Feeding according to schedule or on demand. Correct infant feeding regimen. Feeding the baby upon request

Feeding on demand is one of the most controversial topics. Today's grandmothers, who fed their children hourly, and some doctors who studied in Soviet times, do not agree with the arguments of modern research on breastfeeding. And young mothers sometimes don’t know who to listen to. Dr. Carlos Gonzalez, who wrote a best-selling book on baby nutrition, explains in detail why a baby does not need a feeding regimen - neither breast milk nor solid foods.

Breastfeeding on demand: why you don't need a feeding regimen

Previously, it was believed that a baby needed to be fed every three to four hours for ten minutes on each breast. Have you ever wondered why ten minutes and not nine or eleven? Obviously these are rounded numbers. How did we come to believe that the rounded number is the correct number?

Of course, adults never eat "ten minutes off each plate every three to four hours." How much time do we need for each dish? It depends on how fast we eat! And it’s the same with children. If they suckle vigorously, it may take them less than ten minutes, but if they feed slowly, it will take longer.

We eat at a certain time only because we are forced to adhere to a schedule due to work. Usually, when we have a day off, we go off schedule, and this is not harmful to our health. However, there are still people who believe that children should adhere to a diet and that this is supposedly associated with discipline and good digestion.

An adult can eat later. Our metabolism allows us to wait to eat, and the food will be the same now and in an hour. But the child cannot wait. He experiences acute hunger, and food changes occur if meals are delayed.

Human milk is not dead food, but living tissue in a constant process of change. The amount of fat in milk increases as feeding progresses. Foremilk contains little fat, but towards the end of feeding its amount increases, and it can increase five times.

When a baby nurses on both breasts, he rarely empties the other breast. Simply put, he drinks two-thirds skim milk and one-third cream. And a baby who nurses on only one breast at one feeding receives half skim milk and half cream. If your baby suckles milk that is low in fat (that is, lower in calories), he may eat more and thereby consume more protein.

Do you think your child always eats the same thing? It’s incredibly annoying to drink only milk for several months! But with mother's milk everything is different. Your child has a large “menu” at his disposal: from light soup to creamy dessert. And since the child cannot speak yet, he “places an order” in three ways:

varying the amount of milk with each application (that is, sucking less or longer and more or less vigorously);
setting the interval between feedings;
feeding from one or both breasts.

What your child does day after day to get exactly what he needs is pure engineering. He has complete control over his nutrition to the point where he can change variables at will. This is what on-demand feeding means: let your baby decide when he wants to feed, how long he wants to nurse, and whether he wants to nurse on one or both breasts.

The dangers of breastfeeding according to the schedule

When a child is not allowed to control at least one of the mechanisms, he spends most of his time maneuvering between the other two variables. In one experiment, several babies were fed only one breast for a week, and both breastfed the following week (the order of the week was randomized). In theory, babies should have gained more fat during the days they nursed on only one breast. However, the children spontaneously changed the frequency and duration of feeding and were able to obtain the same amount of fat (but different volumes of milk).

But when a baby is not allowed to change the frequency or duration of feedings, or decide whether to breastfeed on one or both breasts, he is lost. And he will not drink as much milk as he needs, but will be confused about what he gets. And if his diet differs from his needs, he may have trouble gaining weight properly and may remain hungry and restless. This is why scheduling is rarely beneficial, and the stricter mothers are with it, the more disastrous the results. There is no need to feed children on a schedule, only then will their nutrition be balanced.

Solid food - also on request

In the 1920s, Dr. Adele Davis, through several experiments, came to the conclusion that children could choose a balanced diet for themselves. She gathered a group of children from six months to one and a half years old and offered them 10-12 food samples at each feeding. These were separate food products: carrots, rice, chicken, eggs... Children could eat what they wanted, adults did not control this.

The older children ate themselves, but the very young ones were spoon-fed by the adults: they offered them different foods without insisting, and if the children did not open their mouths, the adults offered the next type of food until the children tried everything.

