Breastfeeding: on demand or on schedule? Feeding on schedule or on demand

03.08.2019

Almost every young mother who decides to breastfeed her baby is faced with a choice: what approach to feeding should she follow? The older generation represented by grandmothers, adult relatives and some doctors insist that the baby should suckle the breast by the hour. However, information is constantly coming from the Internet and other sources that the baby should receive mother's milk at the first request. What to choose: breastfeeding on demand or by the hour? Let's try to understand the essence of both approaches.

Feeding by schedule or by the hour

We read useful articles on the topic:

— (mega useful article!)

Once every 3 hours

Feeding by the hour is a relatively modern "invention". This feeding system appeared in the post-war Soviet era, when women, having barely become mothers, were forced to go to work. Given the conditions of that time, it was simply a vital necessity, and since the work schedule cannot be adjusted to the needs of the child, it was necessary to do the opposite: to adapt the child to the mother's schedule.

In this approach, the baby is breastfed at intervals of three hours and suckles for a maximum of 20 minutes. At night, the break between feedings is 6 hours.

There are not many advantages to feeding by the hour, and yet something can be distinguished:

Along with feeding by the hour, a clear daily routine is built. It turns out that the mother knows exactly at what time the baby will suckle the breast, and at what time she will be free. You can plan your day and weaning from home.
When the baby adjusts to this feeding regimen, mom will have more restful nights.

The disadvantages of such a feeding system for both the nursing mother and the baby:

Babies can hardly endure such long breaks without a breast, so in case of screams, you will have to be resilient and be ready to distract the child, occupy him with something, switch attention.
In different feedings, the baby can suck at the breast with different intensity, so in 20 minutes he can receive a different amount of milk each time. This leads to the fact that in some of the attachments the child, which means that it will be less than expected to gain weight and he will have to be supplemented with a mixture.
Mom is more likely to have breast problems. If the breast is not emptied in time, it overflows, which leads to such an unpleasant process as (stagnation of milk in the ducts). This is a very painful condition accompanied by high fever. Sometimes you have to turn to specialists for help, because it’s impossible to “dissolve” the chest on your own.
The most dangerous consequence of feeding by the clock is the extinction of lactation. Milk production depends on the level of the hormone prolactin in the blood. This hormone is produced in response to suckling, so the more a baby suckles, the longer a woman feeds. If the stimulation of the breast is insufficient, milk begins to be produced less and less. Especially dangerous is the lack of prolactin in the first months, when lactation is just getting better. In the days when timed feeding was the accepted pattern, most women fed for no more than 6 months.
From a psychological point of view, feeding by the hour is also not good for the baby. It turns out that the mother ignores the needs of the child, denying him the opportunity to receive breasts at the first cry. The sucking reflex of the child is satisfied only to a small extent, and this can form the habit of sucking a finger or fist.

At the first cry

Feeding on demand is often regarded as something of a modern trend, but this approach is much older than hourly feeding. Moreover, it is not artificially developed. Breastfeeding on demand is also called natural feeding, since this way of breastfeeding has developed naturally in the course of human development.

Ancient women did not know the regime and did not try to decide for the child when he should eat. The child was almost always in the arms of the mother, so getting a breast was not a problem for him.

Moms take note!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me, but I’ll write about it))) But I have nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too ...

There are no complicated rules for natural feeding: the child literally receives a breast for every cry and stays at the breast for as long as he wants. The same principle applies to night feedings. By the way, for lactation, night feedings are simply necessary, since at night there is an increased production of prolactin.

