When you breastfeed, do you have to do it on a schedule?

Question

And if I pump..can I pump whenever I want...or do I have to do it the same time consistently everyday?

Answer 1

NO you do not have to do it on a schedule. It is actually bad for your supply if you do it on a schedule. Any book or site that tells you to do it on a schedule needs to be ignored.

Your body was made to nurse your baby whenever the baby is hungry. The first few weeks it is a very delicate communication that goes between your breasts/nature and your baby. So don't introduce any bottles or pacifiers to your baby for at LEAST a week and breastfeed on demand (meaning whenever the baby is hungry)

Check out the site http://www.askdrsears.com/ to get parenting advice as well as breastfeeding advice.

Good luck and congrats to you on making a decision that will benefit your baby his/her entire life.

Answer 2

I've done both. And the best thing to do is if you're going to exclusively breastfeed then you need to do it on demand (when the baby's hungry). When newborn you may need to wake the baby up to make sure he/she eats every two hours: 1)this builds up your milk supply and 2)Breast milk is digested faster than formula. If you're going to pump you have to do it religiously in the beginning every two hours around the clock just as if you were nursing. After thi first six weeks you can start to cut pumping sessions one by one every three days or so, so that you don't become engorged or get an infection. This may sound like a lot or even difficult, but if you want what's best for you baby it's more that worth the time and effort. I had my first child at 17 I pumped for her. The second one (ten years later) I exclusively breast fed. Any other questions e-mail me [e-mail]. Good luck and I hope this helped.

Answer 3

I can't remember the name of it but there is a technique that you might be albe to find somewhere on the internet that tells you how to work your baby into a schedule. I am an on demand breastfeeding mother and after the first week or two we were on a consistent every 2 hour schedule. Through the night though she can go anywhere from 2-5 hours...which is nice! I get a little sore from having so much milk but it's not bad.

Answer 4

No you don't have to feed on a schedule, however, babies do thrive better if they have one. I had 4 and breast fed them all for a minimum of 7 months, my youngest for 13. I hope that you do not mind if I give you some tips.
The first thing is that you always wonder, (even if your breasts leak constantly) if the baby is getting enough. Purchase a baby scale. They are not expensive. Just before feeding make sure that the baby is dry and weight him/her. When you have finished feeding, even if baby is asleep, weight again. These scales do register in ounces.
Next, Your milk production will be more reliable if you pump at regular times and feed the baby at regular intervals. Some babies, like my youngest, never seem to get enough. He would want to eat every 45 minutes to an hour. For a week I had to let him cry and would not feed him but every hour and a half. As he got older that time gradually increased. My milk production became more predictable also. It seemed that about 15 minutes before he was due to be fed my breasts would begin to feel tight. By the time I fed him they were beginning to leak.
I hope this helped you. You are welcome to email me if you have any other questions I might help you with. Good luck!

Answer 5

You'll find that with babies.. there's no schedule. You couldn't make one if you tried.. and believe me.. when my first son was born all my visions of well laid plans and schedules went right out the window.

You baby will set the schedule. All you have to do is make sure that you're consistantly feeding him, and pump at any time. You make more milk than your baby will ever eat.. a woman produces enough milk to feed triplets.. so you're not going to run out, or not have enough left for the baby to feed on if you pump.

Check out the La Leche League website.. their whole mandate is to keep mother's breast feeding.. and they are very helpful.

Answer 6

You don't have to do it on a strict schedule. Your baby will let you know when he/ she is hungry. As for expressing your breast milk, you can do that when your breasts feel full. The best way of course is to let your baby suckle first. But if you're going back to work, pumping you your milk and storing it in the fridge for the baby's carer is the next best option. Do remember to date and time each time you pump out your milk on the bottle or satchet. Breast milk stored in the lower compartment of the fridge can last for 48hours, and storage in the freezer can allow breast milk to last for 2 months.

Answer 7

well I feed mine on a four hour schedule,for example 10-11, 3-4etc....and if your babys only a few weeks old don't pump until the 2nd month thats what my doctor told me!

Answer 8

My daughter has been breastfed on demand since birth and I have had no problems.. I will pump whenever I need to.

Answer 9

no you dont have to do it the same time, but if you want your body to keep producing the milk make sure you are using your milk whether your pumping or just feeding. you can do it i brestfed my son for 11 months and no he didnt bite me ;)

Answer 10

No. I breastfed on demand and pumped when I felt engorged.