Posted on 15. Feb, 2015 by in Infant
From a baby’s point of view, the most important thing is to be fed more or less right away. I say more or less, because most babies can wait a little now and then. But when they have to scream with hunger for long periods – and even a few minutes is long to a little baby — they don’t learn to trust in the people who provide for them, and they can come to feel helpless and alone. Rigid schedules don’t work for babies who have very unpredictable hunger cycles, because they leave them crying far too often. Most babies, however, can adjust their hunger cycles to fit the regular times that feedings occur.
A regular schedule also helps parents to conserve their strength and spirits. This usually means getting to a reasonable number of feedings at predictable hours and giving up the night feeding as soon as your baby is ready. If parents prefer to feed their baby on an irregular, self-demand schedule for many months, there will be no harm done to the baby’s nutrition. But parents shouldn’t get the idea that the more they give up for their baby the better it is for the child, or that they have to prove that they are good parents by ignoring their own convenience. These attitudes tend to create difficulties in the long run. Instead, parents can work with their babies to shape a schedule that meets everyone’s needs.