After a few months, the children showed normal growth rates and, on average, normal nutrient intakes, although dietary patterns were a "nutritionist's nightmare." Sometimes the child ate “like a bird”, sometimes “like a horse”; It happened that children ate only one or two types of foods for several days at a time and completely forgot about them after a few days. But, one way or another, they all managed to maintain a balanced diet.

Other, more recent studies have shown that young children, if allowed to eat what they want, both in the laboratory and at home, will consume the right amount of calories day after day, although they will eat differently at each meal.

Wouldn't he like to eat some chocolate?

Of course yes! If you let him. Or at least we think it will, although scientific research doesn't prove it. It may also be that the child eats chocolate on the first day, and then he gets tired of it and returns to a balanced diet.

Children (and adults) have a preference for sweet and salty foods, and we tend to overeat on both. But if children have an innate mechanism that helps them choose what they want, then why do they love junk food so much?

To understand why the control mechanism sometimes fails, we must remember the theory of evolution. When an animal is healthy, it lives longer and produces more offspring; Therefore, natural selection favors those animals that eat healthy food. But natural selection occurs over many years, and behavior that initially had a positive result is no longer so when living conditions change.

What good was it that cave children preferred sweet and salty? Not only did they not have chocolate, but also salt and sugar. The sweetest thing they had was mother's milk - their main source of nutrition, and fruits, which contain many vitamins. The saltiest was probably the meat, an important source of iron and protein. In accordance with their preferences, they chose a varied and balanced diet.

But now we have sweets that are much sweeter than fruit, and chips that are much saltier than meat, and our selection mechanism has become somewhat confused. However, experts believe that children will choose healthy foods as long as we offer them healthy alternatives. If you offer your child fruit, pasta, chicken and peas, and let him decide for himself what and how much to choose, he will naturally, over time, eat a nutritious diet, even if he eats only peas one day, and the next. two days - only chicken. But if you give him a choice of fruit, pasta, peas or chocolate, then he is unlikely to stick to a balanced diet.

In short, giving your child healthy food is the responsibility of the parents. And the child must choose from these products what he will eat and in what quantity.

Discussion

I liked the article. After the maternity hospital, when the doctor and nurse told me to breastfeed every 3-4 hours, I nodded, but nothing worked out for me with this regimen. From birth we eat on demand; now my child is 1 year and 9 months old and I never force him to eat.

Thank you for reassuring me about solid food!!! The youngest is 7 months old. I was worried that on some days she eats a normal amount of complementary foods, and on others she eats a little or not at all. Now I once again realized that nature is smarter than us!

Comment on the article "Breastfeeding and complementary feeding: why the diet is harmful"

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3 month METHOD OF NUTRITION The feeding schedule is set: 6-8 during the day and 2-4 at night. 4 month METHOD OF NUTRITION Remains exclusively breastfeeding, without introducing water or any complementary foods.

In a few words, whichever is more convenient for you. For more details, read below.

Perhaps every nursing mother faces this dilemma. Should I put my baby to my breast at a certain time, having developed a routine, or should I let everything take its course? Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Feeding on demand

The essence of feeding is to put the baby to the breast at the slightest cry, demonstration of the sucking reflex and other actions. As dissatisfied grandmothers say: “When he whines a little, you immediately give him the breast!”

There are many advantages to this type of feeding:

Babies who receive breastfeeding on demand grow up more balanced, self-confident and calm. After all, the mother listens to the child and allows him to fully satisfy all his needs.
Children who have unlimited access to the breast and breast milk fully satisfy the sucking reflex. This means they don’t need a pacifier, which can cause malocclusion and speech problems.
Feeding on demand is an excellent prevention of milk stagnation, mastitis and other problems. After all, the breasts are emptied on time, and milk is produced in it exactly as much as the baby needs.
A child receiving breastfeeding at will does not need to be supplemented with water or given any complementary foods until 6 months of age (except as prescribed by a pediatrician). After all, with milk he gets both at once. Light “front” milk will perfectly quench a baby’s thirst, and nutritious “hind” milk will satiate and provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals. But you can get the latter only with prolonged sucking.
This method allows you to best establish lactation and feed your baby as much as you want.
It involves nightly breastfeeding. It is during the dark hours of the day that the mammary glands produce the main amount of prolactin, so night feedings are the key to long and successful lactation.

