From ‘On Demand’ to ‘On Schedule’

During the first few months of life babies should be allowed to eat on demand….that is, when they are hungry. Infants have such small tummies, that they can only hold small amounts of food at one time. But because their needs for nourishment are high, they’ll require refilling frequently. Only your little one knows when those times are, and he’ll tell you clearly when it’s time to eat. As he grows, you’ll notice he can go longer between feedings. That’s when you may want to try and establish a feeding schedule. Here are some reasons why you will want to establish a schedule and helpful hints on when and how:

Schedules serve a purpose:

For one thing, they are convenient. It makes life easier for caregivers so they can plan meal preparation.

Scheduled meals will ultimately be nutritionally superior: It has been shown that kids who eat at set meal and snack times are slimmer and do better nutritionally than those who don't.

Older infants, toddlers and young children thrive on meal and snack schedules. It is a security that assures them that they will be fed, and they can count on those times to get food. That security allows them to tolerate healthy hunger better.

Getting acquainted with the concept:

As soon as your baby can sit unsupported in a high chair, have her join you at the table for meals. This will introduce the concept of ‘meal times’ although she will not yet understand that.

When to start with a schedule:

From a logical standpoint, a good way to begin a schedule is when you want to start introducing solids.

Serve her solid foods during family mealtimes, or if the whole family is not sitting down to eat together, offer the solids at those times you would like to establish as ‘meal time’ for your baby. For example, you may want to offer the first taste of baby cereal at ‘breakfast’ time. Earth’s Best Organic Brown Rice Cereal is a great food to start your baby off with.

If your baby gets hungry before a time you’d like to establish as mealtime, offer a small snack that will take the edge off but maintain the appetite necessary to bring to the meal. Teething biscuits make a great snack for babies nine months and up that will occupy baby and curb hunger.. This will help babies’ systems adjust to new eating times without undue hunger.

Schedules tend to evolve over time and then change and adapt as babies grow. Younger babies may need several meal and snack times. When they can eat more at each meal, you may be able to adjust meal times to allow for the elimination of one or more feedings.

For those infants closer to 6 months old, just transitioning to solids at mealtime, offer the breast milk or bottle first, then the solid foods. Solids are initially just for the practice of eating them. As time passes, they will take more and more of a nutritional role.

As you go from 6 months to 12, slowly begin to offer the solid foods first. Earth’s Best makes baby foods ideal for mealtimes, such as Sweet Potato and Chicken Dinner. At mealtime serve formula or the transition beverage in a sippy cup and continue to offer breast and bottle after the meal, during snacks, or those early morning and late night cuddle times.

If you need some guidance as to which solids to offer when, print and post Earth’s Best Feeding Schedule to refer to.

Make your schedule flexible:

Because eating schedules tend to evolve, they shouldn’t be overly strict. Babies often hit growth spurts that appear to make them hungry all the time. In those cases, you may have to let any schedule you’ve developed fall by the way side and return to it as soon as you can.

Whether your child consumes a regular three meal per day pattern with small snacks in between, or six or seven mini-meals, scheduled eating times that allow for some flexibility are the best choice for older babies.