The best feeding regimen for a newborn - Dr. Komarovsky

Although on-demand feeding is the natural way to feed babies, modern women do not always find this approach convenient. For a modern mother, the following disadvantages can be distinguished:

Until the baby starts eating from the common table and breast milk ceases to be his main food, the mother always has to be ready to put things off for the sake of feeding the baby or feed in a not very convenient place, because the baby can scream in the store, transport or at street. Of course, today for nursing mothers there are special clothes and underwear that allow you to feed discreetly. However, given the level of development of breastfeeding culture in our country, not every woman decides to feed her baby in a public place.
Since the time at the breast is also determined by the child, it may turn out that it is your baby who loves to sleep with the breast in his mouth (as many babies do), chaining mom to one place for a long time.
Breastfed babies often wake up at night, and the mother has to either constantly get up to the crib or take the baby to the parent's bed, which is not acceptable for everyone.
The question is very difficult for many mothers. If in the case of feeding by the clock, lactation almost always stops itself ahead of time, then when feeding on demand, the mother either purposefully weaned the child from the breast when she decides herself, and this is often a painful procedure, or feeds until self-weaning, which can occur even after 2 years .

Although there are disadvantages to this approach, they are not so significant. All negative aspects are more than eliminated and it depends, rather, on the mother’s own mood than on some objective reasons.

But the advantages of feeding on demand are very significant and it is not reasonable to neglect them.

If the baby is breastfed, you can not worry about the harmonious physical development, because the child is guaranteed to receive all the necessary nutrients.
Such children are much less likely to have problems with the tummy, since breast milk is a completely adapted food for the immature children's gastrointestinal tract. Babies who receive breasts on demand do not need to be supplemented with water and fed early, so their intestines work better and do not cause problems for either the child or the parents.
For mothers, breastfeeding is an excellent prevention of possible breast problems. Since the breast is emptied in a timely manner, the risks of lactostasis are minimal.
Lactation is established without problems, which means that no one is in danger of a lack of milk, and the mother can feed the baby for as long as she wants.
Breastfed babies can do without a pacifier. The need for it disappears, since the sucking reflex of the child is completely satisfied by sucking on the mother's breast. Considering that there is no consensus on sucking on a pacifier, and it is still a foreign object for a child, the ability to refuse a pacifier is a big plus.
In general, babies who breastfeed on demand grow calmer and more self-confident. Their needs are not ignored, they know that they can always get what they need from their mother.

It is safe to say that feeding by schedule (or by the hour) is rather a relic of the past, and at present this approach is significantly inferior to feeding on demand. The vast majority of modern mothers have the opportunity not to go to work a few months after the birth of the baby, so it is not at all necessary to introduce a strict feeding regimen.

Experts did not come to a consensus, and therefore in this article we will consider all the nuances of both the first and second options. So - what can be the schedule of feeding a newborn? And should it be tough enough?

Feeding regimens

Strict

The main rule of this option is the requirement to feed the baby according to a strictly set schedule - and regardless of whether he sucked a lot or little milk during the previous feeding. In this case, for example, for a one-month-old baby, either seven time intervals of attachment to the mother's breast are determined at 6.00, 9.00, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00 and 24.00 and a 6-hour break for the night, or a regimen that provides for six feedings a day through every 4, not 3 hours, but without a night break.

What are the doctors' reasons for such recommendations? As a rule, the fact that the irregularity of nutrition is the main source of problems in the work of the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, mothers who adhere to the first option of the breastfeeding regimen, despite fatigue, lack of sleep and current daily worries, try not to violate the established schedule under any circumstances. Even in cases where the baby falls asleep for various reasons, does not eat too well, or, on the contrary, burps milk due to the inability to keep excess volume in the stomach.

Flexible

In the last 10-15 years, the second option has become increasingly popular. According to him, a rigid binding to a certain time is not required, and the baby is given a breast when he is clearly hungry. Of course, this does not mean a call for absolutely chaotic feeding - however, a clear reference to the clock is not established in this case, and the shifts in time can be quite large.

How do experts argue the advantages of this approach? The fact that breast milk is not ordinary food, and even unique. And therefore, due to its absolute digestibility, there are no problems with irregular nutrition for the gastrointestinal tract, even for a very small child.

