Babywise and Breastfeeding

I used the baby wise book and followed what they recommended. It was wonderful I never worried about when she was hungry because I knew we were on a schedule and it made Breast feeding so easy for me. My sister has used it with both of her daughters. I attribute my success with breastfeeding (which can be very hard to do) to using this method. My daughter breast fed till she weaned her self at 18 months. I always give this book to new moms as a shower gift. I highly recommend it. good luck

I didn't use this book but would recommend the contented baby book (it has a great routine for breastfeeding), I use it with my second son who is now 8 months, I also read the baby whispherer which is also excellent..this is not such a strict routine.. Good luck. any questions, please email me..

I highly recommend On Becoming Baby Wise and I breastfed both of my children, now 3 and 17 mos. until they were almost 1. It says in the book there are times when you have to be flexible and you do. Both of my kids were sleeping through the night by 2 mos and now they nap at the same time. It really helped with the kids being on a schedule at such an early age. I have a stepson who is 10 and was not started with any kind of schedule and we still have struggles with bedtime. Good luck! K.

I breastfeed my first daughter by using the on demand method, and I will be doing the same with my second daughter which is due any day. I highly recommend this method because this is the time when the baby will learn trust and build an unbreakable bond with you. They need to know that their needs are being met. They will build their own schedule, and it will change as they go through growth spurts. I do not like the cry it out method at all. I do not believe that it is healthy. A baby's body will tell them that they are hungry and they will also tell them when to stop eating. Some people say that if you don't let them learn to soothe themselves that they will become really clingy when they are older, but that is just not the case. My daughter started sleeping through the night without all of the feeding schedules and she is 2 1/2 now and she is not clingy at all. The indepenence will come for each child at a different age. We do have our daughter on a bedtime routine and she falls asleep on her own each night. Your baby will tell you what is best. This will be such a precious time for you and your baby. It is hard at times, but enjoy it because before you know it they will be telling you that they want to do it themselves, and you will start to see such a strong and confident child because they know that if they have a need it will be met. Good luck on everything.

C.,
Breastfeeding is very easy! When your baby is hungry, you nurse him/her. I may be wrong, but I think the Babywise method is one that suggests putting a baby on a schedule.

Breastfeed your baby on demand, meaning, you nurse when baby is hungry. You watch for hunger cues: puts hand(s) in mouth, smacks lips together...when baby cries, it's often difficult to console and latch a hungry baby so watch for hunger cues before your baby starts to cry. You nurse your baby until he or she is full. If baby falls asleep at the breast, wake baby up by undressing baby and re-latching. When baby is done, offer the other side...if baby refuses, then you know baby is full. Wet diapers and poopy diapers are an excellent way of determining if baby is getting enough. Don't watch the clock when nursing ~~ nurse until baby is full. I don't think scheduling feeding times is normal or healthy. We don't eat on a schedule, right? We eat when we are hungry so it's the same for babies. Contact Le Leche League in your area and see if you can locate a lactation specialist in your area should you need assistance with correct latch on or other problems that may arise. Enjoy breastfeeding your baby. It's a beautiful experience...I breastfed my 3 children and miss it very much.

I used the Babywise book for both my boys and it was wonderful! I nursed my first for 13 months and my second for 11 months. I used my own "version" of it b/c I just couldn't let them cry it out for the bedtime routine part, but the basic concept of it worked great for us. I was able to easily go through the day and plan outings etc b/c I knew exactly what'd they'd need and when...and I brought them to work with me so it was great to know when I'd be able to return phone calls/do paperwork b/c I knew when they'd be sleeping and when they'd be awake. Also-There are several places in the book that say to not be super strict about the "schedule"-that it is just an outline to go by and that if your baby is hungry before the 2 hours then by all means feed him-so just keep that in mind as well--its a great concept that really works well. I think any "controversy" about it comes from those that haven't read the entire book and don't know that its meant as a helping tool and not as a strict scheduling device. It helps you to get some routine and sanity into your life, and it helped me feel more confident about nursing my little ones b/c I knew they were well-fed and rested.

