The following quotes are taken from the current edition of BABYWISE, which corresponds to the current, fifth edition of Preparation for Parenting. BABYWISE (Multnomah books, ISBN 0-88070-775-5) is now being mass marketed and may well be found at your local bookstore. -Lisa Marasco --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On 'The Benefits of Order'--- (p43) "Chelsea's mom follows the principles of PDF (Parent directed feeding): As a result, her interaction with her baby is both predictable and routine. ...... Marisa's mom is following a demand-feeding approach. As a result, her interaction is very predictable (Marisa cries and her mother responds), but it is not routine. ....... it is very erratic. The erratic nature of the demand-feed (or free-feed) theory negatively impacts Marisa's metabolism. "In contrast, Chelsea's mom understands the benefits of routine, and she appreciates the accompanying sense of security. Her baby shows by her positive response to routine that she has an inner need for an outward system of structure. Although in utero nutrition continually passes on to the baby, there are spikes-- peak periods-- of nutritional consumption. Those times correlate with the mother's basic three-meal-a-day routine. Outside the womb, a basic feeding routine provides structure that encourages the natural rhythms of a child to synchronize with those of the rest of the family." Advantages of PDF (p45) 1) Chelsea's metabolism is stable, since parental interaction is regular and predictable 2) Chelsea's digestive system will have fewer problems with colic-like symptoms when compared with her demand-fed cousin (Marisa). 3) Chelsea's nighttime sleep cycles will be stabilized. Between the third and eighth week, her mom can experct her to begin sleeping 7 to 8 hours straight through the night. Chelsea will probably sleep ten to twelve hours per night by week 12. By that time, her cousin Marisa will still be waking up twice in the middle of the night for a snack, and is apt to continue in that pattern for the next two years. 4) Chelsea doesn't have to be manipulated to sleep. When bedtime comes, Chelsea's mom and dad place her in her crib an she falls asleep. If there is any fussing, it's usually very limited. Marisa's mother, on the other hand, tries to nurse her to sleep, but the ordeal sometimes takes hours. As soon as she puts Marisa in her crib, she is likely to wake up, an her mom is forced to start the process all over again. This style of parenting grows old very quickly." 6) Chelsea moves naturally from dependence to independence. The nature of the PDF program fosters *relational* security. That is, a baby's security depends on his or her developing relationships, not on proximity to the baby's mother. In contrast, mothers who are constantly attentive by way of baby slings, shared sleep, and demand feeding, all in hopes of fostering security, too often accomplish the opposite. That statement is easily proven. Just remove the child from mom at any point and observe how secure he or she appears. It's disheartening for a parent to see her child in a state of hysteria over being confronted with a need for independence, while other children the same age are maturing appropriately in their independence.