However, at an older age, this regimen is first reduced to a mixed one, and then to an almost strict one. This is done for the following reasons:

already by 4-5 months, children need to be accustomed to a certain daily routine, in which the number of feedings becomes more rare, usually decreasing to five, and the night's sleep becomes longer (which makes it easier for the mother who never gets enough sleep);
at about 6 months, in addition to breast milk, children begin to be given complementary foods - and the process of its digestion already requires a certain regimen;
from 7 months onwards, both the volume of complementary foods and its variety are constantly growing, for a one-year-old peanut it is practically no different from adult nutrition (the only exception is the absence of fried, spicy and fatty foods, as well as seasonings, strong allergens and even the weakest alcohol) ;
growing up children from an early age must be accustomed to a certain order - and this also applies to nutrition. In this regard, the obviously artificial "protests" of your capricious child, crying for access to his mother's breast not so much for food, but to satisfy the "sucking" instinct, must be stopped over time. Although, in general, the partial presence of breast milk in the diet is welcome even up to 1.5-2 years of age.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

And what does Dr. Komarovsky, one of the world's leading specialists in pediatrics, think about this? Evgeny Olegovich is a supporter of the second, flexible method of breastfeeding - arguing that for newborns up to at least 6 months of age, a strict regimen is more harmful than beneficial. On what does this eminent physician base his views on this subject?

From the point of view of Komarovsky, the forced binding of feedings to rigid time intervals is unnatural for the baby. In addition to the occurrence of certain inconveniences in the care of the baby, eating according to the schedule is uncomfortable for the work of his gastrointestinal tract. If feeding occurs naturally (as our great-grandmothers did in their youth), the cub will sleep better, and, waking up, immediately be able to suck on the breast.

The transition to a more streamlined regime, Evgeny Olegovich considers justified only when using artificial mixtures or after introducing complementary foods into the diet of infants - that is, again, after about six months of life. The process of digesting ordinary foods (in whatever form they are cooked) requires a completely different work of the digestive system - and it is no longer possible to overload the baby's stomach, pancreas, kidneys and liver.

But a well-known specialist proposes to carry out such a transition with reference to certain important events in the daily schedule - morning awakening, walks, night sleep. As a result, a conditioned reflex is developed in children, which subsequently persists into adulthood.

Which of the feeding regimens to choose - each family must decide for itself. But this choice must be reasonable, conscious and focused on both the individual characteristics of your child and his age.

Teaching kids to routine

Thus, sooner or later it will be necessary to reach a certain feeding regime for the little one. However, he will not consciously do this - and therefore the responsibility for the process of gradual transition will fall solely on his mother's shoulders. What is required for this? In fact, nothing complicated - just remember the approximate correspondence of the age and weight of the child to the recommended number of feedings. As a result, we get the following rule:

a newborn up to 1 month old with a weight of about 3 kg - feeding every 3 hours;
a child under 2 months weighing 4-5 kg - feeding every 4 hours;
2-4 months - allow a night break lasting up to 5-6 hours;
5-6 months or more - transition to an interval of 4.5 - 5 hours between feedings with a night break.

How can you help your child make this transition?

The main difficulty in the transition to a stable regimen is rather the psychological problems of mothers, and not the feeding schedule for children. They consist in the fact that the mother’s first thought at the sound of a child’s crying is the question “What if he is hungry?”. As a result, the baby gets breasts, and all plans for building a smooth (and beautiful-looking only on paper) graphics go to hell. How to deal with it? First of all, remembering a simple truth - normally eating babies rarely (or rather, almost never) whimper from hunger. Therefore, it is necessary not to give the baby “sisu”, but to try to find out the true reason for his discontent (an uncomfortable diaper, too warm or, conversely, cool clothes, a desire to just drink some water, or even a lack of close communication with mom).

If this simple rule is observed, the child will be able to be accustomed to food quite quickly and without any problems at strictly defined time intervals - gradually lengthening to almost “adults” by about 1 year.

Can intervals not lengthen, but shorten?

Yes, such situations are possible - and the need for them appears when the mother produces too little milk. In order for the baby to gain his norm, he has to be fed not once every 3 or 4 hours, but, for example, once every 2.

The duration of the intervals in such cases will have to be selected individually - focusing on how calm the baby is between feedings and at what pace he is gaining weight. Of course, the woman will take more time, but for the sake of the health and comfort of the child, she will have to endure.