There are, of course, disadvantages, but they are due only to the inconvenience of the mother herself:

The baby can be latched to the breast up to 30 times a day, so you need to be prepared for the fact that social life will be kept to a minimum.
The mother’s own regime turns into chaos, since all her activities, even banal hygiene procedures, depend on the baby.

Feeding according to the schedule

In our country, this method became popular in the post-war period, when women had to go to work almost immediately after giving birth. At that time, labor legislation established mandatory feeding breaks for young mothers. They took place every 3 hours and lasted no more than 20 minutes. At night, the interval between feedings was 6 hours.

This feeding method is convenient, first of all, for the mother:

With a clear feeding schedule, she will be able to go away on business and even go to work if necessary.
When the baby gets used to this regime, more or less quiet nights will come.

But there are many more disadvantages of feeding:

Due to rare night feedings, lactation can quickly fade.
It is impossible to explain to the baby why he is not allowed to touch his mother’s breast: as a result, the break is accompanied by screams and crying, and not every mother can stand this.
The risk of problems with the breasts increases: they do not empty on time and stagnation may occur in them and, as a result, inflammation and mastitis.
In babies who are given breastfeeding on an hourly basis, the sucking reflex is not satisfied: the child begins to suck his fist or finger.
At different times of the day, a child has a different appetite, and within a strictly defined 20 minutes he may not be satisfied. As a result, the baby may not gain enough weight and switch to formula.

Sometimes a specialist may prescribe this method of nutrition for medical reasons. For example, when the baby gains too much weight. Feeding according to the schedule will allow you not to overeat and thereby adjust your weight, preventing obesity in the future.

Experts have not come to a consensus, and therefore in this article we will consider all the nuances of both the first and second options. So - what could be the feeding schedule for a newborn? And should it be tough enough?

Feeding regimens

Strict

The main rule of this option is the requirement to feed the baby according to a strictly specified schedule - regardless of whether he sucked a lot or a little milk during the previous feeding. In this case, for example, for a one-month-old baby, either seven time intervals of attachment to the mother's breast are determined: 6.00, 9.00, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00 and 24.00 and a 6-hour break at night, or a regimen that provides six feedings a day every other day. every 4, not 3 hours, but without an overnight break.

How do doctors justify such recommendations? As a rule, the fact that irregular nutrition is the main source of gastrointestinal problems. As a result, mothers who adhere to the first option of the breastfeeding regimen, despite fatigue, lack of sleep and current daily worries, try under no circumstances to violate the established schedule. Even in cases where the baby, for various reasons, falls asleep, does not eat too well, or, on the contrary, regurgitates milk due to the inability to retain excess volume in the stomach.

Flexible

In the last 10-15 years, the second option has become increasingly popular. According to him, there is no need for strict adherence to a specific time, and the baby is given the breast when he is clearly hungry. Of course, this does not mean a call for absolutely chaotic feeding - however, in this case there is no clear connection to the clock, and the shifts in time can be quite large.

How do experts justify the advantages of this approach? Because breast milk is not an ordinary food, and even unique. And therefore, thanks to its absolute digestibility, problems with irregular nutrition for the gastrointestinal tract of even a very young child do not arise.

