Why I Ditched Scheduled Breastfeeding

Lets start with saying breastfeeding is hard. Especially in those first two weeks as a new mommy. You don’t really know what to expect at first. I took in all the advice I got and assumed the nurse opinions were best. Scheduled Breastfeeding.

In the hospital when my son was born, the nurses came in to check if he was eating every three hours. I was told to start feeding him at this time on the dot, and then again at this time. Wake him up if it is time to eat, they told me. And it was very stressful.

When we returned home with our new little baby boy I stuck to the schedule. I like routines, but on top of all the usual painful parts of beginner breastfeeding, I was having more problems and completely exhausted. It didn’t feel right to me. I didn’t feel like I was doing it right.

Rewind a bit, I started “leaking” when I was 25 weeks pregnant, and had to wear the little bra liners that early on. My milk is abundant fortunately for my little guy, but my let downs were and still are forceful. My little man can’t handle it sometimes and I have to express my milk before feeding him otherwise I end up spraying it all over his face, my face, the couch, anyone in a three feet radius. Seriously if you are standing 3 feet in front or above me I WILL SPRAY YOU.

So, this schedule I was sticking to was causing my boobs to become so engorged because I wasn’t feeding him enough. But I had to stick to the schedule I thought.But after a week of sticking to the schedule I said Fuck it.

Babies do not know what time it is.

They did not have clocks in the beginning of time when mothers were breastfeeding.

My baby will let me know when he is hungry.

So I ditched the schedule. The first thing I noticed he was eating more frequently. In one hour sometimes he would eat 3 times, but then 3 hours would pass and he would be fine until he told me he was ready for his next feeding.

With the scheduled feedings my days were going by so fast. I felt like that was all I was doing. I was a milk machine.

Feed…

Time that out 3 hours from beginning of last feed and then…

Feed again.

After switching to demand feeding I felt so much less stressed. Like I had time in between feedings to do something for myself… such as eat, or brush my teeth. (Baby Steps here)

It makes sense. Do you eat on a schedule with nothing in between? No. Usually we snack and have a sip of water here and there. Babies are relying on you for their snacks and their water. Your breast milk is all of that to them.

How Do I know When Baby is Hungry?

Your baby obviously isn’t going to start speaking to you to tell you he is hungry, but they have other ways to communicate. Here are some hunger cues your baby is trying to tell you. Usually crying is the final way to let you know when you aren’t getting the hint.

Early Cues

• Licking Lips
• Opening Mouth
• Turning Head

Mid Cues

• Stretching
• Wiggling
• Hands at Mouth

Late Cues

• Fussing
• Crying
• Turning Red

By feeding baby when they’re hungry you are actually improving their development. When schedule feeding, your baby will most likely be hungry at times that aren’t scheduled. If we don’t feed them when they are hungry they get stressed and fussy. Stress releases the hormone cortisol and prolonged periods of cortisol release can cause poor mental and physical development in children.

When breastfeeding the baby and mommy both release oxytocin which counteracts the cortisol and creates a strong bond between baby and mama. If you want to learn more about the hormones and breastfeeding read this post on why skin to skin is essential to breastfeeding.

I hope this post reaches you mama’s when you need it. Some might disagree and prefer their schedules and that’s totally okay if that works for you. Do what is right for you and your baby.