I totally did babywise with both my kids and I breastfed both. But I will have to say the first couple of weeks it was a little hard to do the schedule because your milk takes sometimes a couple of days to come in and they are eating a lot. But I tried to stick with it as best I could. Plus it takes longer to breastfeed than bottle feed. But it works out and after that it was wonderful. I think I liked it more for the nap schedule than the feeding. But I am a bigger sleeper! So I needed to know exactly around what time they would be sleeping.

I have that book and I only breastfeed my first son for the first four months but supplemented with formula due to him being in the NICU for a week-things didn't go as planned.
but with my son now (four months old and 18 lbs/27 in long!) I pretty much followed the book.
my son eats every 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours but I make sure to do what the book says-feed him, let him have some awake time then follow up with a nap. He is a happy baby. I am still having problems at night-he only wants to sleep beside me and nurse to sleep. That was my fault-I didn't want to do without sleep so I started that and now I am having trouble getting out of that.
My older son is also 2. do you live in the area?
C. Koltz

Hey C.,

I did watch the video on breastfeeding the babywise way. I also read a book called "DR. Denmark Said It". Dr. Denmark is about 110 yrs. old now and no longer practices pediatrician but her book is filled with so much wisdom that I have used and it has all worked great for me. Breastfeeding is a great choice and I know you won't regret it! Dr. Denmark explains that a babies stomach is only as big as a walnut and there is no way a baby can digest milk every two hrs. which is what most doctors recommend. She has a schedule of feeding the baby every 4 hrs. during the day starting at 6:00am and ending at 10:00pm and NOT feeding them during the night. I personally did not stay strictly to this schedule but stayed pretty close. I tried not to feed him but every 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. and if I did feed him during the night, it was only Once and no more until 6:00am. My son sleep great through the night almost every night from birth. Dr. Denmark says if you overfeed them, they will spit up because they can't digest it all and then they don't sleep well because their little bodies are trying to digest food. She also says that crying is good as their lungs are still developing and if we stick something in their mouth every time they cry, it is hindering their lungs from growing strong. Her biggest thing is that moms know what is best for their babies, often times more than even doctors, so go with what you have a peace about and your baby will turn out just fine! She is so wise and my son did so well as we followed her advice.

Hope this helps you,
Have a blessed day!
T.

i didnt read anything other than what to expect the first year. however i did have a very reassuring lactation consultant and I think that helped alot. i feed on demand and had to try differnet holds cause the boobs were bigger than the baby. had some issues in the begining but once we clicked, it was great! do introduce a bottle early though cause they wont take one later one.

I read the book prior to having my baby and I am a total babywise failure. My daughter is now 7 months old and sleeps with us every night. She doesn't need rocking or anything, but really likes laying down with us. I also read the no cry sleep solution and ultimately, although they both made sense prior to having my little girl - I can't bring myself to let her cry it out and I feel so grateful for every minute we have together so now I'm a total attachment parenting softie. I don't think breastfeeding would change anything though - it's just easier to bring them into your bed to breastfeed where you will both fall asleep so you would be violating the "put them in their crib awake" principle. Good luck to you!

The hospital will also have a lactation consultant on hand to help you after you deliver! So ask, ask and bug to see her...she will help you and the hospital will also have movies you can watch after you deliver. Just know that you were given boobs to feed you little one and you can do it. I nursed my daughter for almost 3 years. It is so easy once you get over the first couple of weeks. Drink lots of water and you will be fine. Just like you are not always hungry at the sametime everyday...your baby will be the same! So feed your baby when s/he wants! Good luck!

My very old and good friend insisted that I breastfeed and use Babywise--she even bought me the book. She had done it with both of her children and praised the methods--she BFed both of her kids until 1 year and had both of them sleeping through the night by 12-14 weeks.
I ended up with some BFing issues around 8 weeks and had to stop, but had started implementing babywise (I also read the Baby whisper who basis her methods on the same routine(--sleep, eat, awake) even with my issues, we stuck to it and it worked out wonderfully. We've had very little sleeping problems--which is the same for ALL of the moms I know that implemented similar routines...babies sleeping 10-12 hours a night by 14 weeks...
My advice with Breastfeeding is to give yourself and the baby a couple of weeks to adjust--it takes a bit more time for the baby to get used to breastfeeding and for your body to get used to doing it--work out any issues you have there and then get more serious about implementing the routine. We really didn't start until my son was about 3 weeks old and still had great results..

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Hi C.!

