Hi everyone, just a simple question, why do we BF on demmand, and then told my health visitors to FF in a routien? I know their is the hassle if washing and steralising etc, but that is just what goes along with BF, but isn't it more natural to demmand feed a baby however they get their milk. I FF and just follow my babies cues, I intended to BF, therefore, I let my baby feed when she lets me know she is hungry. She is not overweight, and sleeps well. I just don't understand why both ways to feed seem to be so distanced. Will be happy with any responses to pop me on the straight and narrow.
They only thing that springs to mind is that it's possible to overfeed when bottlefeeding. Baby has little control over how much and of how calorific the milk is he is taking in when it's formula (a breastfed baby for example can switch sides if he wants less of the fattier hind milk and have more foremilk). If I come across anything I'll let you know!
hi hysteria, i have no experience of ff, but i would agree that it is impossible to overfeed a bf baby. if a bf baby doesn't want a feed at the breast he won't latch. he is totally in charge of his feeding. with bottles it is different. we all noted how the baby's cheeks where shoved around and their head held back in a method of force feeding by CV on the CH. 4 programme, that would have been impossible to do with a bf baby. they will either not latch or let go of the bresat if they don't wish to feed. the bottle teat does not allow a baby to actually control the amount of formula in his mouth and he has to swallow as it pools in hs mouth. i know some will disgaree with this, but it is a fact written about on many websites including kellymom.com.
as for schedules, i have no idea why it is recommended for ff, hopefully others will have more insight !
oh well, never mind, it isn't going to be much longer and when she starts solids at six months she will be all over the place anyway. Depends which she likes the most.
i have BF and FF my children and this is a load of rubbish that you can overfeed a FF baby they are the same as the BF ones when they have had enough they let go of the teat.just the same as a BF lets go of the nipple. i was never told by my HV to do the FF every 4 hours just go with the flow
I BF my son a little, and then expressed then went to formula. I only fed my daughter once myself properly and then went to formula within a few days. But I agree with DOLLYPEEPS, in my own personal experience with my children they have both simply turned away, and closed their lips tight. My daughter (now 4 months) actually smacks the bottle away when she doesn't want anyomore! So she sure tells me. But i'm sure on the other scale of things there are greedy babies who would take lots of formula just for the sake of it. But if it is down to the baby, surely they would just want more nursing.
I must say though, that my midwife and HV, were both adamant that my daughter should be lasting about 4 hours, but sometimes she looks pumped up then, so she usually lasts about 3 sometimes for, but I just think of it that I am not always hungry at the same times everyday. The HV is not very happy with my attitude. But at the end of the day, she is not a robot.
It's not just about when they choose to stop drinking, it's about the content of the formula. The consistency and fat content doesn't change like breastmilk does.
That is a good article moogyboobles, and it is about time the charts were used. I was told after my son was 'failing to thirive' to give him a bottle. Also the word 'breast rejection' was used!!!!!! How much of a crappy mother was I?? These charts will do a world of good knowing that babies are healthy, they don't have to be bonny or have the so called chubbiness that they are stereotyped with. Bring on the charts!
Forumla is more calorific and comes out quicker from the teat than breastmilk does from the nipple and so the baby can get to it quicker and so a feed is often quicker. A routine of roughly 4 hours between feeds for bottle babies is normally recommended because it helps to be in a pattern as baby can expect when food is coming. Feeding on the demand surely doesnt encourage a very good routine? When introducing weaning isnt it harder?
Routine isn't a natural thing, babies weren't designed for a routine, they naturally fit in around their parents as they mature. Being one of the most immature species at birth humans take a bit longer to walk/talk than other animals. Forcing it on them isn't really that helpful.
Orangeboom - you day that routine is not a natural thing - fair enough..however my first born got to do what she wanted when she wanted - and at the age of 8 she still does!! My second daughter is in a routine and she eats etc when we do...
Routine may not be natural but we all have to conform to some kind of routine at some point - whether it be school, work etc.
And how do you know that routine is not natural for babies? My own experience says different...I think it is worth remembering that yes babies will learn from their parents/surroudings etc....I am in a routine and therefore so are my children....it would be lovely to eat and sleep when I liked but this is not how the world works....and if getting my children into a routine is a bad thing then I give up!!!!
Originally posted by dawni3: Feeding on the demand surely doesnt encourage a very good routine? When introducing weaning isnt it harder?
