Snack Feeding/demand feeding Confusion
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Topic: Snack Feeding/demand feeding Confusion
Posted By: BayGirl
Subject: Snack Feeding/demand feeding Confusion
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 1:30pm
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My little girl (16weeks old/3 1/2 months) has always only snack fed. She wakes and then feeds for 5-10mins. Plays feeds again about half an hour later (again for 5 to ten mins). And will feed again before going to bed at about 1-1 1/2 after initially waking.
We definately do not do the sleep- wake- feed- play- sleep cycle. We do baby led feeding. After five mins at breast she is less interested and will stop feeding to smile at me instead. If she's only had a little feed of one side i will offer that same side at next feed to insure she is getting enough hind milk and not just the fore milk. Still get lots of wet and dirty naps. She growing well and putting on weight. I do not feed her to sleep. She goes down awake grizzles for a while and nods off to sleep by herself (or i pat her bum to sleep). In general she is a very happy little girl and seems to get great comfort from cuddles and regular breast feeds. Is there anything wrong with this. I thought this was just feeding her as she needed (on DEMAND). But Plunket have told me i should feed her once in a 2 hour period. This sound like routine feeding to me not feeding on demand!!!! The only problem i find with it is that i don't want to leave her for long (more than a few hours) periods as i know her feeding habits mean that she doesn't take bottle well and is comforted by regualar breast feeding. I don't think she has a feed/sleep associaations because she can be put down without a feed at times. Any thoughts would be great. -------------   
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Replies:
Posted By: HippyMama
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 3:16pm
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It sounds to me like you are doing a wonderful job, responding to and meeting your gorgeous babe's needs (as is normal and totally appropriate for her age). Plunket aren't always on the money with their "advice" so do take it with a grain of salt, or even not at all! You really have to go with your instinct, but I think you're doing that already. ------------- Mama to two earth walkers & two angels. Remember, you are not managing an inconvenience; You are raising a human being. ~ Kittie Franz Next Slingbabies! Meet - Friday 4th May !! |
Posted By: nicandtyler
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 3:29pm
*sigh* ive had exactly the same problems with plunket, they constantly tell me to cut down DS breastfeeds and only feed him every 3 hour etc, which I completely ignored lol. DS feeds when he wants, he always has, and its worked great for us. Sounds like everything is going pretty perfectly, if you and bubs are happy with what you're doing then keep it up  Oh and im the same with not wanting to leave DS for too long as he's never taken a bottle, but when im not around he is suprisingly easy to settle, so I wouldnt worry at all  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
 April '11
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 3:44pm
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Plunket never worried that Lily fed 2 hourly right up until about 7ish months - day and night! Now she's sorta spaced it out a bit since starting solids! (At least during the day anyway )
If you are happy then I say continue demand feeding! We demand fed here from the start. Worked out great! But I did have to stop feeding her when she woke up and then again an hour later before a nap/sleep because she was getting too much foremilk so I would feed her about 30 mins after she woke and then she would 'self settle' and sleep 30 mins later and she just adjusted her nap times to keep the 2 hour pattern. I usually just take Lily everywhere or if I do leave her she usually waits for me so she can BF. She DID take a bottle of EBM but at 11 weeks she decided the real thing was better! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: millymollymandy
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 4:21pm
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DD did this kinda feeding for ages. She is little and gains weight slowly - is how she is. Sorted itself out about 5 months, when she started having bigger feeds and solids and could go longer between feeds.
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Posted By: Delli
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 4:59pm
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Jude also did this for ages. Sounds like you are doing a great job. Dunno why Plunket would say you should only be feeding once every two hours - all babies are different! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: littlestar
Date Posted: 27 October 2010 at 5:15pm
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I think it sounds like you are doing a wondrful job - your little girl is thriving and thats what counts!
I think it totally depends on your plunket nurse - mine suggested I split feed cos my DS wasn't interested in doing a full feed in one sitting - so we did one side when he got up and the other when he was ready for bed. Worked well for us! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 28 October 2010 at 2:38pm
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If it works for you stick with it Personally for me I got over snack feeding pretty quickly so have transferred to EASY (eat, activity, sleep, you time) to help stretch him a bit. It works for us, and he's always relatively content for the most part (as much as babies can be), and it's not quite so rigid because it allows for super short or super long cycles on growth spurt days etc. -------------  http://lilypie.com"> |
Posted By: nuts_nats
Date Posted: 28 October 2010 at 7:28pm
You could have been describing how DD fed until about 6 months old  Except I fed her to sleep and still often do. If its working for you and bubs then why mess with a good thing? Plunket are only giving the best advice they can but one method doesn't fit everyone!
The only reason I tried to encourage DD to snack feed less by stretching out the times between feeds was because I kept on getting blocked ducts and mastitis which I got told was because my breasts weren't being emptied every feed and the snacking was boosting my oversupply even more.... Sounds like you are doing a great job, and in the end bubs will start going longer between feeds all on her own as she grows bigger ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: Smithy77
Date Posted: 28 October 2010 at 11:54pm
It sounds like you are doing a great job! I have the same thing with my boy and it seems perfectly normal ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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BayGirl wrote: