<< Avoid using every 2-3 hrs---try using 8-12 times in 24 hrs. & infants may
cluster-feed. Our guidelines say only 6-8 feedings in the 1st 24 hrs. and
8-12 times/24 hrs after that. >>
I still wish that frequency of feeding wouldn't be discussed this way *at
all*. Mom's here 8-12 times/24 h and have no problem figuring immediately
that baby should nurse every 2-3 hours, but that cluster feeding is okay too
- which implies to them that at other times, baby should be spacing out
feedings.
In observing mom's who nurse on cue, it's rare that I see a baby who actually
does nurse only 8-12 times per 24 hour period. It's usually much more
frequent. It's this kind of thinking (ie 8-12 times/24h) that causes mom a
great deal of distress when her baby won't do this - her expectations are
off. When baby want to nurse frequently (hourly or more, as is biologically
appropriate for human babies) mom is flabbergasted and frustrated....she
often then switches to formula.
Considering the absymal bfeeding rates at 6 weeks, 3 mos and 6 mos, I think
we need to look at all possible causes. And I think that one contributing
factor is unrealistic expectations.
My SIL stopped breastfeeding and started pumping at 3 wks pp with her first.
She bottlefed 1/2 bmilk/ 1/2 ABM, simply because baby wanted to nurse 'all
the time' and 'she couldn't keep up'. Her expectation was that baby would
only want to nurse 8-12 times per 24 h and he was nursing hourly. Instead
of having the expectation of 8-12 times per day, she could have been told
"some babies nurse every 2-3 hours, some babies nurse hourly or more. Either
way is okay - just follow your babies cues. I'll show you how to nurse in a
sling so that you can be mobile while nursing and not be tied to your rocking
chair."
With number two, I gave her kathy dettwylers info about frequency of feeding.
Again, her baby wanted to nurse hourly, which this time, she did without a
thought. At three months of age, she was wondering why he wasn't spacing his
feedings...again, I mentioned the composition of bmilk, k dettwylers info,
etc. She wondered why all of her friends babies only fed every 2-3 hours, as
did her first....I reminded her that they all formula fed and used pacifiers
to artificially space feedings.
She's now back to *not* worrying about the frequency of his nursing, nursing
him on cue and sleeping with him. So much about the success of a nursing
relationship is about expectations. If you're expecting one thing (interval
feeds) and end up with an entirely different thing (continuous feeds), it may
be just enough to give up.
Honestly, I *really* didn't like bfeeding until my baby was around 10 mos
old. If I hadn't know what to expect and been alerted to a wide range of
norm wrt feeding patterms (and so self indoctrinated with the benefits of
bfeeding), I would have stopped long ago.
Katherine in atl
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