Breastfeeding on demand is simply watching your baby, following his or her cue’s and feeding them when they show signs of hunger. A pretty simple concept that seems to have been lost in society’s rush to make children grow up and fit into our busy schedules. Breastfeeding on demand meets your babies needs quickly and easily. Breastfeeding on demand is the way nature intended us to feed our babies.
Looking to nature for inspiration
Humans are mammals and part of the definition of being a mammal is “secretion of milk by females for the nourishment of the young”. Nature shows us two different types of nursing mammal mothers; spaced feeders or continual feeders. For example, Rabbits are spaced feeders. Rabbits leave their babies in a nest while the mother is away for many hours at a time. They leave their young alone so that the mother can forage and feed herself while keeping the young safely tucked away. Rabbit babies can survive without eating for extended periods and won’t starve to death because they are spaced feeders. The young suckle quickly and efficiently and Rabbit milk is 18.3% fat and 13.9% protein
By contrast, other mammals keep their babies with them all the time. The baby and mother stay close together so they can nurse frequently. These babies are allowed to initiate mealtime and the milk their mothers make is less caloric compared to the spaced feeders. For example, a cow is intended to be a continual feeder. Cows produce milk that is typically 3.7% fat and 3.4 % protein. Because of the lower fat and protein levels baby cows need to nurse more frequently than baby rabbits. Makes perfect sense to me.
Breastfeeding on demand = Continual feeder
In most mainstream industrialized societies, humans are taught to be spaced feeders. Babies are frequently “parked” in cribs or cradles and get fed after intervals of 3-4 hours. Society teaches us to be spaced feeders but your body and your baby know better. Human breast milk fat and protein content vary greatly based on a wide variety of factors, but on average human milk is relatively low in fat (3.8%) and protein (1%), and human infants suckle at the slow pace typical of continual feeders.
Your brand new baby has strong instincts to survive and if you trust yourself you will hear your maternal instinct speaking to you. Listen to it! It’s safe to trust your body, trust your baby and trust your instincts.
It’s interesting to note that feeding on demand and following the babies cue is the normal strategy of humans living in non-industrial society. In this survey of non-industrial societies anthropologists found that breastfeeding on demand was the rule. In every society for which information about the infant feeding schedule was available (20 out of 25), people fed their infants on cue.
Benefits of breastfeeding on demand
To meet your babies ever-changing needs you should breastfeed “On Demand”, whenever your baby shows the desire to nurse. Your new baby will want to nurse frequently, a minimum of every three hours, but always remember every baby is different. Some babies want to cluster feed, or nurse again 30 minutes after finishing their last snack. Different babies have different needs, and even the same baby’s needs change over time.
One day your baby may be very active and need more fuel for his or her activities. Or, your baby may need to breastfeed more frequently because it’s hot outside and they need more fluid. Babies also need to eat more when they going through a growth spurt. It’s even possible they are fighting off a virus and so they need more breast milk, more frequently. Feeding on a schedule doesn’t take any of these changing needs into consideration, but breastfeeding on demand allows you to easily meet all those needs and more.
The Fourth trimester
Being a brand new Mother can feel overwhelming but, being a brand new person is hard too. Everything they have ever known has completely changed. Mother’s heartbeat is the most familiar sound in this new, bright, busy world so it’s really no surprise they want to hear it frequently.
“During the month following birth, baby tries to regain his sense of organization and fit into life outside the womb. Birth and adaptation to postnatal life bring out the temperament of the baby, so for the first time, he must do something to have his needs met. He is forced to act, to “behave.”. If hungry, cold, or startled, he cries. He must make an effort to get the things he needs from his caregiving environment. If his needs are simple and he can get what he wants easily, he’s is labeled an “easy baby”.; if he does not adapt readily, he is labeled “difficult.” – Dr. William Sears.
Babies are not really behaving in a way that makes them easy or difficult. Crying is just your babies way of asking for their needs to be met! You can meet many of your baby’s complex needs through breastfeeding on demand.
How long has ItzBeen?
To help establish and maintain a successful breastfeeding relationship you should offer baby your breast at the first signs of hunger. There is no need to watch the clock or set a schedule. In the early days of being a new Mom I was bleary eyed and sleep deprived and its normal if you are too. Lots of new Moms survive on little more than fruit, water, hormones, love and anxiety. It’s easy to lose track of night or day. It’s also easy to lose track of how long it has been since you nursed, changed a diaper, or how long your baby has been asleep.
While it’s not overly important to control all those intervals, it can be helpful to keep track, especially when the time is running together. I loved using the ‘ItzBeen Pocket Nanny’ to help me know if it had only been 20 minutes since the last time we nursed or if it just felt like it. All you have to do is push a button and it starts counting up to let you know just how long “ItzBeen’. Genius and very helpful.
Breastfeeding on demand as a relationship and trust builder
Babies, especially newborns frequently and commonly want to nurse for many reasons other than hunger. Comfort and needing security are also valid reasons to nurse. Breastfeeding on demand is a wonderful way to nurture the bond between mother and child
Too many people worry that you will spoil a baby so they tell new mothers that once your baby has been fed, burped and changed that his or her needs are met. Humans, however, are born with complex needs and desires individual to each unique baby. Babies are more than just digestive systems. All human babies want and need human contact because babies thrive on human connection. Spend as much time as you can holding and loving your newborn baby. Get to know each other during the fourth trimester. You are establishing a relationship that will last a lifetime.
Remember that your baby is crying to communicate with you. They are not manipulating you, they are just asking to have their needs met. One of the best ways to meet their needs is through breastfeeding. When in doubt just whip it out!
When your baby nurses then your body understands that there is demand for milk so, it will produce the supply that you need. The more demand your baby has your body will respond by producing more supply. While you are actively lactating and breastfeeding, your body is always producing milk. Your milk ducts are constantly refilling. Even if it feels like you just nursed there is already more milk waiting in your breasts and it is impossible to over feed a breastfed baby
Breastfeeding on demand has lifelong benefits
By feeding your baby on demand and following their hunger cues you will be helping them learn to self-regulate how much they eat. Learning early not to overeat will protect them against childhood obesity and related health risks later in life.
There are so many wonderful benefits to breastfeeding on demand but please understand it’s not always sunshine and roses. The most common complaint of mothers that breastfeed on demand is feeling touched out. Remember, it may be hard, but this stage won’t last forever. If you need a break, hand your baby to a trusted loved one or put him or her in a safe place and step back to breathe.
A baby’s trust grows deeper the more often and the quicker that you meet his or her needs. Ignore every single person who tells you otherwise because they are wrong. You are the mother, you know this! Trust yourself! You can do it! I believe in you!
Still to come… Breastfeeding in public and troubleshooting common breastfeeding problems. In case you missed them be sure to check out the first three installments of this series: What is breastfeeding all about?, Who should breastfeed and Why?, and How to breastfeed .
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