However, at an older age, this regime is first reduced to mixed, and then to almost strict. This is done for the following number of reasons:

already by 4-5 months, children need to be accustomed to a certain daily routine, in which the number of feedings becomes less frequent, usually decreasing to five, and nighttime sleep becomes longer (which also makes the task easier for the mother who is always sleep-deprived);
at about 6 months, in addition to breast milk, children begin to be given complementary foods - and the process of digesting it already requires a certain regimen;
from 7 months onwards, both the volume of complementary foods and its variety are constantly growing, for a one-year-old toddler practically no different from the nutrition of adults (the only exception is the absence of fried, spicy and fatty foods, as well as seasonings, strong allergens and even the weakest alcohol) ;
Growing children from an early age need to be taught a certain order - and this also applies to nutrition. In this regard, the obviously artificial “protests” of your capricious child, crying for access to his mother’s breast not so much for food as for satisfying the “sucking” instinct, must be stopped over time. Although in general, partial presence of breast milk in the diet is welcome even up to 1.5-2 years of age.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion

What does one of the world’s leading pediatric pediatric experts, Dr. Komarovsky, think about this? Evgeny Olegovich is a proponent of the second, flexible method of breastfeeding - arguing that for newborns at least up to 6 months of age, a strict regimen is more harmful than beneficial. On what does this eminent physician base his views on this issue?

From Komarovsky’s point of view, the forced binding of feedings to strict time intervals is unnatural for the baby. In addition to the occurrence of certain inconveniences in caring for a baby, eating according to a schedule is uncomfortable for the functioning of its gastrointestinal tract. If feeding occurs naturally (as our great-grandmothers did in their youth), the baby will sleep better and, upon waking up, immediately be able to suckle.

Evgeniy Olegovich considers the transition to a more orderly regime to be justified only when using artificial formula or after introducing complementary foods into the diet of infants - that is, again, after about six months of life. The process of digesting ordinary foods (no matter in what form they are prepared) requires a completely different functioning of the digestive system - and it is no longer possible to overload the baby’s stomach, pancreas, kidneys and liver.

But a well-known specialist suggests that such a transition should be carried out in connection with certain important events in the daily schedule - morning awakening, walks, night sleep. As a result, children develop a conditioned reflex that subsequently persists into adulthood.

Each family must decide for itself which feeding regimen to choose. But this choice must be reasonable, conscious and focused both on the individual characteristics of your child and on his age.

Getting kids used to routines

Thus, sooner or later the little one will have to reach a certain feeding regime. However, he will not do this consciously - and therefore responsibility for the process of gradual transition will fall solely on mother’s shoulders. What does this require? In essence, nothing complicated - just remember the approximate correspondence of the child’s age and weight to the recommended number of feedings. As a result, we get the following rule:

newborn up to 1 month weighing about 3 kg - feeding once every 3 hours;
a child up to 2 months weighing 4-5 kg – feeding once every 4 hours;
2-4 months – allow a night break of up to 5-6 hours;
5-6 months or more - switch to an interval of 4.5 - 5 hours between feedings with a night break.

How to help your child with such a transition?

The main difficulty in the transition to a stable regime is rather the psychological problems of mothers, and not the feeding schedule of children. They consist in the fact that the first thought of a mother at the sound of a child’s crying is the question “What if he is hungry?” As a result, the baby gets breastfeeding, and all plans for creating a smooth (and beautiful-looking only on paper) schedule go to hell. How to deal with this? First of all, remember a simple truth - normally fed babies rarely (or rather, almost never) whine from hunger. Therefore, it is necessary not to give the baby “boobs,” but to try to find out the true reason for his dissatisfaction (an uncomfortable diaper, too warm or, conversely, cool clothes, a desire to just drink some water, or even a lack of close communication with his mother).

If you follow this simple rule, you can quickly and without any problems teach your child to eat at strictly defined intervals - gradually lengthening to almost “adult” intervals by about 1 year.

Can intervals shorten rather than lengthen?

Yes, such situations are possible - and the need for them appears when the mother produces too little milk. In order for the baby to reach his normal level, he has to be fed not once every 3 or 4 hours, but, for example, once every 2.

The duration of the intervals in such cases will have to be selected individually - focusing on how calm the baby is between feedings and at what rate he is gaining weight. Of course, it will take the woman more time, but for the sake of the health and comfort of the child she will have to be patient.

How to get out of non-standard situations?