There is evidence that breastfed babies are easier to introduce to solid foods, because they are already used to different tastes cos breastmilk always tastes different. And anyhow once they are on solid foods the frequency of breastfeeds drops pretty quickly. By the time my three babies were 12 months they had pretty much dropped all day-time feeds and just had a feed first thing in the morning andf last thing at night. Feeding on demand, taking a gentle approach to weaning made the whole process easier. And when it came to weaning them off the breast, it was relatively straight forward. I took the policy "don't offer, don't refuse" which worked a treat. The last feed to go with all 3 was the early morning feed; for a few days in a row my husband was ready with a banana and a story, and after a couple of weeks, they didn't ask anymore. (I still felt sad though!!)
PS I still don't eat in a routine after nearly 40 years on the planet. If anyone told me I couldn't have a drink because it wasn't 4 hours since my last meal I would tell them where to go. I don't eat four hourly so why should my babies. PLus a four year old can understand tea will be ready in 10 minutes, go and do some colouring, but a 4 month old can't!
PS am so relieved that I had my first child nearly ten years ago, so I missed out on this obsession with routine and baby gurus. The baby book we all had was Penelope Leach, which was much more a dr Spock, trust ur instincts approach.
All my children fell into a pattern, but it was never imposed on them. It was definitely more noticeable with the second 2 but then I was busier with the olderones, on the school run etc, but rather than forsing theminto a routine their pattern fitted around the day's activities.
Hi Karen999, I agree that a routine can be good and some babies do thrive foo knowing where the day is leading from the 'cues' we give them. But I do beleive that it is just a way of making our lives easier. In the long run, yes all children will eat their meals at the same time as you, as it is lovely to all sit down and eat together. My daughter is a fusspot when it comes to feeding, thiriving one day, and then uninterested the next, so I can't expect her to want to feed at the same time. I am not back at work yet, so have the benefit of having to wake my two up and take them to nursery. But I understand as I went back to work after having my son, that having him in a routien helped him to be more settled when away from him. As he could see where the day was going, and understood that mummy would be back at the end.
If is pefectly possible to ff on demand, and there is no reason at all to force a baby to take a certain amount of milk and then wait a specified time before it is "allowed" any more. As previously stated, I don't eat and drink to a strict 4 hourly schedule, so why do we expect babies to?
Hysteria1983, as you say, if you actually listen to and respond to a babies cues you know when they are full, but so many people keep on tyring with a bottle until it is all gone, poking the teat back in, jiggling and twirling the teat to make the baby finish all the milk. It's great that you do't do this, but many mnay people do. Most of them, as you are probably aware, on the (out of date) advice of thier health visitor!
Blaming obesity on TV or junk food ignores the way we meddle with babies' natural feeding instincts
The Guardian, Annalisa Barbieri, Friday August 25, 2006
It's been firmly established that we are a nation of red-faced, thigh-chafing, huffing-like-a-steam-train fatties. A report published today by the Department of Health says that in four years 19% of boys and 22% of girls will be obese, and that Britain is now the second-fattest nation in the developed world.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nestle boycotting,nappy washing, co-sleeping, baby wearing, home birthing, tandem nursing Momma
Routines are for dancers, shedules are for trains
Attachment Parenting; the radical notion that babies and children are people too!!
hi continuumMomma, I feed her this way because she is human, and not a robot, simple. If she wants to sleep she sleeps, (not much in the day, thanks to her over active brain! She never switches off!) I know some days I eat like a horse, and the next, I just pick, so I expect her to feel the same. FF babies do seem to be still tole they must feed every 4 hours and have so many ounces at such an age, and so on... My daughtet doesn't have as much as what she should have ACCORDING TOP THE BOX! But she has what she wants and what SHE NEEDS. I know she is happy and healthy, I also know I could have improved her health by BF, but I am not BF, and that story could go on forever. I just try and do the next best thing, and follow my instincts.
I am currently trying to get a good sling to carry her in as having my son who is toddeling around, I feel she is not getting as much closeness as I would like her too. I keep getting mixed responses about starting this at 4 months. I was hoping for some advice. Alot of people think it will make her clingy. And I will be unable to put her down. I tell people if we are both comfortable, I won;t really need to put her down, unless she lets me know she wants to. Any advice is much appreciated.
I appologise for the bad spelling and grammer there. I have been suffering with a nasty headache on and off for days. Think it's the anemia. One thing after another with me.
