Book: routine breastfeeding?

[rachdent]

Hi there

I'm looking for books that offer advice about routine breastfeeding. I've read Gina Ford's Contented Little Baby but would like to read more.

I'm currently writing a book on breastfeeding and want to explore the routine vs demand debate?

Cheers
RACH!

[mummy2pj&bood]

Well I guess you are looking for the good the bad and the ugly, so I will tell you that the books by that guy that suggests 'parent direct feeding' cover this topic tho not as entirely seperate to bottle feeding on routine. I use a sort of feeding routine (not as strict as the old faashioned by the clock methods) if you wanted something anecdotal about routine feeding....

[rachdent]

Hi there

Thanks for that info - I'll look the guy up! Also, I'd love to hear your story about breastfeeding by routine - please email me at Pink.Ink077@gmail.com

cheers,
RACH!

[BRAETH&KALENSMUM]

Try the Australian Breastfeeding ***., also mother and baby magizine, they have just done a feature on demand vs routine. i know myself demand feeding is so much easier and less stressful than routine, but i found bub put himself into his own routine by 2 months

[Mrs Little]

Hiya.

I use parent directed feeding and it works REALLY well. I breast feed for 6 weeks, i found it too difficult to keep up so i changed to the bottle....but the same routine works.

The books that discuss this are by Garry Ezzo...called Babywise.

I highly reccommend it. It's not about following the clock...rather using your parental judgement. Our son has thrived on this...he is an extremly content baby....he has gained weight well...and he has been sleeping through the night since about 7 weeks (10.30pm till 7am).

Just PM if you want anymore details.

Mrs Little & Son.

[Pixiee]

My sister is routine mad and breastfeeding couldn't work for her The bottle was best as the milk takes longer to digest you know around 4hours.

I would love to know if there are any mums that have successfully routine feed a baby breast milk. I cant see how it could work in the long term.
I'll keep watching this site as there will be some I'm sure
Good luck with he book.

[Tea Lady]

I assume the old Dr Spock style stuff isn't that relevant anymore? Another Ezzo publication is that course "Preparation for Parenting" but I'm not sure if you'd be able to get it free anywhere ("On becoming babywise" is available in libraries) but it covers the same stuff as his books I think.

[Tea Lady]

Just to clarify, I was not in ANY WAY (!) recommending the Ezzo books I suggested, but all the ppl I know who use routine bf do so because of their programs, so I thought it would be relevant to the book since it's obviously having an influence on ppl. I personally don't like their stuff at all, but I think it's better that ppl are informed of what's around and what it involves so that they know some background when someone suggests following a certain program (knowlege is power!). Just wanted to make sure you knew where I was coming from! :)

[sopolicha]

I am a bit confused - is there really such a thing as routine breastfeeding? What do you do if you baby is crying for food and your milk is letting down - would you wait until the appointed time to feed your baby? Goes against the whole breastfeeding thing IYKWIM.

I just fed all of my kids when they were hungry - number 1 was six weeks premmie so she was only bf for a short time but even then I gave her a bottle when she wanted it not according to the time. With my little baby now, if I am going out anywhere with my mum she still asks me "When is she due for a feed?" On a weekly basis I am telling her whenever she wants it!

Sorry Rachel for my questions and story but I just don't see how you can routine anything with a baby - if they are hungry feed them - how hard is it? Actually the more I think about the more abhorrent it is to me. But that is only my opinion.

[pegasus]

I bf'd to bub's demand and found that was best for me and him. I was worried at times as you can't tell how much he's had each feed (or for the day), but he was putting on weight and wetting his nappies. On the plus side - I didn't have to worry about how much he was having as I knew I could feed him more if he indicated rather than if he'd finished that last bottle.

When I went back to work (initially for 3, half days a week) I would express 2 bottles for the girls at the care each 5 hour period I left him, and sometimes he wouldn't have more than 100mL in the period. It didn't worry me too much as I'd have fed him before I left him, then feed him as soon as I picked him up.

I did find that I had to change how I was feeding him a few months down the track (think it was about 4months) as I felt as though I was feeding nearly hourly and my milk wasn't replenishing enough - I almost succumbed to organising a feeding routine at this time. I came across one good nurse who put her finger on it and said he was only taking in foremilk and told me it was like me getting all my energy from sugar and not complex foods. I persevered and kept putting him back on the same side breast instead of moving him to the 2nd for 15min intervals and he moved out to 3-4hourly - no need to go to routine!!:D

[rachdent]

Hi everyone

Thanks for your great comments. My brain has been on holidays lately and I probably didn't make myself clear enough.

I'm writing a book about all aspects of women's experiences with breastfeeding. It's definately not that I advocate routine feeding - like many of you, I don't see how it really works - but I want to acknowledge that there are mums who find it works for them. I also want to make people aware of the downfalls of some books recommending extreme routine feeding. Hope I've made myself clear and thanks again for your help,

[Rhys'Mum]

I am sick of feeling guilty about my parenting choices... I now breastfeed pretty much by routine, I guess I use what they seem to call Parent Directed Feeding and it seems to be working for us.

