https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:39:15 +0000 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:13:03 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.05 360 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=19821 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/ https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460870&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460870 Author: Alianasmummy
Subject: 19821
Posted: 06 August 2008 at 8:13am

I am demand feeding, but trying to get into routine at the same time by using delaying tactics.
She was sleeping through at 7 weeks so i thought it was a good time to put her in the baby hammock next to the bed (we were co-sleeping but i got too squished in the middle!) and now she wakes 3 hourly. I dont know whats better, her sleeping through and me uncomfortable or me comfy and her waking all night?? I usually give up around 3 or 4am and put her in bed anyway.

I demand fed with the boy and he didnt sleep through till gone 15 months! ]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:13:03 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460870&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460870 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460841&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460841 Author: BuzzyBee
Subject: 19821
Posted: 06 August 2008 at 6:34am

I let bub be the boss, I demand fed (sometimes still do and he's 17 months lol) we slipped into a 3 hourly routine quite fast after he managed to get the hang of b/feeding with the shields (latching problems for the first week or so). Then at about 4 weeks he started going 4 hourly (when I say 4 hourly I mean he'd sleep for about 3 hours, feed for about 30 mins and then play/lie on his play gym or bouncinette for about 15-30 mins before I put him back down to sleep). Or often he fell asleep on the breast. I never woke him up for a feed, however if I was concerned about him sleeping for longer than he should I probably would have woken him up.

I think when they're young feeding on demand is better than routine, they tend to slip into a routine of their own anyway. But then again it does come down to personal choice]]> Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:34:04 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460841&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460841 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460787&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460787 Author: emz
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 10:38pm

We needed to put Jack into a routine from day 3 as he was jaundice and was sleeping too long (6 hours at a time, and never fed). He went into a 3-hourly routine and I've just kept it up (now 4-4 1/2 hours).

We did 3-hourly during the day and demand feeding at night as Jack had his day/night messed up. The only time it changed was during growth spurts or sickness.

For me personally I find it easier as he's bottle fed so I know how many bottles etc I need to take out when we're going somewhere.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:38:28 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460787&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460787 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460786&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460786 Author: MissAngel
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 10:37pm

Thomas demand feeds. The only time I wake him up is late evening (11pm-12am) if he hasnt woken already after going down at 7pmish. Otherwise he wakes at 2am and stuff getting up then anymore. He'll go from said time above till 4am now. ]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:37:57 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460786&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460786 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460716&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460716 Author: arohanui
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 9:38pm

Demand feeding but he kinda put himself in a routine. Not less than 2 hours between feeds (except in the beginning I just fed him heaps cos I was figuring it out). Bedtime was sometimes at different times, but always the same routine - shower/bath, massage, feed, tucked into bed, prayers, goodnight kisses. Oh and yeah he often cluster fed in evenings.

I found that when I woke the boy to feed him, he slept worse at night. So ended up just leaving him til he woke.

I really played around and just figured out what worked for him. It still changes all the time! It's nice to kinda know what to expect, but it's only really in the last couple of months my boy has got into a true routine.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:38:29 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460716&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460716 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460715&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460715 Author: Candkids
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 9:37pm

i demand fed both of mine until around 7-8mths and fortunatly they found their own routine which i then turned into their routine it works great]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:37:55 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460715&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460715 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460637&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460637 Author: LittleBug
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 8:55pm

In the very beginning I just demand fed. When she was doing a 5 hour stint between one set of feeds in a day, I tried to "train" her to feed during the day and do her big sleep at night, by waking her every 3 hours during the day for feeds and doing a night bath routine before bed. It seemed to work for us. She woke twice nightly for feeds for a while then once, then just wanted the dummy and now she sleeps through, unless she's sick.

ETA: Oh and at night feeds it was kept dim light and no talking, and straight back to bed.

Edited by LittleBug]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:55:00 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460637&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460637 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460526&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460526 Author: jaz
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 8:13pm

Both mine had jaundice and were sleepy in the early days so I woke them every three hours for a feed and demand fed through the night. This seemed to put them into a routine of self-waking every three hours for a feed.

Caleb cluster fed from about 6pm and I woke him at 10pm for a dreamfeed. This lasted him until 4am then he was up at 7am. Brooke still woke every three hours through the night for feeds however. ]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:13:47 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460526&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460526 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460490&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460490 Author: busymum
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 7:57pm

I'm definitely a demand feeder, and work towards a routine by about 3mos or later, still flexible though for quite a while after that.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:57:40 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460490&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460490 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460143&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460143 Author: FionaS
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 2:25pm

I did a combo. I had heard a lot about making sure they don't feel too close together as they can tend to get a sore tum if they have lots of little feeds and no good sized ones. I tried to keep the feeds 2 hours apart (which was hard as Elle was a 10min napper...long story). We fed 2 to 2.5 hourly for the first 4 months or so and then it gradually extended out. She didn't move to 4 hourly until really late (can't remember when).

Before I had her I was planning to follow a babywise type routine. In my ignorance I thought it made sense and sounded easy. Some kids do thrive on those kinds of routines but mine wasn't one of them. You generally need them to do good long sleeps in between feeds in order to stretch the feeds out and that is where we can unstuck.

I would say we used a routine, but it was flexi.