I did breastfeed and use the Babywise system and it worked like a charm! My little one slept through the night at 10 weeks. Good luck!
K.

Yes, I did both of my children with Babywise and breastfed them. It worked well. Just start on the every 3 hours schedule as soon as you can. It works! My first son was sleeping through the night at 8 weeks but my second son took a little longer-not until 4 months. But I still think Babywise is great!!

Hey C.,
I am breastfeeding my son (now 2.5 months old) but not using Babywise. I had some problems getting my milk to come in and all the advice consistently was to feed him on demand, which meant sometimes every two hours, sometimes every 30 minutes. But he always had a long sleep at night, usually 4-5 hours, and he started sleeping through the night (10 pm to 6 am) at 8 weeks old. Now that he's taking bottles (of breastmilk), he feeds about every 3.5-4 hours from 6 am to 8 pm.
I've heard good things about Babywise, but I'd urge you to feed him/her on demand at least that first month to get your milk production up to speed. Don't stick a boob in his mouth the minute he starts to cry, but if distraction and rocking don't work, then feed him, even if he just ate.
All that sucking is good for your milk production, so it's a win-win.
Jen

I used it with both my babies. My son slept through the night (you know, 5 or 6 hours straight) at about 11 weeks. My daughter began sleeping like that at about her 7th week. The only real suggestion would be that in the first couple of weeks you keep a notepad handy and write down times, etc. It is so easy to become too sleep deprived to remember the details that all start running together. After your baby begins to sleep better, and begins to stretch the feedings out a little longer, you won't need to write it down anymore.
But I found, that for me anyway, trying to remember: left or right breast, time beginning feeding, time sleeping, etc.. plus taking care of the rest of the family.. it was just easier to write it down.
As far as the breastfeeding itself goes, there is a lot of advice you will get on that too. I found with my son, that if I tried to "switch" breasts during the feeding he quit and that was the end of the feeding.. beginning with his very first feeding after birth while in the hospital. He was nursing happily and the nurse said, okay it's been 15 minutes, switch him to the other breast. I tried, he cried, he screamed, he did not ever latch back on. In fact, the day we were discharged from the hospital, the only delay was "is he eating?"... If you let them nurse until your breast is empty they also will get the "hind" milk which is richer and more filling. Then you can offer the other. Just remember (write down?) to start with the "unused" breast at the next feeding...
Good luck to you. And congrats on the new one on the way...

Hi,

I see a lot of controversy over Babywise, and some good advice on both sides. You'll have to weigh it all and decide for yourself what works for you and your family.

First, I'd say that any organized group could be called a cult depending on how strong their particular beliefs. I don't know anything about the Ezzo's church, but the Babywise book does not espouse any religion or church, and can be followed successfully by anyone anywhere.

My story is that I love the Babywise method; I've used it with my three older children (ages 10, 8 and 6) and am now using it with my fourth (4 1/2 months old).

To start the routine, I would wake the baby up every three hours during the day (never at night), even during that newborn sleepy stage (my fourth I started right in the hospital), so they went back to sleep easily. I sometimes had to tickle their feet or use a wet washcloth on their feet to keep them awake. Good burping is essential, so they don't think they're full of milk when they have trapped air and stop feeding.

For me, "hunger cues" weren't reliable, babies suck on things for a variety of reasons. Often when I thought they were hungry, it turned out they were overtired and fell asleep feeding.

I would wake them every 3 hours if they were sleeping, but if they were awake and hungry before it was time to feed again, I would feed them early, and then work my way back onto the schedule by 15-30 minutes at a time for the next few feedings. Flexibility is a necessary ingredient, but always working back to the schedule. I post mine on the fridge so I don't have to try to recall it while holding a hungry baby!

If I found baby was consistently hungry early, I would change the schedule to make a couple 2 2/2-hour feedings, which added an extra feeding around her crankiest time of day. Again, I found it important to post the revised schedule on the fridge, so I wouldn't get confused. That really took a lot of stress off me.

If I found baby was consistently sleeping longer, I knew it was time to lengthen the schedule and drop a feeding. Babywise tells you the best times/ways to drop a feeding.

