisfy his need for sucking. The harmonious development of his central nervous system depends on whether he will be able to suck when he wants to.

Such frequent attachments to the breast, as in the first months of a baby's life, do not persist for the entire period of breastfeeding. Gradually, the child will begin to form his own feeding regimen. At 3-4 months, the baby becomes active. He is interested in toys, trying to learn about the world around him, and the number of attachments to the chest is gradually decreasing. They are distributed mainly around sleep, and they are obtained on average 8-10 per day. When the baby begins to actively crawl or learns to walk, he seems to “forget” to breastfeed, carried away by other things, and “asks for the breast” even less often. Prolonged sucking persists, mainly at bedtime and at night. However, during this period, the mother's breast is often needed by the child as a consolation. He can ask for a breast when he is tired, bored, etc.

Night feedings when feeding a baby on demand are considered mandatory

At night (especially from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.), the production of the hormone prolactin, which stimulates lactation, is much greater than during the day. Therefore, night feedings are an excellent means of maintaining lactation, and at night the child should be fed as many times as he wants. In addition, this is the easiest way to calm him down at night and put him to sleep.

With free feeding, it is quite acceptable for the child to receive milk from both mammary glands at one feeding. The duration of feeding at one breast should be at least 15 minutes, so that during this time the baby can get enough of the “rear”, nutrient-rich milk. If during this time the child has not eaten, and there is no milk in the breast, you can offer the baby another mammary gland.

Feeding your baby in public

But what should a mother do with a crying baby in public places if he requires feeding? If the child has demanded feeding, for example, in the clinic, you can find a secluded place where there are no patients and breastfeed him. In addition, in children's clinics, as a rule, there is a room for a healthy child, where you can comfortably sit down and feed your baby.

When planning a trip to a clinic or other place, the mother should dress in such a way that it is easy to offer the breast to the baby. Clothing should have a slit or be easily unfastened so that the baby can be fed without exposing the stomach and lower back. A postpartum nursing bra is very convenient: with the help of detachable cups, it is easy to provide access to the baby to the breast.

If the baby cried while walking on the street in the summer, then there is no need to carry him home just to calm him down and feed him. If the mother is in the park at that moment, it is enough to find a bench in a secluded place and let the baby suck on the breast. You can also feed the child at any playground. There, as a rule, mothers walk with small children, to whom this problem is close and understandable.

When walking in the winter in the first months of a baby’s life, when he still often “requires” a breast, mom can be advised not to go far from home (if you can’t calm the child in distracting ways, for example, by rocking the stroller, taking the baby in her arms, etc. - then you need to return home and feed the baby) and go for a walk immediately after feeding.

Recently, more and more young mothers are becoming supporters of free feeding of the child. Some mothers are afraid that they will not be able to combine on-demand feeding with other household chores. As practice shows, these fears are in vain. For successful free feeding of a child, the desire of a woman is enough. And to do household chores at first (until the child has established his own feeding regimen), you can use the help of other family members. The main thing is to distribute responsibilities in the family and agree on their implementation. In the first days and months of life, the baby simply needs constant bodily contact with the mother, and the main task of the young mother during this period is to feed the baby and take care of him.

Modern doctors and WHO representatives recommend that breastfeeding mothers use on-demand feeding. It is this approach that allows you to optimally meet the needs of the baby. It stimulates lactation and improves breastfeeding. In this case, the newborn is fed only when he wants to. The number of applications and the duration of feeding are not limited. Let's take a closer look at how to properly and how often you can feed your baby on demand.

Feeding specifics on demand

When organizing this type of nutrition, the newborn is not force-fed, but is given breast only when the baby wants to. But they don’t take it away until the child is full and stops eating or falls asleep. This option is optimal for babies, since each crumb has its own rhythm and regimen. He will suckle when he is hungry. This will provide comfort and peace of mind, the child will not need to be forced to eat or wake up if he is sleeping, as when eating according to the regimen. Therefore, feeding will take place calmly, harmoniously, without whims and tantrums.

The duration of feeding is from several minutes to 1-2 hours. If the baby suckles the breast for more than ten minutes, then he is hungry. But a child can ask for a breast, not only if he is hungry. Sucking calms the baby if he is sick or feels discomfort, fear, thirst. The baby begins to ask for the breast more often during teething.

There are also disadvantages to this method. Mom should adapt to the rhythm of the baby, at first take the baby with her and sleep together. But, by the way, co-sleeping in the first 4-6 months will only benefit the baby. As practice shows, when feeding on demand, children suckle the breast for longer, up to 2.5-3 years. As a result, it is difficult for babies to wean both from co-sleeping and from breastfeeding, especially if lactation has already stopped.

Benefits of feeding by schedule

The baby receives all the necessary substances and elements for harmonious growth and development;
The child is less tormented by gases, colic and indigestion. It is less susceptible to an allergic reaction, a strong immunity is formed in the crumbs;
The baby receives the right amount of food and does not need to be supplemented with milk mixtures;
The baby does not need to be supplemented with water, supplemented with milk mixtures. It is not required to introduce early premature complementary foods;
Regular and natural breastfeeding on demand does not require pumping;
Regular applications 100% satisfy the sucking reflex, soothe the child and allow you to do without a dummy;
Children grow up healthy, more confident and calm. In addition, the child does not develop such bad habits as sucking a finger, fist or other objects;
Feeding on demand provides a calm and comfortable environment, establishes contact between the baby and mother;
Feeding your baby on demand has a positive effect on sleep. on the psychological state and development of the infant;
Frequent applications - effective stimulation of breast milk production, as well as the prevention of lactostasis, mastitis and various other breast diseases in lactating women;
This method of feeding improves lactation, which avoids problems with a lack of milk for the newborn. How to establish breastfeeding, read.

Application frequency on demand

Mom should be prepared that in the first month of life, the baby will often ask for breasts. So, in the first two or three weeks, most of the time will have to be given to feeding the baby. The number of applications during this period in the total volume reaches 12-20 times per day and sometimes can reach up to four times per hour! But there is no need to worry. The requirements of the baby are not chaotic, but evenly distributed throughout the day, depending on the needs and characteristics of the development of each child individually.

Over time, the number and duration of attachments gradually decrease on their own without the introduction of a strict regimen and restrictions on the baby's diet. By two or three months, he already requires a breast every 1.5-2 hours during the day and 3-4 times at night. During this period, the child develops his own diet and sleep. Such a rhythm does not harm the baby and does not lead to spoilage, as many believe. However, at the same time, it contributes to successful and long-term breastfeeding, a beneficial effect on the development of children.

After 4-6 months, the average number of feedings is about 12 times a day. As a rule, attachments accompany the awakening and falling asleep of the baby. After a year, when complementary foods for babies are already being introduced, the number of attachments is about eight times a day. Many mothers are interested in how to switch to on-demand feeding and maintain this mode. This is quite easy to do, you just need to follow certain rules and recommendations.

Rules for feeding on demand

Apply the baby on demand, do not expect strong crying or tantrums. When the child is hungry, he begins to move his lips and look for the chest, spin and behave restlessly, suck his thumb or other objects, grunt and gradually turn to crying;
In the first three months of life, the baby should be breastfed as often as possible. At the same time, the baby should be fed at least three times at night;
Do not limit the number and duration of applications. Wait until the baby is full and releases the nipple or falls asleep at the breast. Remember that each child has its own mode and rhythm;
Do not force the child to eat;
Give your baby pacifiers and pacifiers as little as possible. Modern pediatricians are advised to completely abandon such devices if you have chosen natural feeding;
Attach the baby correctly to the breast. It is important that it captures both the nipple and the areola. This will ensure complete feeding, protect the mammary glands and nipples from damage;

Do not introduce complementary foods before six months. When introducing adult food, do not breastfeed your baby 2-3 hours before receiving food. After eating, you can, if necessary, breastfeed the baby;
Do not supplement your baby with water until 5-6 months old, as newborns do not need it. Breast milk already contains the amount of water your baby needs. Only in exceptional cases, with severe colic, the baby can be given dill water in a small amount. And in the heat, bathe the baby more often, wipe the skin with wet wipes and take air baths;
Sleep together until 3-6 months. Joint sleep favorably affects the mental and mental development, the emotional state of the child. In addition, if necessary, the mother will be able to quickly feed the baby at night;
Learn to feed lying down, this will make feeding at night and during sleep easier. Use different poses;
Do not alternate breasts, as is done when feeding according to the regimen. First, the baby must completely empty one breast and only then move on to the second. This is necessary so that the baby receives both foremilk and hindmilk;
After feeding, the baby, if he did not fall asleep, should lie down quietly for at least 40-60 minutes. Do not bathe, play or exercise with your child on a full stomach.

