Some things we cannot anticipate, but some other we can definitely plan in advance. It is worth considering and discussing with the partner the issues regarding rules to be applied at our home once the baby arrives. Issues regarding sleep, preferred toys, calming methods such as a pacifier, carrying, distribution of responsibilities, etc. should be touched upon even before the baby is born. Thanks to that, once we return home from the hospital we will feel more confident and be able to manage the new situation sooner. One of the topics worth mentioning regards feeding. Whether the baby should be breastfed or given formula is an important matter, but let us leave it for another time. Today’s question is: should I feed on demand or according to an established rhythm?
These two standings appear to be opposite to each other and mutually exclusive, but what connects them is their purpose: providing the new-born, and later – the infant, with the necessary amount of nourishment. In case of both these approaches we want to avoid the consequences of insufficient feeding, such as crying, but also weight loss or insufficient weight gain of the baby. Obviously, when it comes to us, we usually prefer to have some control over how much our baby eats (feeding from a bottle makes such calculations easier) and, if we are breastfeeding, over how much milk we produce. In the end, breast fullness or inflammation are not the most pleasant of things and they can even effectively make it impossible for us to care for our new-born child. In case of both these philosophies we can either get perfect at feeding or get in trouble. So, if those two methods are so different then how can they lead to reaching the same goal? What do they consist in? What are the differences and similarities between them? What problems can we encounter? I will try to familiarise you a bit with both of these approaches.