None of my children went hungry, by any means, and they're still good eaters. And they are strong and active today, with very few illnesses and no sleep issues. I watched my sister struggle with demand-feeding and co-sleeping issues, even up til adolescence, with her two daughters, and I just couldn't handle that. I love my sleep too much, I guess!

All of mine were sleeping through the night by 3 months old, and my fourth was sleeping 5-7 hours a night at 6 weeks. I started her on it right in the hospital, the earliest I've ever started the routine.

I know this is long, but I hope it helps!

Blessings,
Peg

I've breastfed and bottlefed. I will say I LOVE breastfeeding much better. I feed when my baby is hungry and she put herself on a schedule. I've heard LOTS of bad things about babywise, several cases of failure to thrive. So be careful and do your research! Babies know when they are hungry and they'll let you know!

I breastfeed all 3 of my children for over 1 yr. My best advice is all babies are different, one approach does not work for every baby. Some will sleep through the night at a few weeks others closer to a year some even longer. Read the book but don't expect everything it says to work or be the best fit for your child. A lactation expert can help with the tough times and trust me you will have them, I did with all 3 and all the issues were different. My best advice is give it at least 2 months. After that everything will go smoothly and you will really start to enjoy the bonding. I know if I wasn't determined I would have quit in the first few weeks with all 3 of them. I am glad I didn't, I loved breastfeeding them and I know I was doing what was best for them. Good luck!

I have read that book and used it as a guide. I consider all books as a guide... because babies and moms can vary. I did what you did, both bottle fed my son (was working at the time) and breastfed my daughter (didn't have a job at the time). I read the book before my son was born and thought that I shouldn't do everything word-for-word in the book... no one is grading me on how well I Babywise or whatever method I choose.

Do what you think best for feedings and follow your instincts. I do think it's a good book :)

Congrats and good luck!!

Babywise was talked about 4 years ago as a cult. I know that may make some people mad but it is not what is best for baby. Babies are all different and if you are going to breastfeed it should be on demand. Babies go through different stages and need different amounts of food based on those stages.
Why would you take advice from a religious minister (male) on how to feed your baby?

Bottom line is to do what is best, but is this book what your instinct tells you?

Hi C.!
Congratulations on breastfeeding! It's definitely the best way to nourish your baby. I breast fed all four of mine for a minimum of 1 year, (my 17 month old is still breast feeding), and you breastfeed them on demand. Breast milk digests very quickly, and they will be hungry much sooner than with formula. Sometimes my children would go 2-3 hours between nursing, but when they hit a growth spurt, they would nurse every 30 minutes at times. I had a lot of milk so I knew they were getting enough. But you go with your instincts. If you let your baby nurse as often as he/she wants, it is better for you and your body in milk production and losing the weight from the pregnancy, and much better for your baby, because they're getting what they need, and some will need to nurse more than others.
Congratulations! Take care and enjoy that baby!
V.

Hi C.,
I breastfed both of my sons for nearly 3 yrs. each. "On Becoming Babywise" is not a book I'd recommend for moms because I don't think it's sensitive enough to meeting the needs of the baby properly. The best resources I used during breastfeeding were by Dr. William Sears, who is a proponent of attachment parenting, i.e. wearing your baby in a sling, coosleeping, etc. He advocates building a strong bond with your baby early on and meeting their needs. Babies have a strong need to be with their mother at all times, especially during that first year of life. Breastfeeding meets the needs of the baby to have food, closeness with mommmy, and to know that mommy will always be there for him/her, building trust. It's wonderful for mommy too because the closeness you have with your baby through breastfeeding is unique. It's so wonderful that you've decided to give nursing a try this time around! It's very different from bottle feeding, but nursing is so beneficial for you and your baby, not to mention sooo much cheaper and more convenient! Good for you! Your baby will love you for it!

I also joined La Leche League, which is a phenomenal way to learn from other nursing moms. Each group also has a library of books nursing and parenting books that can be borrowed. I also recommend Dr. Jay Gordon and any La Leche League publication (www.lalecheleague.org), as well as Elizabeth Pantley, author of the "No Cry Sleep Solution".

Hope this helps!
M. B.

I used Babywise with my one year old and I found it very helpful. Some people don't like the idea of putting their babies on a schedule, but it worked so well for us. Now, he is a great sleeper and eater. Good luck!

Hi C.

