The importance of full feedings
There is so much talk about babies and full feedings and you may be thinking, “What’s the big deal?” Let me enlighten you.
Focusing on getting full feedings is the ripple effect that sets the stage for a successful ‘eat, play sleep’ routine. It’s also the key to better sleep and better quality awake time. Routine feedings will also help stabilize a newborn’s hunger patterns to organize into predictable rhythms. Feeding erratically around the clock, or constant snacking, disables a baby’s ability to create predictable routines and organize hunger patterns.
Let me explain…
Following a full feeding, a baby then has productive, quality awake time and when they have better quality awake time they take better naps, which means your baby is rested and has optimal alertness which means he will be awake and ready to take in a full feeding (a good napper = a better feeder!) Does that make sense?
Let me paint a picture of the opposite scenario. You have a baby snacking all day on the breast of bottle (or feeding on demand as many call it), this baby who is constantly hungry and never fully satiated, so he/she is constantly looking to be fed. This constant state of snacking often leave you with a cranky baby during their awake time and their sleep is typically compromised as well (a poor feeder generally = a poor sleeper).
Here’s a list to help you determine if your baby is a snacker or a full-feeder.
Snack-feeding vs. Full feeding:
Snack feeding:They have no organized feeding patterns or routines.
They are constantly snacking throughout the day and possibly throughout the night as well.
They may act cranky or fussy during their awake time.
They always seem hungry.
They take very short naps and may only sleep 1-2 hours at a time at night.
There is little to no predictability to their day because of their constant need to eat.
Full feeding:They have an organized and predictable feeding schedule/routine.
They are satiated after a feeding and able to go a few hours without food.
They take better naps and their sleep is overall more solid.
They are alert and happy during their awake time.
The downside to snacking or feeding on demand:
Although snacking is not harmful to your baby, there are some things to keep in mind when deciding if that’s the right feeding approach for your family.
Mom is constantly worried that her baby is hungry, so therefore she constantly feeds baby.
Mom is quick to assume that her baby’s crying is a hungry cry, therefore she feeds. And this can easily turn into a daily snacking fest, especially if every whimper and cry is met with a feeding, therefore, baby comes to rely on food for comfort and associates crying with feeding.
It’s really time consuming! You may find yourself constantly dropping everything all day to feed your baby.
Snacking essentially keeps babies from building up an appetite for a REAL or FULL feeding, thus perpetuating a habit of snacking.
For nursing babes, full feedings are essential and help them get foremilk AND the hind milk, which is the the perfect balance of protein and fat that is needed for growth and development. If your baby is snack-feeding all day, he is never really getting that hind milk.
When babies create that comfort-feeding habit, we are taking away their ability to self-soothe, which will require work down the line if they come to rely on food as their go-to comfort for everything.
Babies who snack also have no organized hunger patterns which can wreak havoc on their hunger metabolism, especially then they start making up for lost calories during the night.
Last but not least, babies who snack typically also take very short naps and their overall sleep is likely compromised. Since snacking does not promote adequate feedings, their bodies have gotten into an eating pattern that fills them up for short bouts of time that prevents them from sleeping long or well enough because they’re constantly waking up hungry.
When Snack-feeding is important or required:
It is very important to keep in mind that in some situations feeding on demand is crucial and often necessary for some babies. For example, a mom who is waiting for her milk to come in would need to feed on demand in the early weeks in order to stimulate good milk flow and establish a good breastfeeding routine.
Another reason why a baby would be required to feed on demand is if his/her pediatrician advised baby to do so for whatever reason, whether baby has poor weight gain, or they have a medical issue preventing them from following a typical 2-3 hour feeding schedule. You ALWAYS want to check with your doctor to make sure that your baby is getting enough feedings and follow their feeding advice that is given based on your child’s overall health and growth.
So how do I ensure that my baby is getting a full feeding?
Whether you are totally aware that your baby is only having half a feeding or not, It can be so frustrating when they start waking at night for seemingly no reason at all and the only way to get them back to sleep is with food. This can be prevented with paying close attention to your baby’s eating patterns and their hunger cues to make sure they are eating well and cashing in on those meals during the day and NOT at night.
Are you still not exactly sure how to get your baby to take in a full feeding? Here are some practical tips to help ensure that your baby is getting full feedings throughout the day.
Tips for full feedings:
Look for early hunger cues
Timing is everything, guys! Of course you shouldn’t aim for perfection when it comes to the timing of your baby’s feedings, but you want to be as consistent as possible. Make sure you are paying attention to your baby’s hunger cues and to when they last ate to determine when it’s time for a feeding. Catching their cues early on will ensure that they aren’t going to be overtired or starving when you try and feed him/her. A baby who is too tired or too hungry to eat will not eat well. They will either be hysterical and have a hard time eating or they will be too tired to take in a full feeding. So familiarize yourself with your baby’s hunger cues to know when to feed!Don’t let your baby doze off during the feeding.
