by M. F. Carbo

Created on: February 23, 2009

Schedule or Demand? That is the greatest question most new parents have. But before you jump in with both feet to make a decision consider one question you should ask yourself first. Are you hungry at the same exact times every single day? I didn't think so. Now I'm not saying that following a schedule for a child is a bad thing to do but feeding is different from everything else. All of my children were fed upon demand with no problems. My son was bottle fed while my two daughters were breastfed. As for breastfeeding on a schedule I can't imagine it being possible. It's obvious when holding a baby, if breastfed, when they are hungry because they will route for the breast to nurse. Not breastfeeding a baby that is ready to nurse because it isn't time is ludicrous to me. Through my experience, my son as an infant, woke up every three hours to get his bottle. He did not outgrow that like some said as he got larger and he did not sleep through the night until he was over one year old. I was still working at the time but I did not give in to feeding him on demand. If he woke up in the middle of the night and wasn't wet I would feed him a bottle. Usually, this did the trick and he went back to sleep. When my oldest daughter was born I would lay her in the bed with me in the middle of the night to breast feed her when she needed to.

I've read that you shouldn't let an infant go any longer than 6 hours without feeding. I feel most children will probably want to feed within this time but some may sleep throughout the night and I can't see waking an infant up to feed if the child is sleeping and has no problems otherwise. But what if you feed a child too often? What is the harm in that? You are trying to keep a happy medium. Of course, no parent wants their child to ever feel hungry but also you should not want them to be stuffed all the time either. Unfortunately, some stick a bottle in their child's mouth as soon as it opens no matter if the child is even hungry. That is not the point of feeding a child on demand. A infant will cry for numerous reasons especially if they have colic and sticking a bottle in their mouth will most likely end up with them spitting up. Babies don't come with instructions and just as finding out their likes and dislikes most parents will figure out rather quickly what their child needs when he cries.

Whether you decide to feed your baby on a schedule or on demand you will surely pick whatever you feel is best for you and your child.

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