How to feed a child, by the hour or on demand, is up to each mother to decide individually. But we note that application on demand has been used since ancient times, and according to the regimen, it appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. The first method has a positive effect on the development of the baby and the well-being of the mother, it fully satisfies the psychological and physiological needs of children.

That is why on-demand feeding is used by more and more breastfeeding mothers today. And to simplify the process, follow the rules and recommendations for applying the baby, wean the baby from the breast and co-sleeping in a timely manner.

Among mothers - already held and future - there are real disputes and "battles" on the topic of feeding children. Today on the site, we will raise the issue of feeding on demand and according to the regimen: all the pros and cons, the pros and cons of such a regimen for raising a child.

Feeding the baby on demand and according to the regimen

Only recently having become pregnant or having decided to have a child, young women listen to “lectures” from mothers, grandmothers and other older acquaintances about the need for a regimen for the baby.

Some time ago (about 20-25 years) no one imagined that it was possible to feed a child in any other way than at specific intervals (strictly 3 hours), avoiding night feedings. Moreover, each attachment to the chest was supposed to last no longer than 20 minutes.

The need to raise a child according to the regime was conditioned by the fact that babies were often sent to a nursery even in infancy, where they adhered to exactly the described daily routine. All the children in such institutions ate, slept, pooped by the hour.

Unfortunately, it was the “regime” that most often led to the rapid cessation of breastfeeding and the transition to artificial mixtures.

An alternative type of raising a child has become feeding on demand - when the breast is offered to the baby with any search movements or anxiety. At the same time, a certain period of time is not maintained between feedings, and the attachment itself lasts as long as the baby wants.

Feeding on demand: the rules

There are no “rules” as such, or each mother chooses them for her child on her own. But there are recommendations that WHO gives for the best breastfeeding:

Attaching the child when he "asks". At the same time, he spends as much time at the chest as he wants;
Complete rejection of "gadgets" that replace the mother's breasts (nipples, bottles). If necessary, water or medicines are given from a spoon;
Proper attachment of the child;
For one feeding, the child should be given both breasts;
Refusal to express the milk remaining in the breast after each feeding;
The introduction of complementary foods not earlier than at 6 months of the child;
Feeding up to 1.5-2 years or until an independent child from the breast (self-weaning).

We emphasize on the site that you can “vary” between these recommendations and do what is convenient for you and your child. For example, many children normally combine breastfeeding and sucking on a pacifier/pacifier, as well as maintaining a certain period between feedings.

Feeding on demand or by the hour: pros and cons

Let’s start with the benefits of on-demand feeding:

With this type of feeding, the child gains weight more actively;
There are fewer problems with lactation. Even with "milk crises" the child is able to dissolve the breast and adjust the amount of milk for himself;
The period of regurgitation ends earlier than in children fed according to the regimen;
Many psychologists believe that when feeding on demand, a special contact arises between mother and baby.

Despite all the benefits and advantages, breastfeeding on demand also has a number of disadvantages:

The impossibility of leaving the child with someone other than the mother, due to his complete attachment to the breast;
Fatigue, chronic lack of sleep of parents;
Frequent feeding can be harmful to the child's gastrointestinal tract. Milk does not have time to be absorbed, as its new portion arrives. Some experts believe that this may be the cause of abdominal pain;
Feeding on demand often involves baby and mother sleeping together. Some young parents accept this. But in such cases, the “young father syndrome” may occur, when the newly-made dad feels uncomfortable in the marital bed. In addition, the intimate life of parents often suffers.

Feeding by the hour also has a number of positive aspects:

The child can be safely left with dad or nanny from feeding to feeding, or longer if you first express milk;
Mode of feeding contributes to better absorption of food (according to pediatricians);
A child accustomed to the regime sleeps better on his own and gives his mother a rest;
Mom can always understand when a child cries from hunger, and when for another reason;
No need for mom and baby to sleep together.

Cons of feeding by the hour, except for those described at the very beginning of the article:

Worse emotional connection between mother and child (although this point is questionable) than when feeding a newborn on demand;
Attachment of the child to the nipple and subsequent difficulties with weaning from it;
The possibility of breast problems due to long breaks in feeding (at night);
With especially careful observance of the regimen (with the prevention of even 15-minute deviations from it), problems are possible in the form of a strong crying of the child.

If you have chosen on-demand feeding for your baby, how often to apply, how long to keep the baby at the breast - you will understand for yourself. Choose for yourself and your baby what is convenient for you, in addition, some principles of feeding on demand and according to the regimen can be quite successfully combined.