Let's consider deviations from normal situations (for example, with 6 feedings a day and a 4-hour interval - at 5.00, 9.00, 13.00, 17.00, 21.00 and 1.00) - usual for healthy, calm children who do not have any developmental disabilities.

It's time to feed the baby, but he's sleeping

In such cases, it is better to wake up the babies carefully. There is no need to worry that you are interrupting his sleep - a toddler who last nursed 4 hours ago will feel the urge to eat almost immediately after waking up.

The child woke up 1-2 hours earlier

In the vast majority of cases, the reason for his awakening is not hunger. There are a lot of options here, including such as unpleasant sleep, discomfort from heat or cold, uncomfortably tight clothes, a diaper that is too wet, etc. It is enough to find and eliminate the cause of his anxiety (rock him in your arms, change clothes) - and your child will fall asleep again. If this does not happen, the baby is clearly not sick and is looking for your breast - perhaps he really does not have enough milk and will have to be fed more often.

The situation is somewhat more complicated with artificial feeding - when, without consulting a doctor, simply increasing the frequency of feedings or increasing the volume of formula given to the baby is strongly not recommended.

The child woke up very quickly (after 30-45 minutes)

Most likely, the cause is excess gas formation or another similar problem. In any case, it will have to be found out - since a toddler cannot go hungry in such a short time.

Feeding schedule options

As mentioned above, there can be quite a lot of such options (since “adjusting” to the baby’s biological clock sometimes forces you to significantly vary the intervals between feedings). However, the main ones are considered to be:

three-hour (for example - 3.00, 6.00, 9.00, 12.00, 15.00, 18.00, 21.00, 24.00);
four-hour (for example - 6.00, 10.00, 14.00, 18.00, 22.00, 2.00).

In addition, as children grow older, not only daytime, but also nighttime breaks will gradually lengthen. This is done smoothly, slightly moving the first morning feeding back, increasing the usual intervals, and the last, evening feeding, moving it to a slightly later date. The result is reaching a schedule (usually final after 6 months) of 5 feedings a day, for example:

6.00, 10.30, 15.00, 19.30, 24.00.

In this case, the mother will be able to sleep for almost a full six hours at night, and the baby will be able to get enough milk for him in fewer feedings.

Feeding your baby on a schedule or by the clock is a feeding recommended by many Russian pediatricians who adhere to traditional Soviet norms. These same norms were previously promoted abroad. The same Doctor Spock, for example. We'll talk about feeding by the hour, the pros and cons.

So, traditionally, pediatricians say that a healthy child with a sufficient amount of milk from the mother should suckle at the breast once every 3 hours. This involves getting at least six hours of sleep at night.

But in reality it often happens differently. Women complain that they are forced to feed their children very often; one might say that the baby hangs on their chest all day with short breaks.

Doctors respond to this that feeding every hour is a sign that the child is hungry. The mother has little milk, the baby does not get enough to eat, and this is the result... It is advised to introduce supplementary feeding in the form of an artificial formula. That is, give one breast and the other first. And then supplement with formula. The amount of supplementary formula is determined experimentally. It is believed that the baby will not suck too much. Indeed, this practice often helps normalize feeding after 3 hours, because the mixture takes longer to digest. Mixed and bottle-fed babies usually sleep more deeply and for longer periods of time. But the problem is that supplementary feeding provokes a decrease in breast milk production. And using a bottle can lead to a baby’s refusal to suckle at all.

The practice of switching to mixed and then artificial nutrition was very common 20-30 years ago, until there were lactation consultants. And in general, very little attention was paid to the issue of civil war. The children were not even given formula, but more often whole cow's milk. Which led to severe allergic reactions and intestinal disorders.

And yet, is it possible to switch to an hourly feeding regimen and still remain fully breastfed? It's possible. But you need to take into account that for the first 2-3 months the baby’s sucking reflex is very developed and you will have to give him a pacifier instead of a breast. Yes, and putting the baby to bed will be problematic. If breastfeeding on demand is enough for the baby to fall asleep by giving him the breast, then those who follow the feeding schedule will have to rock him to sleep, take him outside, etc. Not many children calmly fall asleep on their own in their crib.

