LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Rachel Myr <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 01:31:20 +0200
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (44 lines)
Nina B mentions good research showing that median feed frequency in
exclusively BF babies is 10 times daily and asks
'is it time we changed the standard feeding advice to 'at least 10 times in
24hours'?'

I say, no.  Ten was the median, meaning there are as many babies feeding
more than ten times as there were feeding less than ten times, right?   Only
reason to do so is that parents would probably revert to feeding on cue
rather than try to work out the 'schedule' with 10 feeds in 24 hours.  And
we should definitely make it completely politically incorrect and socially
inappropriate to talk about three-hourly feeds as though that were OFTEN, or
particularly desirable.   But if we make the mistake of assuming a median
value should be some kind of guiding norm, we are no better than the people
who prefer all babies to be at or above average in weight.

If a breastfeeding mother of a healthy baby knows exactly whether the baby
is feeding 7 or 10 times a day, in my book she is wasting valuable brain
capacity on meaningless information storage.   I'd rather see us
concentrating on looking at the baby and responding to the baby's cues, and
only getting all anal retentive about feed frequency when there are problems
with growth or happiness.

I sometimes tell parents that healthy breastfed babies can feed anywhere
from 6 to 60 times a day and I always make a huge point to talk about the
difference between number of feeds in 24 hours, and feeds occuring at the
exact same interval each time.  And I emphasize that one of the many reasons
to provide women with care so they can breastfeed painlessly is so you don't
bother counting feeds or measuring their duration in minutes, you just feed
the baby and don't give it a second thought.
cheers
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome

ATOM RSS1 RSS2