Go on the internet and look up Gary Ezzo. There is a lot there. I fully embraced their training called Growing Kids God's Way. They have changed the name now. Babywise is not as careful as it should be. There are health risks I believe in using this method. You need to give your baby nourishment but not go overboard on not feeding when it's not time. That can be dangerous to the development of your baby. I am not trying to shock you, I just want you to research what is said of Babywise before you use it. Breastfeeding is the BEST, and I imagine if you pray about all the advice given that the Lord will give you wisdom about which is the best path for your family.
Enjoy your children and the precious time you have with them!
D.

With my first, I started off using Babywise, but it wasn't working for me or my daughter. She was never satisfied and I would get horribly, painful blocked ducts.
Also, if you google Babywise, there is A LOT of controversy surrounding this method.
If you are looking for an alternative on feeding and scheduling, etc., I would recommend the Baby Whisperer.
In the end, just do what works best for you and your baby regardless of what the books say. For instance, with my second baby that I am nursing right now, the books all say try to nurse 10-15 minutes per breast per feeding. My son can get a full feed off of one breast in about 5 minutes (in the first 4 weeks he gained more than 1 lb a week). So you have to find what works for you and the baby.
Good luck.

oh, you are awesome if ou were able to do babywise, i nursed son for 10 mo. and tried the babywise technique and couldn't really make it work, sometimes nursing makes things a little harder my son was a "snacker" for the first few months which made any kind of feeding/ sleeping schedule impossible. we were able to get into a routine after a while but at that point i was to exhausted to review the babywise book..... probably just what i needed at that point, i would hold out on re reading until you get into the swing of things, get to know your little one's personality

each child will bring a new outlook to feeding... my 3yr old breastfed for 18 months my 10 month old is weaning himself. the point isnt to follow the book, but to give you and your child a loving, safe, and mutually beneficial experience. dont judge and dont let yourself be judged. your child will let you know what is needed and what to do. good luck, and congrats for being open minded the 2nd time around.

it will save your life! i exclusivley breastfed both my girls for a year each and followed baby wise faithfully. most of my friends used it too and almost all went on to have great success breastfeeding and for long term! i really want to encourage you in your quest to breastfeed. it is a great bonding experience with your baby, it's way cheaper than formula, and by a couple months you'll be nursing only 4 or 5 times in a 24 hour period and have no bottles to wash or formula to make. you'll never be stuck somewhere without enough food and you will have an easier time switching to a cup! best of luck!

I hate the Babywise method!!! Every woman I know that tried it quit breastfeeding within the first month because it was too stressful for mom and for baby. It often led to nursing strikes which mothers believed was just the baby not being hungry and would force the issue making the nursing strike worse! Throw away all books, dvds, websites that tell you HOW to breastfeed your baby. Go to your local wic office or hospital once the baby is born and meet with a Lactation consultant. Babies eat when they are hungry. Breastmilk isn't just food either, its water, its vitamins, is snacks, its comfort. So what if your baby nurses for just a few minutes and then goes back to sleep? Maybe your baby was thirsty, not hungry. Would you deny her thirst because its not within the specific time frame. My daughter would sleep for 6 hours straight from birth. I had a homebirth but was transferred to a hospital afterwards and the nurses were angry that I wouldn't let them wake her up. She nursed when she was awake and slept when she wanted to. We haven't had any nursing problems except an overabundant supply. A much better problem to have than not enough milk. Babies need to nurse almost constantly in the beginning to strengthen the sucking muscles and to build a good supply. Plus they go through growth spurts once a week for the first month to month and a half. Believe it or not, you can breastfeed your baby without a bunch of help. Don't second guess yourself, you were designed to breastfeed your baby. You will learn how to communicate with each other. If you are worried about being up all night breastfeeding, learn how to nurse lying down (this will also help prevent baby from getting gas) and then you can sleep in bed and nurse the baby. Everywhere besides the US, cosleeping has a lower risk of SIDS than any sleeping method. In the US almost all cosleeping infant related deaths are due to an intoxicated parent. Sober parents DO NOT roll over onto their babies. Please, whatever you do, don't schedule your baby at the breast. The most secure place for a newborn is at the mother's breast. ps... I practiced on demand feeding and my baby started sleeping the whole night through (8 plus hours) at 6 weeks.