I am 32 weeks pregnant and I keep reading that you should breastfeed on demand. Is it OK to breastfeed on a schedule, every three hours at first and then as the baby is able to accomodate it every four hours?

Excellent question - and one that comes up often. We, as adults, are geared towards doing things according to a more-or-less predictable schedule. Some people thrive on that kind of orderly life! Babies are not adults, though, and scheduling is totally foreign to them.

Think about your baby in the womb. He is getting everything he needs continuously, in small doses, and he never has to ask for it. Your body regulates what he gets, without either one of you having to think about it.

When your baby is born, all of a sudden he finds himself in a bewildering world in which things don't still happen automatically. A newborn's stomach is only the size of his tiny fist--about the size of a walnut. That tiny tummy simply won't hold much--nor is it designed to! Your first milk, or colostrum, is concentrated "liquid gold" - a little of it goes a long way. Breast milk is perfect food for a human infant. It has what your baby needs, and in the right amounts. There isn't a whole lot of waste to breast milk. And that means it is very easy on a baby's digestive system. It is quickly and easily digested, and that means that your baby will want to eat again--long before those three hours are up! Remember, also, that breastfeeding is not just about delivering food. It satisfies your baby's thirst, his need for companionship, and provides immune protection against the germs he and you are exposed to.

Another way to look at this issue is to think back to a normal day for you. Do you eat on a strict by-the-clock schedule? Most of us snack off and on throughout the day, and get water when we are thirsty, and seek out companionship when we are lonely. If a meal time comes around and we aren't hungry, we have the option of not eating. If we are hungry before that meal time, we have the option of snacking.

Breastfeeding a baby "on demand" just recognizes that he has needs that may happen outside of a strict schedule. You can learn to read his cues early on and offering the breast becomes second nature to you. Believe me, it is a whole lot easier to offer the breast when your baby shows signs of interest than it is to hold an increasingly upset baby off until the next feeding time!

One final note, babies do eventually settle into a more predictable routine and will begin to stretch out their feedings. Some babies do this earlier than others. In the early weeks, you should plan on at least 10-12 feedings every 24 hours, making sure that he is wetting and stooling plenty of diapers. This ensures that you have a good strong milk supply, and that he will be growing happy and healthy.