I used to demand feed... oh he's crying, offer him a feed, oh he's had a feed and stopped crying that must have been it, but all I ended up with was an unhappy little boy who was drastically sleep desprived, would only nap in 20min stints and snacked every 1 1/2 to 2hrs.

We now follow a pretty consistent routine. My son never goes hungry but if he fed 20mins ago or even 2 hrs ago and he's crying I look to see what else it could be first. Of course, if he didn't just take a tumble, he's not bored or just wanting a cuddle and he's not necessarily tired then I will see if he wants a feed no matter when his last one was. Having a routine doesn't mean you have to be a monster and a slave to timing. But generally we feed about this time or that time, within that window I'll keep an eye out for signs that he's getting hungry and offer him a feed. If we're going out in 30mins I might feed him early, if he's clearly happy I might wait a while longer. He also sleeps at about the same times every day and you can almost set a clock by him, he'll let you know its bedtime before the clock does.

For me the important thing is that my son doesn't have to cry to have his needs met and he isn't just shut up by being fed if that wasn't the reason he was crying.

(Sorry its such a long post but I spent a lot of time being made to feel guilty by people who seem to think any sort of routine is inhumane, it's not for everyone and I would love to be able to just go with the flow but my son seems to need structure.)

[elissas]

Hi Rhys' Mum,

Not sure what others think, but sounds to me like you're doing demand feeding to me, at least for the most part. :) And you should not feel guilty about what you're doing, sounds like you're looking after him and making sure his needs are met, is all...

I'm doing demand BF. Will has his own pattern, and I've learnt which cries are which and I feed according to his feeding cries and signals. If he's crying and it's not definitely feeding signals, I'll do a quick check as to what else it might be (ie. check the blue mouth for wind, nappy, body temp etc). Sometimes he makes weak feeding signals but it's accompanied with other ones, like the blue mouth, which indicates to me that he's just telling me that he wants to be comfortable. I take each moment as it comes as to how I deal with it and whether I put him on the boob.

As far as I believe, demand feeding isn't about sticking your bub on the boob whenever he cries or signals for attention. It's about feeding when he's hungry or thirsty, or needs comfort when I can't settle him.

Lis :D

[Ajamy]

I have been following the Gina Ford Contented Baby Book since my baeutiful boy was 6 weeks old, he is now a thriving 9 months!
I have found the book excellent, although it is often tough and i am a planner by nature so the routine is heaven for me and it gives me confidence that he is well rested and well fed.
Not every day goes by the routine but we have found that he is definately a contented baby when he is on track with the routine.
I would love to hear from anyone else who has any feed back on this book.
Thanks
:)

[tanni_83]

i cant answer for any books but i have only ever breast fed elise by demand. she wouldnt know what a routine was it if slapped her on the behind lol...breast fed from birth...she wouldnt know what to do with a bottle to save her life, she just chews it like a teether so she just sips from a cup when it comes to watered down juices and water

im not trying to boast about my breast-feeding experience, although i am very proud of myself for bf-ing this long!....

good luck on the research for your book and let us know when you are published hehe


:ecomcity: <--- this is totally me :laughing:

[Maghan]

I always liked the William and Martha Sears books. The one on breastfeeding is nice. Their whole ethos is parenting gently and with respect. So they have none of that breastfeeding to routine crapola...

[Nan]

Hi Rach!
I guess I'm widely known by a few people in these parts as the freak who did Babywise!! :laughing: I've been successfully BFing my DD for the past 9.5 months and will continue to do so until I start to wean her to cow's milk after she is a year old. I have always had plenty of milk. DD has never had milk from a bottle - as above - wouldn't even know how to use it!
When she was born my OB advised feeding every 3 hours even when she wasn't hungry to get rid of any jaundice. So, she was actually getting plenty of food. Because we had started this way, we just continued, and due to being fed even when she wasn't hungry my DD absolutely thrived and as a bonus quickly learned night from day and slept through from about 6 weeks of age. As she got older and I dropped feeds I'd make sure she took a full feed each time and gradually stretched her out to every four hours. Of course there were times when she got hungry sooner and I'm no child abuser - I fed her! Duh! (and Babywise promotes this)
You CAN routine BF. My extremely happy, confident & jolly little one is living proof. With regards to the let down querie, I found that my milk would let down about an hour before I would feed my DD like clockwork. So, my body actually got into a routine, too. Many times I'd feel it and look at the clock and sure enough, it was an hour before DDs next feed time. For the record - I too have felt judged for choosing to do things this way and this is just not on. :thumbsdown:
Please feel free to PM me should you want to use me in your research.
Love,
Nan. xx

[~MinkeyMoo~]

Tizzie Hall of SOS is another routine bf adviser. Personally I cant see how it could work re the suppy vs demand , but if it does for some then there you go. ;) I demand fed DD1 till she self weened (15mths) and and demand feedinf DD2.