How to get out of unusual situations?

Consider deviations from the usual situations (for example, with 6 meals a day and a 4-hour interval - at 5.00, 9.00, 13.00, 17.00, 21.00 and 1.00) - usual for healthy, calm children who do not have any developmental abnormalities.

It's time to feed the baby, but he is sleeping

In such cases, it is better to wake the kids carefully. There is no need to worry that you are interrupting his sleep - the little one, who last sucked his breast 4 hours ago, will feel the desire to eat almost immediately after waking up.

The child woke up 1-2 hours earlier

In the vast majority of cases, the reason for his awakening is not hunger. There are a lot of options here, including such as an unpleasant dream, feeling uncomfortable from heat or cold, clothes that are uncomfortably tight, a diaper that is too wet, etc. It is enough to find and eliminate the cause of his anxiety (swing in his arms, change clothes) - and your child will fall asleep again. If this does not happen, the child is clearly not sick with anything and is looking for your breast - perhaps he really does not have enough milk, and he will have to be fed more often.

The situation is somewhat more complicated with artificial feeding - when, without consulting a doctor, it is strongly not recommended to simply increase the frequency of feeding or increase the volume of the mixture given to the baby.

The child woke up very quickly (after 30-45 minutes)

Most likely, the cause is excessive gas formation or another similar problem. In any case, it will have to be clarified - since the little one cannot starve in such a short time.

Feeding schedule options

As mentioned above, there can be quite a lot of such options (since “adjusting” to the baby’s biological clock sometimes forces you to significantly vary the intervals between feedings). However, the main ones are considered to be:

three hours (for example - 3.00, 6.00, 9.00, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00, 24.00);
four hours (for example - 6.00, 10.00, 14.00, 18.00, 22.00, 2.00).

In addition, as the kids grow older, not only daytime, but also nighttime breaks will gradually lengthen. This is done smoothly, slightly shifting the first morning feeding back, increasing the usual intervals, and the last, evening, moving it a little later. The result is an exit to the schedule (usually final after 6 months) of 5 meals a day, for example:

6.00, 10.30, 15.00, 19.30, 24.00.

In this case, the mother will be able to sleep through the night for almost a full six hours, and the child will get enough milk for him for fewer feedings.

The daily routine of a child is a specific schedule of actions, drawn up taking into account age characteristics and needs and aimed at healthy physical and intellectual development. Some mothers think that the regime is necessary only for weakened, often ill children, but this is not so. It is necessary to accustom the baby to the daily routine from the first months of life. You should not expect that a newborn child from the first days will fall asleep and wake up by the clock, but certain skills that will form the basis of a child's regimen at an older age can be developed already in the first month of a baby's life.

Feeding schedule: by the hour or on demand?

If the baby is breastfed, pediatricians advise to feed him on demand. If the child is healthy, gains weight well and develops according to the established norms, such a regimen can be followed up to the age of three months. If the mother continues to breastfeed the child when he asks for it, there may be complications in the digestive system associated with overfeeding. It can be intestinal, painful spasms, stool disorder, abdominal pain.

Feeding on demand has its pros and cons, so each mother must make her own decision on how to organize the feeding of the child in order to meet his needs and not infringe on the interests of other family members.

Dr. Komarovsky about the feeding regimen

Some of the benefits of on-demand feeding include:

more harmonious development of the child due to frequent and prolonged contact with the mother;
stable (with this mode of feeding, milk in the mammary glands is produced in the amount necessary to meet the needs of a particular baby);
reducing the risk of purulent mastitis that develops against the background of milk stagnation.

If the mother decides to feed the baby on demand, she must understand that such a regimen for the day of the newborn in the first month also has significant disadvantages. One of them is the inability to be away from home in the first weeks of a child's life. The organization of feeding is also of great importance: if the child takes the breast incorrectly (grabs not the areola, but only the nipple), too frequent feedings can lead to the formation of long-healing cracks that can become infected with insufficient personal hygiene.

