Just wondering if you can have something resembling a routine while ILB?
I am currently feeding on demand with my 5wk old but have noticed that if we are unable to feed at certain times ie if Im driving etc, if he goes that extra bit longer he feeds better and settles better. I really dont think a strict routine is neccesary for feeding which is why I havent implemented one before now but the difference in him when demand fed vs approx amounts of time between feeds is amazing.
I guess what Im asking is does a baby generally end up working out their own 'routine' when demand feeding? Should I just wait and see before I go trying some sort of semi-timed feed schedule?
Baby will fall into a pattern and it will generally start to fit in better with your lifestyle over time. The first bfs that got dropped in our household (by DD) were the overnight bfs. I encouraged this by making these ones very sleepy, quiet, dark, etc. And naps generally start to follow a consistent pattern as they grow. When they're little, I think you tend to follow baby's pattern (which it is) and then as they get bigger, they fall more into what everyone else in the family does.
But there is nothing wrong with holding out for a bf when it is inconvenient for you as long as he is settled and not screaming for a bf. I also found when I wore DD in a sling she would go for longer between bfs as well, so I'd do that in the mornings where I wanted to have a lazy leisurely shop and not have to stop numerous times to bf!
DD is doing that. She has settled into a feeding schedule of her own which is often 2 hourly but lately has switched to 3 hourly about twice a day. She also cluster feeds in the evening most days which is more difficult with the toddler.
There are some who believe in the stretching of feeds to the 3 hour mark for that *improved* feeding. But at the same time I also think that I drink more often than 3 hourly so maybe it isn't a *feed* but a *drink* on occasion. Really - I have no idea and I'm still trying to figure it out
So I guess I would just watch and see what the clever little man does and what *schedule* he sets up for himself.
Both of mine eventually stretched out to around the 3 hourly mark some time in the first 8 weeks or so.
DD was a bit tricky, very content baby who rarely cried or fussed even when she was hungry so I would always feed her regularly rather than trying to catch her cues, seemed to work for us and like I said, we eventually just settled into a rough 3 hourly pattern.
If you find that feeding roughly every 'X' hours works better for you both then go for it - I remember with DS we went through a stage where i think I was feeding him too often and he ended up unsettled and a bit refluxy, same thing happened to a mum in my baby bellies group. When we stretched the feeds out a bit longer, they were much more settled.
Infant led feeding and "routine"?
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