This is assuming milk is for nutrition only. It’s so much more. Comfort, pain-relief, back to sleep soother etc. Not to mention regular night wakening are protective against SIDS. Night wakings are not just for hunger/thirst. They’re defenceless little people & need to feel safe and secure. If a baby doesn’t wake and need their parent, great, but realistically most at this young age doThere’s nothing wrong with getting a baby into a routine, even at 10 weeks. You’ll find a baby that is in a regular sleep and feeding routine, thrives. There’s so much emphasis these days on ‘feed on demand’ - it’s got young mums up and down the country living like hermits and never leaving the house because their baby wants to feed every hour.
The trick is getting a balance - and the way to get a baby into a routine is to gradually move feeds and ensure they are full up with a dream feed late on so they don’t wake hungry during the night. Obviously that’s not to say you don’t feed them if they do wake! But it’s been the way for years and years to try to get into a routine as soon as…
Emphasis is feed on demand so baby can build up your milk supply. Unrestricted access to breasts means plentiful of milk & hormone that makes breastmilk is 10 times higher at night so it’s evolutionary that babies need regular night feedings, at least when they’re young anyway…
I agree a routine can help some mums regain some control in their lives, but for others it can be too stressful if baby doesn’t conform & they’re better off just following their baby’s lead. I agree about being a hermit when establishing breastfeeding! It’s very intense & exhausting. The fact we don’t acknowledge this & talk openly makes people feel more isolating/lonely, support systems aren’t put into place & might lead to people not feeding for as long as they’d like to
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