Make sure your baby doesn’t doze off during a feeding. If you see that your baby is constantly falling asleep on the breast or the bottle, I suggest moving that feeding a good 15-30 minutes earlier to prevent this issue. Moving the feedings earlier will also help prevent a feed-to-sleep habit or assocation from occurring. If your baby is still falling asleep during a feeding, as soon as you see him/her starting to doze off, quickly unlatch your child from the breast or bottle and either put baby in the crib if it’s time to sleep, and it it’s not time to sleep, then gently wake him/her up for some quality awake time.Follow an ‘eat, play, sleep, routine’ .
Following an ‘eat, wake/play, sleep’ routine will help you identify when it’s time to eat, when it’s time to play and when it’s time to sleep. This is the most effective way to ensure full feedings.Avoid snacking
You want to make sure you avoid a cycle of snack-feeding throughout the day and allow 2-3 hours between feedings to ensure they are taking in adequate feedings. If your baby starts to cry, before assuming he/she is hungry, think of the last time they ate, try offering a distraction like a pacifier or a new toy to look at, change your baby’s position because he/she may likely be bored and need a change of scenery. The point is not to assume that every cry is a hunger cry.Feed your baby in a conducive space.
If you have a baby who is easily distracted, I highly recommend feeding him/her in a dark room, free of noise, stimulation and people walking around. A distracted baby often doesn’t eat well because they are too busy looking at everyone and everything and they don’t want to miss out on the action.Address medical issues such as reflux or tongue/lip tie.
If your baby is suffering from reflux or a lip/tongue tie, first things first - contact your Dr. to see how to better help your baby and rule out the need for intervention. You want to familiarize yourself with feeding positions and techniques that are comfortable and conducive for a baby with reflux or lip/tongue tie to make sure he/she is able to take in a full feeding with minimal discomfort and difficulty. You may have to opt for a longer feeding or splitting that feeding in half to allow your baby to digest first, but it’s ok! Side-lying positions are often helpful for reflux babies and sometimes it takes changing out the bottle or nipple a few times until you get the one that your baby feeds best with. For lip and tongue ties, you may benefit from using a nipple shield if your baby is having a hard time latching.Avoid over-tiredness
An overtired baby is going to be too tired to feed well and will not want to eat! Look for early signs of tiredness and feed your baby before they are in the twilight zone.Proper latch for breastfed and bottle fed babies
Ensure a proper latch to optimize milk flow and reduce air intake, which can lead to discomfort and shorter feeding sessions.Skin-to-skin
Hold your baby close during feedings, preferably with skin-to-skin contact, as it can promote bonding and help regulate their feeding patterns.Encourage active sucking
Gentle massage or stroking of your baby's cheek can stimulate the rooting reflex, encouraging active sucking during feeding.Switch sides
For breastfeeding, offer both breasts during each feeding session to ensure your baby gets hind-milk, which is richer in fat and helps keep your little one full.Burp halfway through
Pause halfway thorough feedings to burp your baby, which helps release trapped air, reducing discomfort, allowing for more effective feeding.Change feeding position
Experiment with different feeding positions to find what works best for you and your baby. Some babies may prefer being held upright or reclined while feeding. Yes, they have a preference.
“How do I know if my baby is full after a feeding?”
This is such a common question I get from parents! They are often concerned that their babies aren’t getting enough, or rather, they aren’t sure what to look for to determine if their baby had enough to eat.
So here are the most common signs that your baby is full after a feeding:
Baby is turning his head away, showing you when he is done.
He starts spitting out milk or simply unlatching from breast or bottle
He is happy, calm, content or playful after a feeding. He isn’t crying, rooting or searching for more food (whether breast or bottle).
The sucking starts slowing down and he is not sucking as vigorously anymore.
He may leave a drop of milk in the bottle showing he is full and doesn’t need anymore.
He sleeps well and has good quality awake time.
You will know when your baby still wants more and hasn’t had enough. He will be crying and rooting, and he won’t be very happy if you set him down or try to put him to sleep.
A full, satiated baby will be happy, content and calm after a feed. So pay attention to your baby when he feeds and what his body language and behavior is telling you when he’s done. You will learn to tell the difference between a baby who had enough to eat and a baby who did not.
The bottom line:
If you want more predictability during your day and if you want your baby to sleep better and have better quality awake time, you will need to sit and make some changes to their routine. These are pretty fail-proof and simple ways to promote full feedings for your little one. Now I know this seemed like a lot of information all at once and it may be tough to think about how on earth you are going to put all off these things into practice. Don’t stress, start small if you have to and implement one of these tips to your child’s daily routine at a time - that alone will make all the difference in their feedings.