Years ago, Western “baby experts” often instructed parents to feed their babies at regularly-spaced intervals of 3- or 4-hours. But today, official medical recommendations have shifted in favor of letting babies decide.
Why this change? What is better, the schedule or feeding on cue?
The main reason for this change is that, when we let babies determine the timing and the length of their own feeds, they are more likely to get what they need.
Interfering in this process doesn’t help babies develop their own intuitions about food, and it may lead to problems like dehydration and underfeeding.
Feeding on cue can help breastfeeding, establish a good milk supply, and can help bottle-feeding, avoiding that the babies get overfed. Feeding on cue makes it easier for infants to increase or decrease their intake as needed.
So, remember, unless your baby’s doctor says another thing, feeding on cue is the best for your baby.