I think there is more to this than just feed on demand or feed on schedule.  

I work as a RLC in a hospital and what I see is the importance of education.  I see parents say baby isn't hungry and let them go long periods swaddled in a crib or in someone elses arms.  This is different than a baby who goes a longer period between feeds who is skin to skin with mom.  

I use a good hostess/guest scenerio to explain.  It goes something like this:

A good hostess doesn't wait until her guests say they are hungry before she pulls out the snack tray.  She offers it and maybe the guest says yes and maybe the guest says no.  If the guest says no she doens't put it away so the guest has to ask for it again, she leaves it out until the guest has his fill.  

Mom is the hostess, baby is the guest.  We worry about missed feedings.  When baby is kept "in the kitchen" (skin to skin) or upright between mother's breast, in a laid back position for mom, we won't miss feedings.  

Staff often take the easy way of explaining feedings by just saying that baby needs to feed every 2 hours.

We need to say that when it has been long enough, go ahead and offer.  Don't wait for baby to say he is hungry, put him in the kitchen and wait.  A sleep cycle is one hour long and placing baby in the "kitchen" may take one hour before baby wakes to eat.  

Baby will typically eat every 1-3 hours with one 4-5 hour period.  If mom wants the 4-5 hours to be at night then offering at the two hour mark will help.  If baby goes 4-5 hours during the day parents need to expect 1-3 hours during the night and Murphy's Law says count on every 1 hour.  This is where the 2 hour comes from.  If we place baby skin to skin every 2 to 2 1/2 hours and it takes one hour to wake and feed, we stay within the 1-3 hour range and can save the 4-5 for night.

Taking the step to teach can make the rest of a mom's hospital stay so much better.  I urge staff to explain this to mom instead of taking the easy way out and telling mom to feed every so many hours.  

Jeni Leaird, BS, IBCLC, RLC
Indiana, USA

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

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