When discussing anything "baby related" you will always come across 2 main schools of thought: DEMAND FEEDING vs ROUTINE.

This is the biggest dilemma for most parents that are trying to decide what's the best approach to take with their newborn, since they are quite polar opposite concepts.

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So, let me start by giving you an impartial explanation of both approaches, followed by my personal recommendation on it, as someone that have been testing both methods for several years. This way you will have a clearer idea of what to expect and what may be the best choice for you..

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1-FEEDING ON DEMAND: (also called baby-led approach), simply mean feeding your baby whenever he seems to be hungry, (=on demand). With this approach you are basically letting your baby lead the way, ending up with days all different from each other as you will feed your newborn at random times. This method is mostly used by exclusively breastfeeding mothers.

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2-ROUTINE: in this approach instead you are taking full control of your infant daily schedule structuring his feeding/sleeping cycles into specific times. The days are pretty consistent as your baby will feed and sleep pretty much at the same hour. A routine is easier to achieve with bottle fed babies or mix fed babies, (breastfeeding + bottle top up), as this way newborns eat bigger quantities in less time. Particularly ideal for mothers with low milk supply.

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Now as a professional sleep trainer, you can already imagine that my preference is undoubtedly leaning towards the routine method, since without a routine it's pretty much impossible to sleep train a baby, (the two go hand in hand).

But let's pretend you don't care much about sleep training, (as some family don't), I still believe routine is the most beneficial approach for both baby and parents for many different reasons:

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-quality of sleep: babies that are into a routine have the tendency to sleep deeper and for longer chunks of time, and we all know that good sleep is essential for their development. This will also give mothers more time to rest in between feeds, largely decreasing the risk of ever experiencing post natal depression, and helping boost their milk production.

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-good eating habits: as consequence of the previous point, well rested babies are usually good feeders as they are more active on the breast, granting effective latching sessions which will help them take more milk and last longer until the next feed. Basically you will not feed as often as you do when following the baby-led approach. On the contrary, when feeding on demand, mothers have the tendency to latch way too often even when not necessary, using the breast as a pacifier every time the baby cry. This will inevitably develop into bad feeding habits as mothers often associate crying with hunger and the baby is often silenced with the breast even if not hungry and crying for a different reason.

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-good mood: well rested and well fed babies are happy babies. Babies that follow a routine are commonly less unsettled and easier to manage, (they cry less). Most unexperienced parents associate the word "routine" to what they perceive as an harsh approach, ("military style"), which is the biggest misconception out there. This couldn't be farther from the true as nothing is more comforting for babies than being regulated into a specific cycle to follow which through repetitions will become very familiar to them giving a sense of stability as they'll know exactly what to expect in each day. On the contrary, nothing is more unsettling for babies than having complete chaos in their life, with days all different from each other, where feeds and naps are all over the place. Understanding this basic principle is key for you to help your newborn achieve a happy and healthy life style as soon as possible. 

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-overall health: statistically speaking, babies that are into a routine are healthier babies and they develop faster. Routine equal structure, structure equal balance,...a balanced life is an healthy life. Obviously this will reflect on your health as well. Mothers that follow a routine are generally less tired that mothers that feed on demand.

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-boosting parents confidence: one of the most underrated benefit of having a routine is the massive boost in your confidence. There is nothing more frustrating for parents than not understanding why their baby is crying, feeling completely powerless about it. Well by following a routine you will almost always understand what is upsetting your little one as you will go "by exclusion": if you are close to nap time, you know he is simply tired, if he is crying just after eating you know it's either a burp or a diaper change etc..babies don't cry only for food, there are many different reasons in what may cross them. In fact one of the most common mistake mothers that feed on demand make is latching their baby every time he cries using food as a solution for everything, because they don't understand what is upsetting their child. As you can imagine this not only will teach your baby the wrong associations but it can be quite damaging on the long run, as constant feeding your baby when he is not really hungry will only increase his chances to experience reflux, stomach ache, colics etc..

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So even if not on a mission to sleep train your baby, you can see how many benefits the implementing of an healthy routine can bring to your family, as a calmer and happier infant is a good starting point for joyful parenthood.

More peaceful nights will be a natural result of it, which I doubt you'll dismiss..I mean who enjoy sleep deprivation right?

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Now you may ask yourself,...when is be the best time to start implementing a routine?

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From my experienced opinion the sooner the better!...so past those first few days post delivery, (1 week max, where you will mostly channel your "survival mode" trying to cope with one day at the time), you can easily start creating a balanced 3 hourly feeding cycle.

 

This is another controversial discussion you will often come across as some people believe that setting up a routine too early in life is either "harmful" or "too tough" on the baby, and they often start setting up a routine later on, (when baby is 4-6 months old).

To my opinion this is a much harder and more traumatic process for your child as by then he will be used to different ways of doing things and as an older baby he will be more aware of the changes fighting against it.

Think of it this way: when your baby come into the world he is like a blank canvas, whatever you teach him becomes "his normality"...so if you promote good feeding sessions 3 hours apart early on, rather than letting him snack small quantities every 2 hours, he will quickly and easily adjust to that pattern since that way of doing tings is all he knows.

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My philosophy is: "Set up good habits since the very beginning, rather than struggling to correct bad habits later on".

Why make things harder for yourself and for your baby when you can easily avoid some of the most common issues most parents experience by simply doing things the right way since day one.

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By exhausting yourself and your newborn with bad feeding habits and sleep deprivation you are not doing a favour to anyone, so just learn to implement the right habits and right associations early on and you will set yourself up for a very happy motherhood journey.