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Parents Pull Kids From School Because Teacher is Too Hot Baby Mom Moment Moms Who Want Smarter Babies May Need to Rethink Their Feeding SchedulePosted by Mary Fischer on March 19, 2012 at 11:35 AMComments (12)|Likes (5)
If getting your baby on a good feeding schedule is stressing you out, don't worry, because you definitely aren't alone. Plenty of moms (myself included) have caught themselves checking their watches over and over again to make sure that their babies don't go more than a certain number of hours between feedings. Doesn't it get kind of exhausting sometimes?
It can be so tough to judge how often you are supposed to feed them to make sure they're getting the nutrition they need, not to mention keeping their little bellies full so they are happy. Of course, some moms eventually give up on the whole feeding schedule thing and let their babies determine how frequently they eat. And they may be on to something with their go-with-the-flow attitude. New research suggests that babies who are fed on demand may have a higher IQ down the road.
Kids at ages 5, 7, 8, 11 & 14 were IQ tested in Britain, and the results showed that those who were either breastfed or bottle fed on demand as babies scored four to five points higher. That's not a super-huge gap, but it does sound like good news for moms who've really had it with the whole feeding on a schedule thing.
I can remember keeping a little feeding journal when my son was a baby. I would frantically scribble down the times he had eaten so I could refer back to them and make sure that he was eating every few hours, right on cue. But then there seemed to be times where he was hungry in between feedings, or when he didn't seem interested in eating right at his scheduled time. There were days where I just couldn't get it right.
But I was always worried that the world would come to an end if I deviated from his schedule in the slightest way. (You know -- because of the whole new mom jitters thing.) Geez. Where was this study six years ago? I probably would've been a lot less worried and stressed out as a new mom if I'd heard that being flexible when it came to a feeding schedule was potentially a very good thing.
Do you let your baby feed on demand, or do you feed on a strict schedule?
Image via ripkas/Flickr
About the authorMary Fischer is the writer behind The Mommyologist, a popular parenting blog that totally lacks a filter. When not glued to her laptop, Mary is trying to learn how to walk correctly in heels and trying to convince the world that she invented the Crystal Light martini.
MoreFiled Under:breastfeeding, formula Comments (12)|Likes (5)Like What You Just Read?Click the "Like" button below to get Natural Parenting stories on Facebook.
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Kwiat2 on Mar 19, 2012 at 11:38 AMI don't know how you don't feed on demand when breastfeeding. If he's not hungry he won't latch. If he is, he'll cry until you pop a boob in his mouth. Even if that means he still wants to eat three times a night when he's 10 months old. That's how my son was anyway. Report this comment
SuzyBarno on Mar 19, 2012 at 11:44 AMI bottlefed formula and agree with you kwait2. I could never ever feed a bottle when either of my kids werent hungry. I do on demand till they kinda determine their own routine of naps, bottles and meals at like 9 months. Bottles in my house are also not comfort objects, my kids never hold them. Blah, blah, blah, on demand is the way to go!Report this comment
KBW2 on Mar 19, 2012 at 11:50 AMOn demand all the way.Report this comment
katyq on Mar 19, 2012 at 12:20 PMIts natural to feed on demand and really abusive not to. I knew a woman that would not feed her baby in the early evening so she would gorge right before bed :(Report this comment
Nonmember comment from Amanda v on Mar 19, 2012 at 12:44 PMI always fed on demand. I never kept track of what time/how many feedings. I always figured if they are on track with their weight gain, they are eating fine. And I didn't want fat babies either because I made them eat when I wanted them to. Scheduled eating could mess up their natural hunger cues! But I digress.Babies know when they are hungry, and they will let mom know. Schedules are for activities that aren't based off bodily needs and functions. It'd be like trying to train your baby to poop only on schedule. Even if you could do it, would it be the healthy way to go? Uh. No. Convenience should not trump health. Some peeps take routining kids' lives way too far.Report this commentFacebook comment from Alison Carabajal on Mar 19, 2012 at 12:52 PM
I've never fed any of my boyos on a schedule. They ate when they were hungry. Really it's simpler that way and most of the time makes for happier mama and baby.
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jessicasmom1 on Mar 19, 2012 at 1:17 PMmy DD was eating when she was hungry it seemed much better that way
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Melissa042807 on Mar 19, 2012 at 1:30 PMI fed on a flexible schedule. If he was hungry before the "scheduled" feeding time, I fed him. No big deal. I didn't stress about it. He liked being on a schedule though. He's a creature of habit.
Report this commentFacebook comment from Moria Funck on Mar 19, 2012 at 3:48 PMwith my firsti tried ot keep a journal.. i also tried too keep a schedual.. forgettt ittt... i dropped it quick the first time and didnt even try the second..
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Saerise on Mar 19, 2012 at 3:53 PMFeeding on demand works beautifully for us. It's hard to imagine doing anything else.
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