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is a schedule really necessary??

Last post 05-06-2009 8:15 PM by Rebecca3387404. 16 replies.
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  • 04-30-2009 8:55 AM In reply to

    Re: is a schedule really necessary??

    Oh, boy.  I agree with Cookie.  But to each their own.  Just remember:  If you choose the path that has been proven in clinical research to be risky, you're choosing the consequences, as well.  For everyone taking advice from this post, ask yourself if the choice is worth it.  Also remember that a mom who says, "I did it for years and nothing has happened to my children..." only has children born to her genetic makeup.  EVERY child is different.  One child or family of children who are completely unaffected by honey or peanuts or eggs or milk-protein, etc. doesn't speak for every child out there.  Which is the reason for the existence of clinical research.  It compounds information from thousands of families and thousands of children to provide the best resource for parenting decisions.  My mother suggested I give my middle child whiskey (at 6 months old) to help him sleep at night.  That she "did it for years and nothing happened."  Anybody going to take that advice?  LOL

    Bottle propping is another risky move.  I've seen an infant aspirate on his own reflux (which is what happens when they choke on bottles).  It can be very quiet and look a lot like they are just falling asleep.  If you are paying the attention the situation requires to ensure the baby isn't aspirating, why the heck aren't you feeding the bottle? Plus, of course, there is a bonding issue, here.  But we won't go into that, I guess. 

    As for scheduling feedings.  I, personally, think that it comes down to method of feeding.  Infants love to soothe...a lot.  For breastfeeding, there is no consequence to this and actually contributes to the supply/demand cycle to the process.  However, soothing with a full bottle (especially with formula) on-demand for an infant can lead to overfeeding.  So, formula feeders and breastmilk bottlers should probably be a little more in-tune to the cues of the baby to know when its a binky they need or a feeding.  Physicians advise the sort of "every 2 hours" advice as a guide.  Pediatricians tend to dumb things down for us, a bit, and its irritating.  I do not think that feeding on demand once in a while is a bad thing, just to test their cues.  Maybe they're going through a growth spurt.  At the same time, considering all of this advise that seems black and white, sometimes you have to feed even when you're not getting the hungry cues.  Especially when baby is truly failing to thrive (facing a feeding tube situation). 

    But scheduling a breastfeeder just to make things more convenient or to get baby to sleep at night is probably going to be detrimental to the breastfeeding relationship.  Even for working moms, when the baby has the breast rather than the bottle at night or on weekends, on-demand (which might be ALL the time) is the best way to go. 

  • 05-06-2009 8:15 PM In reply to

    Re: is a schedule really necessary??

    She was right. Honey may cause botulism in infants. It doesn't matter how long you've been doing this. Research has shown that babies' immune systems cannot fight off the bacteria that causes this certain strain of botulism. Your doctor will tell you the same thing. And propping a bottle is not recommended, it can lead to ear infections and choking. I'm a mother and a pediatric RN at Mayo Clinic.
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