breastfeeding on demand

[uddermummy]

interesting articles.

Examining the Evidence...
LLLI | Cue feeding: Wisdom and science

more reasons to feed bbs on demand, especially for newborns:

• bbs get more of the hindmilk, which keeps them full longer and contains the fats they need to develop, when they suck as long as they want on one breast.

• breasts produce more milk, especially hindmilk, and women with small breasts, like me, do well to feed frequently. Fenugreek only increases foremilk, which is thirst-quenching, but not as fatty as hindmilk.

• bbs know when to feed, and may want to feed more when they are sick, so as to get more of the antibodies from mummy. bbs who decide when and how long to feed are also better able to regulate their proportion of intake of hindmilk and foremilk.

• bbs who are fed on routine may not grow as well at 3-4 mths as bbs who are fed on demand

• bbs who are fed on demand tend to feed for longer, in terms of months.

it may be hard to do anything when your bb wants to drink so often when he's newborn, but most of the time, when bb's stomach gets bigger, he will be able to naturally last longer between feeds.

 

[camom]

Tks for this article!

Really really motivating to keep bf.

 

[wildcherry80]

Hi

I have been feeding baby on demand but when my mom took over after I went back to work this week, she says baby has been using my nipple as pacifier and that I have been overfeeding him. My baby's stomach does look big & bloated but don't think it's colic cos he's not crying.

I'm worried that my baby will miss out on his growth spurt. He's approaching 3 mths soon. Currently 2 mths & 3 wks old.

Any tips on how to identify between real hunger and using nipple as pacifier?

Thanks!

 

[camom]

Hi

I have been feeding baby on demand but when my mom took over after I went back to work this week, she says baby has been using my nipple as pacifier and that I have been overfeeding him. My baby's stomach does look big & bloated but dont't think it's colic cos he's not crying.

I'm worried that my baby will miss out on his growth spurt. He's approaching 3 mths soon. Currently 2 mths & 3 wks old.

Any tips on how to identify between real hunger and using nipple as pacifier?

Thanks!

I am able to tell from the way my bb latches on. If it's realy hunger, the pattern is 1 long draw on the areola, stop to swallow, long draw, stop to swallow.. can hear the swallowing too.

If it's comfort nursing aka pacifier, then usually I get short quick draws on the areola, no swallowing pause.

 

[meiteoh]

Yup, camom is right.

Comforting nursing is just butterfly like sucking whereby the grip is not very strong and you don't see any swallowing. Usually, babies will be half asleep or already asleep at this stage.