But if you have already decided for yourself whether to feed newborns on demand or by the hour, which is best for you and have chosen the second option, then start by understanding whether the child has enough nutrition. To do this, you need to look at the dynamics of his weight gain and the number of urinations. If everything is in order, then switch to feeding the baby after 2 hours, and then after 3. At the same time, if it is hot, it is advisable to give water in between feedings if the breast is on schedule. Well, it’s unlikely that you can do without a pacifier. It will be possible to switch to a time period of 4 hours between feedings with the introduction of repeated complementary foods (porridge, vegetable and fruit purees, cottage cheese). Closer to the year of breastfeeding, only night and morning breastfeeding may remain.

What are the disadvantages of a strict feeding regime? They are present before the introduction of complementary foods. As we have already written, breast milk production decreases, the baby is restless and has a pacifier in his mouth. Also, such children usually gain less weight. If (when feeding is on demand), the mother will simply give the breast. And he will quickly make up for the “loss.” But frequent regurgitation in the presence of a feeding regimen can lead to weight loss. Let us remember that regurgitation is a very common problem among infants.
But after the introduction of complementary foods and closer to one year, a woman will only benefit if she does not offer the breast too often. Without this, it is much easier to stop breastfeeding. Without lactostasis and children's hysterics.

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Breastfeeding poses many challenges for new parents, one of which involves choosing a method of “transferring milk” to the baby. Many grandmothers and some doctors convince that feeding by the hour will help a woman maintain some independence from her baby and establish a routine from the very first day.

In the 20th century, a radical change occurred in the role of women in the social structure of the state. The fair sex is now active, militant, not inferior to men in many respects and is not the keeper of the hearth to the same extent.

To ensure that a new breastfeeding mother returns to the team as soon as possible, pediatricians have proposed timed feeding. That is, parents did not need to constantly monitor their infants; it was enough to simply provide breasts after three hours.

Breastfeeding according to a clearly established schedule was carried out according to some rules and requirements of pediatricians:

However, in this century, views on breastfeeding have changed a little.

Modern breastfeeding experts give new mothers complete freedom of action, but still recommend sticking to feeding at the “request” of the baby.

Today, more and more often, young mothers feed their children as soon as they desire the breast. Moreover, it absolutely does not matter how many times he wants to eat and when he gets hungry again. Scientists are convinced that the mother’s body adapts to the needs of the baby and the volume of milk also corresponds to its needs.

Scheduled feeding is the process of adjusting the needs and desires of an infant to a special schedule developed by the mother or neonatologist.

Despite the rather harsh criticism of breastfeeding on a schedule, this regimen also has some advantages that should be discussed in more detail:

Breastfeeding on a precise schedule allows you to build a clear daily routine. The woman more or less knows when the baby will need to be put to the breast and given milk, and when she will have a free minute. That is, mom will be able to plan the day and even leave the house.
Since this feeding mode takes a break at night, the woman can expect a restful night. Of course, such “luck” awaits her after a certain time, and only if she manages to adjust the infant to the chosen schedule.

However, breastfeeding experts are relentless - feeding infants on a schedule in no way satisfies their physiological and psychological needs. The disadvantages of this feeding regimen are obvious.

