SCHEDULE
Much has been said in
favor of demand feeding; much, too, in favor of a rigid schedule. Those who
favor the latter emphasize that the average baby requires a sufficient amount
of milk at four-hour intervals to satisfy his hunger and grow properly-and this
is a great convenience to the mother who will know just when to feed him. While
this is true, it fails to take into sufficient account the fact that all babies
are not the average baby. No two have the same appetite; some are hungry sooner
than others, or eat less at each feeding and need to be fed more often; some
want to sleep longer at a stretch than others.
We believe it is important to
satisfy a baby's hunger and thirst when they arise. This will not spoil the
baby; on the contrary, it will make him less demanding if he is happy and
satisfied. It is worth remembering that when you follow the self-demand method
you are working toward a schedule. Both self-demand and rigid time- table
methods have the same objective: to give the baby enough to eat and establish a
routine that helps the mother find time for everything else she must do. Often,
they arrive at this objective in about the same length of time.
Mothers who follow a fixed schedule usually modify it
sensibly, so in the long run it comes close to the demand method. For example,
they feed the baby early if he is crying rather than let him wear himself out
and fall asleep exhausted. Similarly, many mothers on the self-demand method
will wake the baby if he happens to be sleeping about four hours after his last
feeding; they know he will be glad to eat and that he is bound to awaken soon
in any case and want food just when his mother is busy with something else.
Whichever system you follow, remember that you are working toward a goal. Some
infants do well on a four-hour schedule from the beginning, while others won't
be able to wait that long, or' won't be regular at all for several months.
It is wise to feed babies who weigh less than seven pounds
more often than once every four hours-every three hours at least. Be flexible
about the 2 :00 A.M. feeding. Babies sleep through the night as soon as they
are able to go that long without food, so don't deprive your child of that feeding
in the hope of speeding the time when you won't be disturbed at night. It helps
to be flexible about the feeding that precedes the night one, too. That is, put
it off till you go to bed if the baby is sleeping, so he won't be likely to
awaken quite as early for his next one.
