Baby Wise and Breastfeeding
In the opinion of this registered nurse lactation consultant, Baby Wise and Breastfeeding do NOT go hand in hand.
Want an alternative to Baby Wise? Here are my recommendations:
Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. This doctor has come up with some amazing soothing techniques and has one of the sweetest bed side manners I have ever seen. I just want to hug him through the TV.
The Baby Book, the "baby bible" of the post-Dr. Spock generation, already embraced by hundreds of thousands of American parents, has now been revised, expanded, and brought thoroughly up to date-with the latest information on everything from diapering to daycare, from midwifery to hospital "birthing rooms," from postpartum nutrition to infant development.
I firmly believe in feeding a baby on demand and the baby wise method suggests otherwise.
Why is feeding on demand so important?
Exclusive breastfeeding on demand helps to establish a good milk supply, reinforce great latch and position and in most cases provides baby with adequate hydration and nutrition. The AAP American Academy of Pediatrics makes this recommendation: “During the early weeks of breastfeeding, mothers should be encouraged to have 8 to 12 feedings at the breast every 24 hours, offering the breast whenever the infant shows early signs of hunger such as increased alertness, physical activity, mouthing, or rooting.”
Sometimes babies snack, sometimes they eat, and sometimes they come for a full meal deal with dessert. Thus the hourly, every 2 hour , 3 hour or 4-6 hour variables. It just all works out to 8-12 feeds MINIMUM in 24 hours. I am the first to tell you a more average feeding in the beginning is probably 12-16 feeds but don’t let that scare you off. Gotta get that milk to come in, then it will settle down.
And if feeding on demand is best, how can you survive on such a crazy schedule?
My first response to that question , is if I can do it anyone can. I am a 10-12 hours a night sleep girl. Was prior to having babies and am that way again now that both have weaned. Trust me the every 1-3 hour feeds were brutal but they did not last forever. With my second, she did not wean her night feeds until she was forcably weaned from the breast at age 2 years! So, I went without sleeping a full night for 2 years and guess what I survived. Had I not quit my job, I do not know if I could have done it though. Just like everything else with parenting, its not an easy decision. But breastfeeding her for a MINIMUM of a year was my goal and being a lactation consultant I knew that exclusive feeds on demand were more likely to get me to that goal than any other variation.
Breastfeeding does alter your world, well having a baby alters it but breastfeeding does add an extra measure of lack of control. And for you control freaks (like me) this can be a huge hurdle to overcome. No one can argue human milk is the best nutrition for human babies and feeding on demand is at the top of every lactation consultants (that I know) list of successful breastfeeding techniques.
All in all, following the babies needs may not be easy or even desirable but it is the safest feeding method until your baby starts solids foods. It does not last forever, YOU CAN DO THIS!
I hope you enjoyed this article on Baby Wise and Breastfeeding.
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