]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:25:29 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460143&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460143 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460138&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460138 Author: cuppatea
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 2:21pm

Demand fed all the way, even now pretty much although is a bit more set as we have breakfast, lunch and dinner, but not necessarily at the same time each day. I found with mixing night and day the best thing to do was to make night different, so I would feed him in the quiet and the dark (well just enough light to see what I was doing), not much talking to him (but some I don't believe in ignoring them like some books say) and absolutely no playing.
He fed every 2 hours in the day so no need to wake him up but if he had gone over 3 hours I would of just to make sure he had enough food in the day to get through the night.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:21:20 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460138&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460138 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460054&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460054 Author: 2bmumof3
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 12:59pm

I demand fed all my kids. It didn't go all that well with DS1 he took to going no longer than 1 1/2hrs in between and I simply couldn't strtetch them out. With DS2 it went fine but neither of my boys slept through till gone 2yo. DD is a different story, she is demand fed anywhere from 2-4hrly now but in the start if she wanted a fed after an hour to help settle her to sleep then I'd do that. DD cluster feds between 5-8.30pm although she's starting to drop that now, and she has been sleeping through the night more often than not since 9wks. Never woke any of my kids at night but they've all gained weight fine so no need to.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:59:16 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460054&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460054 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460049&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460049 Author: tishy
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 12:47pm

Initially we did 3 hourly during the day, but would feed them after 2 if they were hungry.
Now I feed 4 hourly.
They go to bed at 6:30/7 pm, get a bottle at 10pm. and sleep through to 6:30 / 7am

With twins routine is essential for sanity, but it also allows me to organise my day/outings better too.

ETA: I always woke the girls, wet cotton wool was common in the early days. It helped distinguish between day and night.

Edited by tishy]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:47:27 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=460049&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#460049 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459973&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459973 Author: lucky3rdtime
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 11:21am

For the first 6 weeks I demand fed which gave me a chance to get to know how often Gabs would like to feed. From then on I routine fed her every four hours during the day and from 9weeks she has been sleeping through.

I will wake her to feed her if she is asleep, but often she will wake up about that time anyway.

Alot depends on the baby too, Gabs has never feed less than 3 hourly and would often be 4-5 hours between feeds, so I tried to keep it to 4 hours so she would get enough to sleep through the night, but any closer together for her and she wouldn't drink very much.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:21:58 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459973&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459973 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459958&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459958 Author: Maya
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 11:06am

I woke mine 3-hourly during the day, gave them their last feed around 10pm and then let them sleep as long as they wanted to at night. They all seem to have had a period of cluster feeding in the evening, Maya and the gremlins was from 4pm-7pm, Chiara's seems to be 6pm till about 10pm.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:06:03 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459958&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459958 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459948&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459948 Author: kebakat
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 11:00am

In the beginning I was forced to do a routine for day times. But after the first few weeks I let him just demand feed.]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:00:32 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459948&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459948 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459942&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459942 Author: EmDee
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 10:56am

I demand fed both of them and they worked out their own routine (well Lily is still getting there). I never woke either of them because they both gained weight well and were sleeping through fairly early (Ollie was 8wks and Lily was 10 wks) so didn't feel the need to do it.

Yeah its funny how you get conflicting advice depending on the Plunket nurse eh? Have to admit though, I've had really good Plunket nurse's (other than the very first one, but I put that down to inexperience).]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:56:53 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459942&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459942 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459931&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459931 Author: ElfsMum
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 10:44am

i have been waking E for a week now to try it and see if he would settle better and he's worse..lol.. lilfatty Plunket told me he was fine without waking...lol....they often seem to give conflicting advice depending on the nurse! when E was little he slept through the night much better..lol:) I think a lot depends on the baby as well.. ]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:44:09 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459931&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459931 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459882&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459882 Author: jack_&_charli
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 9:53am

i demand feed both my kids and it worked well for us.....but i wouldn't let them go longer than 3hrs during the day without a feed.   if they eat well during the day, they will be more satisfied and sleep more at night (of course, that's always good in theory!)

charli would always wake before that 3hrs was up anyway but i had to wake jack a few times because he was a really good sleeper

it seems to be fairly common for babies to get their days/nights mixed up....usually when you think you've just got it all sussed   just ride it out and he'll get it sorted

Edited by jack_&_charli]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:53:25 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459882&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459882 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459876&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459876 Author: lilfatty
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 9:48am

I demand fed ... she put herself onto three hourly rotation. I never woke her (even though Plunket said too lol).

She used to cluster feed quite alot around 5pm when she was ickle (under three months) and I just used to feed her (she snacked - didnt feed as such).]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:48:29 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459876&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459876 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459872&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459872 Author: ElfsMum
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 9:44am

I am only just getting E into a routine now.. it has worked for us though he still wakes at night for his dummy.. I never woke him up at all... ]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:44:30 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459872&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459872 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459863&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459863 Author: tropics
Subject: 19821
Posted: 05 August 2008 at 9:39am

Hi ladies

I already asked this in the july bubs thread, I would be interested in hearing what others did with their nb did you follow a routine / advice out of a book with feeding and sleeping or did you demand feed?

Jayden did start off on his own little 3-4 hourly routine now he seems to have his day / nights mixed up with sleeping and also his feeds some times he will have 50ml other times he will take over 100ml! so im thinking of trying to get some consistency going and developing some kind of routine

also did you wake your bubs up to feed during the day or let bubs wake up to feed? when sleeping for long sleeps?

good to hear other peoples experiences

thanks ladies]]> Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:39:46 +0000 https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=19821&PID=459863&title=demand-feeding-vs-routine-for-nb#459863