Feeding on artificial or mixed feeding

If the newborn receives formula milk as the main or additional food, the infant should be fed according to the established schedule. Unlike mother's milk, the composition, their fat content are constant indicators and do not change depending on external factors. The main difference between milk formula and is the presence of complex proteins (lactoglobulins) in the composition, for the breakdown and digestion of which it takes more time. If a child receives a new portion of the formula before his body has digested the previous food, gastrointestinal disorders may occur, for example:

and vomiting;
(the child cries, refuses the bottle, the abdomen is tense, pain may occur on palpation);
constipation (may last up to 3 days).

Approximate feeding schedule by the hour

Parents of newborns who are formula-fed or mixed-fed, can follow the schedule shown in the table when catering.

At night, the child can wake up at any time, since the night feeding regime is usually established only by 2-3 months. The volume of one portion of the mixture for newborns in the first month is 90 ml (from the third week of life this volume can be increased to 120 ml). The norm for breastfed children is from 50 to 90 ml per feeding.

Important! The interval between feedings with the mixture should be about 3 hours, that is, the child should receive food up to 8 times a day. Children who are breastfed on demand can receive mother's milk up to 8-10 times a day (intervals between feedings - at least 2-2.5 hours).

Night feedings

Children of the first month of life can wake up up to 3-4 times per night. If the baby receives a breast on demand, this number of feedings at night is allowed, but it is important to ensure that the baby does not have signs of overfeeding (profuse regurgitation after eating, swollen belly, etc.). You should not limit breastfeeding at night, since it is at this time that a woman’s body produces an increased amount of hormones necessary for milk production.

Important! Newborn babies receiving formula milk should not be fed more than 1 time per night.

If the child wakes up more often, it is important to find out the reason. It can be uncomfortable clothes, cold (or, conversely, too high a temperature in the room), dry and dusty air. usually begin at the beginning of the third week of life and can last up to 3-4 months (less often - up to six months).

To help your baby, you can use the following ways to deal with increased gas formation:

dry heat on the stomach (a flannel diaper folded in several layers, ironed,);
(performed clockwise with stroking movements);
special gymnastics (bringing the legs bent at the knees to the stomach).

If alternative methods do not help, you can use ( , ).

Is it necessary to give water while breastfeeding a newborn

Mother's milk is 87-88% water, so children with a good appetite do not need additional supplementation. Formula-fed babies can be supplemented with water from a spoon or bottle. Its norm depends on the weight of the child, the rate of overall development and other factors and can range from 30 to 70 ml per day. It is better to give bottled water, designed specifically for baby food. You should not add sugar to it, because then the child may refuse unleavened complementary foods, such as vegetable purees. Some children are more willing to drink warm water, but it is important to ensure that its temperature does not exceed 28°-30°.

There are situations when water must be given even to newborns who are fed only breast milk:

diseases accompanied by profuse vomiting and diarrhea (to prevent dehydration);
too dry air in the children's room.

Important! Dangerous signs of dehydration are dry lips and rare urination (normally, a newborn should urinate at least 8 times a day).

How much should a baby eat per feeding in the first months of life

How to train a newborn?

It is necessary to start accustoming a newborn child to a certain routine from the age of two weeks. At 2-3 weeks, the child already has certain biological rhythms, which must be taken into account when drawing up the regimen. It is easiest to organize daytime sleep during this period, since in newborns it is usually combined with a walk.

Important! The easiest way to start accustoming a child to a daily routine is to organize a sleep schedule.

Walks with a newborn can be started 3-5 days after discharge from the hospital (after the visiting nurse examines the baby and gives the necessary recommendations). It is best to go outside at the same time: during the morning and evening sleep. Evening walks are especially important for getting used to the routine: oxygenation will help the child fall asleep faster during bedtime and ensure a healthier and longer sleep at night.

It is also better to put a newborn to bed at the same time. Even if the baby is naughty, you should not get him out of the crib and rock him in your arms for a long time. The sooner the child understands that the crib is associated with sleep, the easier it will be to establish the correct regimen in the future.

Pediatricians advise following a certain ritual before going to bed, which can be something like this:

and evening massage (stroking, rubbing);
dressing in pajamas or sleeping overalls (an important action that helps to quickly develop the habit of falling asleep in the crib);
feeding and calm communication with the child;
bedding.

Mom can stay with the child until he falls asleep, but it is not recommended to take the child in her arms after he has been put to bed.

How to accustom to the regime - the opinion of a pediatrician

Feeding a child on a schedule or by the hour is the feeding recommended by many Russian pediatricians who adhere to traditional Soviet norms. The same norms were promoted earlier and abroad. The same Dr. Spock, for example. About feeding by the hour "for" and "against" we'll talk.

So, traditionally, pediatricians say that a healthy child with enough milk from the mother should suckle the breast 1 time in 3 hours. This assumes a night's sleep for at least six hours.

But the reality is often different. Women complain that they are forced to feed their children very often, we can say that the whole day with short breaks the baby hangs on her chest.

Doctors answer this by saying that feeding every hour is a sign of a child's hunger. Mom has little milk, the baby does not eat up, and that's the result ... It is advised to introduce supplementary feeding in the form of an artificial mixture. That is, first give one and the other breast. And then top up with the mixture. The amount of formula for supplementary feeding is determined empirically. It is believed that the child will not suck too much. Indeed, this practice often helps to normalize feeding after 3 hours, because the mixture is digested longer. Mixed and formula-fed babies usually sleep more deeply and for a longer time. But the problem is that supplementary feeding provokes a decrease in breast milk production. And the use of a bottle can lead to the refusal of the child to suck at the breast.

The practice of switching to mixed and then artificial nutrition was very common 20-30 years ago, until there were breastfeeding consultants. And in general, very little attention was paid to the issue of GW. Children were not even given mixtures, but more often whole cow's milk. Which led to severe allergic reactions and intestinal disorders.

And yet, is it possible to switch to a breastfeeding regime by the hour and at the same time remain completely breastfed? It's possible. But you need to take into account the fact that the first 2-3 months the child has a very strong sucking reflex and will have to give him a dummy instead of the breast. Yes, and putting the baby to sleep will be problematic. If breastfeeding on demand is enough for the baby to fall asleep, to give him a breast, then those who follow the feeding schedule will have to rock him, take him out, etc. Not many children calmly fall asleep on their own in their crib.

But if you have already decided for yourself whether to feed newborns on demand or by the hour, which is better for you and have chosen the second option, then start by understanding whether the baby has enough food. To do this, you need to look at the dynamics of the growth of his weight and the number of urination. If everything is in order, then switch to feeding the baby after 2 hours, and then after 3. At the same time, if it is hot, it is advisable to give water in between feedings if the breast is on schedule. Well, and without a pacifier, it is unlikely that it will be possible to do. It will be possible to switch to the time between feedings of 4 hours with the introduction of repeated complementary foods (cereals, vegetable and fruit purees, cottage cheese). Closer to the year of breastfeeding, only night and morning can remain.

What are the disadvantages of a strict feeding regimen? They are before the introduction of complementary foods. As we already wrote, the production of breast milk is reduced, the child is restless and with a dummy in his mouth. And yet, such children usually gain less weight. If a

To feed a child on demand or according to a schedule, that is, by the hour, what is better for the mother and baby, what are the advantages of this and that method of feeding children, and what are they?

In Soviet manuals, books and instructions, one can read that children from birth should receive food (artificial or natural - breast milk) according to a special regimen. Namely, once every 3 hours, with a mandatory break at 6 hours at night. But now this technique is considered rather harmful, as it leads to a rapid cessation of lactation. About feeding on demand or by the hour: a lot has been written for and against. We summarize the main points, immediately indicating the advantages and disadvantages.