Doctors assure that, due to the imperfection of the gastrointestinal tract, in newborn babies the stomach practically does not participate in digestion. Breast milk can be easily absorbed in the intestinal tube, but the stomach is connected when the baby begins to receive complementary foods. Thus, the absorption of breast milk occurs extremely quickly, much faster than three hours - the interval recommended for “regular” nutrition.
Feeding infants by the hour, according to scientists, can suppress lactation. Breast milk is secreted in response to the baby's digestive needs. That is, the volume of milk secretion is directly proportional to what the baby sucked. If the breast remains “untouched,” special hormones are not released in the brain, which means that next time much less milk will be released. As a result, this leads to early supplementary feeding and cessation of lactation.
When breastfeeding according to a regimen, milk stagnation and mastitis occur more often. A decrease in the number of feedings is “milk plugs”, but if it is neglected, it can turn into mastitis in three days, for example, if an infection is connected. Despite the fact that the breasts can be partially emptied, the number of mastitis in mothers who follow a breastfeeding schedule is significantly higher than in women who breastfeed their babies according to the first “squeak”.
It is impossible not to mention possible psychological problems. According to psychologists, breastfeeding according to a regimen is harmful to babies. A nursing woman, in fact, is forced to ignore the child's needs, thereby denying the child satisfaction of his natural sucking reflex. As a result of the lack of maternal warmth and enjoyment of the mother's breast, the habit of sucking a finger or fist is formed.

WHO is against scheduled feeding. Breastfeeding experts advise breastfeeding mothers to offer their baby the breast at his first request. Thus, establishing any time frame on the issue of breastfeeding is considered inappropriate and even dangerous for the child.

Some mothers consider feeding on demand to be an invention of modern pediatricians, but this diet, on the contrary, is traditional. Another common name for this regime is natural feeding, because this approach evolved during the development of mankind.

Nursing mothers in ancient times, of course, did not even think about feeding their baby by the hour. Newborns were constantly held in their arms, so the babies literally received breasts upon request.

Let us repeat once again that today WHO recommends that breastfeeding mothers take into account the needs of their babies and breastfeed at any time of the day.

Breastfeeding consultants highlight the following advantages of squeak feeding for infants:

Newborn babies who are given breast milk on demand are able to more quickly overcome the so-called birth stress and get used to new living conditions.
Close physical interaction helps the baby and mother establish an emotional connection, which contributes to a sense of security in infants.
Satisfaction of needs helps the harmonious psychological development of newborns, since the baby, having asked for the breast and being held in his arms, forms basic trust in the world around him.
When breastfeeding at the child's request, good weight gain is observed, since children receive as much milk as they need. Being close to the mother's breast, the baby receives both anterior (liquid) and posterior (thick, fatty) milk secretion.
The likelihood of regurgitation in infants is reduced. The volume of the gastric pouch in a newborn baby is extremely small, since it is intended for the frequent intake of small “doses” of milk. As the pauses between meals increase, the baby absorbs a larger volume of breast milk, resulting in regurgitation or intestinal problems.

Feeding a baby on demand also has a beneficial effect on the body of the new mother. Breastfeeding experts highlight the following benefits for breastfeeding women:

When a baby suckles at the breast, the hormone oxytocin is released, which promotes contractile activity of the uterus. The more often the baby interacts with the mother's breast during breastfeeding, the sooner the uterus returns to its natural size and the less the threat of bleeding after childbirth.
When feeding a baby, at the very first cry, optimal production of the hormone prolactin occurs, which stimulates lactation. Moreover, milk flows into the breast in the volume necessary for the baby: as much milk secretion is sucked out, so much is produced again.
It is believed that when a baby is latched frequently, the breasts empty much more efficiently. And this significantly reduces the likelihood of congestion and inflammatory processes in the mammary glands.
The hormone prolactin not only stimulates breastfeeding, but is also a natural contraceptive because it suppresses the ovulation process. So, when feeding infants on demand, the risk of unplanned pregnancy is reduced, although, of course, this method is not considered one hundred percent protection against possible conception.

Thus, there are quite a lot of advantages when feeding babies on demand. These positive aspects allow experts to talk about the need to transfer infants to this feeding mode.

Are there any disadvantages?

Despite all the experts’ arguments and the benefits for all participants in feeding, some women consider applying the baby to the mammary glands at the first “squeak” not very convenient.

Modern new mothers highlight several disadvantages of this approach:

That is, there are still disadvantages, but this method has more advantages. A woman can either minimize or eliminate such negative nuances. Therefore, the disadvantages are easily leveled through a reasonable and balanced approach.

What does Komarovsky say?

