Scheduling Doesn't Diminish Milk Supply: Busting this Myth.

Scheduling doesn’t diminish milk supply.

When I was learning about breastfeeding I was basically told that scheduling feedings would destroy my milk supply. I’m here to say that is completely untrue. Scheduling doesn’t diminish milk supply.

This is a breastfeeding myth that can be really harmful to some moms. Feeding on demand, especially feeding twins on demand, can be very tough on moms. Being able to plan ahead can be sanity-saving. And that does not mean your milk supply will dry up.

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I utilized a lot of Babywise ideas when my kids were babies. They worked for us. Scheduling made life with newborn twins and a two-year-old manageable.

A big misconception about Babywise is that it tells you not to feed your child if he or she is hungry. Well, Valerie from the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom pointed out specifically all the times that the Babywise book actually tells you to feed your baby if he or she is hungry! (Not to mention if you think your baby is hungry are you really going to not feed him or her because some book told you not to? I don’t think so.)

There is a difference between letting your baby go hungry or trying to go as long as possible between feedings and feeding on a schedule. And feeding on a schedule does not mean your milk will automatically dry up.

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Scheduling Doesn’t Diminish Milk Supply

Scheduling Doesn’t Diminish Milk Supply

The production of breast milk in the body works on a supply and demand system. The baby demands milk, so the breast makes more. The more a baby eats, the more the body knows to make. Once the milk is no longer demanded production of it slows down.

So it would make sense that if you spread out feedings too quickly production would taper off. But where does it say that scheduling feedings mean you have to make them far apart right away?

My son was a hungry little newborn. I knew this and the interval between feedings was sometimes only ninety minutes. That interval grew with time.

Scheduling does not mean you ignore the demand to eat, it means you meet that demand and plan ahead to keep meeting it. It is recommended by the AAP to wake babies during the day if they are sleeping past the three-hour mark. Babywise tells us to do the same thing! It is important to have full complete feedings frequently throughout the day to build and maintain milk supply.

The Goal of a Schedule Isn’t Long Times Between Feedings

Scheduling is not about trying to go as long as possible between feedings. It’s about making sure your babies are eating enough.

The first few weeks of my babies’ lives were sleepy, sleepy weeks for my little ones. If I had just let them sleep as long as they liked I wouldn’t have fed them as frequently. By scheduling feedings, I made sure they ate the recommended 8-12 times in a 24 hour period.

When I started nursing the girls I nursed them one at a time. This let me really focus on them each staying awake and getting a full feeding. Scheduling these nursing sessions let me make sure that one girl wouldn’t be left hungry simply because her sister demanded to eat first.

To prevent the girls from getting too hungry I actually scheduled their initial feedings two to two and a half hours apart. I was able to keep ahead of the hunger so they ate enough and weren’t starving at meal times, making it harder to nurse.

Scheduling Means Planning Ahead

Having twins and a toddler means you have to plan. Newborns can take a very long time to eat. Toddlers are not good at waiting and entertaining themselves when they need something. By knowing when my girls were going to eat I could be sure that Ben had a fresh diaper and a full sippy of water before I started feeding the girls.

For myself, I had all my breastfeeding supplies ready to go. Even now when the girls only take about 10 minutes to eat I can still be prepared!

I know to make Ben use the potty before we start. I know when we can get out of the house and go to activities because I know when my girls will be hungry. At nine months old the girls still nurse five times a day. Scheduling these feedings means I make sure that they nurse before they have solids, which makes it easier for them to get maximum nutrition from breast milk.

Scheduling Makes Solid Feedings a Habit

As babies grow and get busier, it can be hard to get them to settle down and nurse. They want to play and explore! Scheduling feedings help me be sure to take the proper time and make nursing a priority. I make sure we sit down at the appropriate times and focus on this special time. The girls know that it is time to eat and settle into it nicely.

Scheduling Didn’t Diminish My Supply

I think I am a personal example of how scheduled feedings doesn’t mean you will lose supply. I nursed my son for 14 months. The first six months were just breast milk, and solids were slowly added in after that.

I am going on 10 months of nursing my twins, the first seven being just breast milk before really starting solids, and I don’t plan to end any time soon. Yes, I know that is not every woman’s story. I know there are many reasons why nursing doesn’t work. But I am personal proof that scheduling feedings alone does not mean you will lose all your milk. (Update: I was able to breastfeed Ali and Sammy for 15 months before weaning.)

Scheduling Means You Prioritize Feedings

What does it mean when you schedule something? To me, it means you are prioritizing it. You are making sure to carve out time in your day because you see that activity as being important. I schedule my nursing sessions because I think they are of the utmost importance. I make sure to find the proper time in every day to meet the needs of my babies, making sure that I keep up a good supply to do so.

Babywise and scheduling aren’t starvation methods that will make your breast milk dry up. They are a system for assessing what your child needs and trying to find the best way to meet those needs while meeting the needs of everyone in the family.

Scheduling is figuring out what is going on with your child and how to best provide for him or her. Or, in other words, parenting.

With a three-year-old and twin infants, we have a lot of needs that need to be met. Scheduling nursing sessions let me make sure everyone’s needs are met, including nursing enough to maintain milk supply. Babywise isn’t for everyone, and that is just fine. There isn’t one right way to parent. But know that babywise in itself does not make milk dry up. I am proof of that.

–Kim