1. Women who feed children by the hour are not too attached to them and can go about their business and leave the house until the next feeding, if there is someone to leave the baby with. Be socially active. For this reason, Dr. Komarovsky is not a supporter of on-demand feeding.
In the absence of the mother, the child will be given a pacifier or water, if he starts to act up, burst into tears.
The problem is that, perhaps, the baby wanted to eat ahead of time and is forced to endure the pangs of hunger. Many pediatricians now oppose scheduled feeding for this reason. 3 hours is too long for a newborn.

According to statistics, women who are in favor of hourly feeding often face the problem of low breast milk production. And their lactation period ends at a maximum when the child is one year old. But the last statement is debatable. Rather, the standard, again, Soviet recommendations about this optimal age for curtailing breastfeeding play a role here.

And, finally, women who oppose on-demand feeding are more likely to experience early unwanted pregnancies in the first six months after childbirth. Whereas in women who “do not look at the clock”, amenorrhea (lack of menstruation, ovulation) persists for several months, and sometimes the entire period of breastfeeding. By the way, this fact (a temporary, but rather long separation from critical days) is also very pleasing to many mothers.

2. Convenient and comfortable end of lactation. Yes, the less often a woman breastfeeds, and by the age of one year there are usually literally a couple of breastfeeds per day, the easier it is to complete breastfeeding. The kid, if he will be capricious, then quite a bit. And the mother will not have lactostasis, since not much milk is produced.

Indeed, you need to think about a comfortable end of the GW in advance. If you continue to feed every hour of the child after a year, then a lot of milk will be produced. And in order to complete lactation, you will either have to take special drugs that suppress the production of the hormone prolactin, or the period of HB coagulation will stretch for several weeks, at least. Mom will be forced to gradually remove breastfeeding.

3. Preservation of good relations in the family, sex. If the mother is not exhausted by frequent feedings, including night feedings, the climate in the family is calmer.

So many people think, but feeding according to the regimen does not always free the mother's hands. The baby still needs a lot of attention. But instead of comforting him with her breasts, the woman and all family members are often forced to carry him in her arms, rock him, etc., which does not contribute to a calm life.

Pros and Cons of Feeding on Demand

1. Prolonged lactation, good weight gain of the child, no problems with the amount of breast milk.
This is all true, but if the mother takes a clear position on the question of how often to feed at the request of the child - the more often, the better, in the future the child himself may suffer from this. Dr. Komarovsky, whom we mentioned earlier, shares with his listeners and readers stories of how children refuse to drink and eat in the absence of a breast. Some babies, in case of intestinal infections, have to be placed in hospitals with drips for dehydration. And all because they only want to suck on the breast. By the way, feeding can also be a problem. The baby is saturated with the breast and does not want to eat "adult" food. And if up to a year this is still acceptable, then after a year he may have serious health problems. The same iron deficiency anemia (low hemoglobin), for example.

2. Convenience. Chest always with you. And if most women are forced to carry bottles of water with them, you never know, suddenly the child wants to drink, breastfeeding “at the first peep of the child” is enough to wear clothes in which you can comfortably and discreetly breastfeed. And give the kid what he needs. It is just as easy to put a small child to sleep somewhere in the park or just to calm down.

All this is true, but children who are accustomed to eating breasts on the street require the same at an older age, after a year. They crawl under mom's clothes, which confuses both her and those around her.

Night feedings - the same ambiguous topic. On the one hand, it is easier to soothe a child with a breast at night than to rock him to sleep. On the other hand, at an older age, it is precisely those children who are used to sucking at the breast at night that wake up more often.

So what to choose? By the clock or on demand to feed the baby? Dr. Komarovsky says that it is better to choose the so-called free feeding. This is when a mother feeds a child when he is hungry. But not more than once every 2-3 hours. Breast should not be given more often. If a baby over six months old is thirsty, you need to give him water from a bottle, drinker or mug.

Here is such a golden mean. Agree with it or not - you decide. Many moms find on-demand feeding very convenient. And a certain mode of eating is formed even in this situation closer to one year.

Regarding how often to breastfeed at the request of a child older than a year, we can say for sure that no more than 1 time in 3-4 hours. After all, mother's milk by this time becomes just a drink for him.