The famous children's doctor Evgeny Komarovsky is not against, but is not a supporter of feeding on demand, however, as well as feeding infants on a schedule. What is his opinion about the main types of breastfeeding for a child?

Feeding infants at intervals, at first glance, allows the mother to feel more free. However, Komarovsky is sure that it is extremely difficult to maintain such a schedule, and the night turns into a period of continuous tears.
If you feed your baby on demand, you will not be able to enter the optimal mode. Komarovsky is also convinced that not every mother will be able to give breast milk 25-30 times a day.

Komarovsky is confident that the best solution for a woman and an infant will be the so-called free feeding. Pediatrician Komarovsky suggests feeding the baby at his request, but not more than once every three hours. This mode continues at night.

This type of feeding is ideal for infants and active women. This is what Dr. Komarovsky thinks, but whether to listen to his opinion is up to the individual nursing mother to decide.

Rules for feeding on demand

WHO recommends feeding infants on demand to meet their physiological and emotional needs. Consultants rush to reassure mothers who believe that this method is too complicated. It's all a matter of habit.

Following these recommendations will help you properly establish on-demand feeding:

Try to put the baby to the breast after each “squeak”, without bringing the first soft sounds to pronounced and loud screams. You can understand that a baby wants to eat by his anxiety, sucking movements of his lips, grunting, and moving his head.
Avoid “breast surrogates”. Pacifiers are intended for babies who are otherwise unable to satisfy the natural desire to suck. Feeding a baby on demand means avoiding nipples, bottles and other devices that interfere with sucking skills.
Avoid drinking water. A baby in the first six months of life does not need water at all, since breast milk is both food and drink. Natural feeding satisfies all the needs of babies.
Try sleeping with your newborn. In this case, the woman will be able to feed the baby milk at the right time when he begins to whine in search of his mother’s breast. If the mother misses a favorable time, the likelihood of the baby calming down will greatly decrease.

If a woman applies the baby to the mammary glands correctly, they will be completely released from milk. And this significantly reduces the threat of lactostasis.

Most nursing mothers who want to switch to natural feeding of newborn babies do not always understand some aspects of this approach. For example, women are confused by the frequency and duration of breastfeeding.

How often should I feed?

A newborn toddler satisfies its basic needs by sucking on its mother's breast. Mom is a source of food, warmth, protection.

Many babies begin to pass gas and defecate, since breastfeeding activates the gastrointestinal tract.

Since a newborn gets extremely positive feelings from being close to his mother, experts recommend putting the baby to the breast as often as possible.

During the first month of a child’s life, the number of daily feedings can exceed 25! At three months of age, children develop their own daily routine, when babies usually eat after or before falling asleep. Older babies begin to suckle when they are upset or dissatisfied with something.

How long does feeding last?

The duration of sucking depends on the basic need. If the baby wants to drink, he sucks the mammary glands for a few minutes to get enough of the foremilk. If he gets hungry, then mommy will be “free” only after 45 minutes.

Typically, the duration of application increases in the following situations:

after waking up in the morning;
during the so-called stages of “growth spurts”, when the baby grows most quickly;
when the baby is unwell (teething, other disorders), since milk reduces the pain of sensations.

For natural breastfeeding, it is typical to allow the baby to attach to the breast for the time he requires. It is believed that the little one will let his mother go when he falls asleep or is full.

When to end lactation?

The World Health Organization recommends feeding children breast milk until they are two years old. If up to 12 months of life it is necessary to provide essential components, then closer to 2 years the product becomes a source of more successful development of the intellect and immune system.

The moment to stop feeding is a decision made individually by each mother and depends on many nuances. There is no set time frame, which is why the “right” thing to do is to look at your child.

So, many modern breastfeeding specialists are against timed breastfeeding. There is a point of view that only “cry” feeding can provide children with the optimal volume of milk and maternal warmth.

However, deciding what is needed for infants - feeding by the hour or on demand - is up to nursing mothers only. It is quite possible to take the advice of Dr. Komarovsky and combine these two approaches for maximum convenience for all participants in the process.