I used to compare my dogs to having children. I know it must have driven people crazy because no matter how much you treat your dogs like human units in the family, they are not the same as children. Children require 24-7 attention. They can not feed themselves, change themselves, or entertain themselves. Dogs can go outside to use the bathroom, graze from their food and water bowl, and most importantly preoccupy themselves at any given time. Babies, on the other hand, require more work. You should read up on how to care for your baby and decide how you plan to feed them. There are many resources out there that you can find for free on the internet. You should also look up free newborn care classes in your area. Some hospitals charge for them, but I was able to find a hospital system in my area that offered the classes for free and I learned a lot of valuable information. If I had not taken these classes, I would be pulling my hair out with all the motherly advise I continue to get from people. Plus, I know or would have been rushing my child to the hospital for nothing.
Feeding a child for the first year or so requires a lot of work period! It doesn't matter if you decide to breastfeed or bottle feed, both options are time intensive. You need to decide which method you want to use before your baby arrives. I choose to breastfeed. This option does not require as many bottles, etc. However, you need pumping and storage supplies. I suggest registering for more of this type of stuff than bottles. I registered for three styles of bottles and have too many in the cabinet that never get used. There are benefits to breastfeeding that never get mentioned in childcare classes. For example, you are not washing bottles all the time and you have your babies food on hand at all times, so there really isn't a reason to pack a bottle. However, all of this saved time will be used for pumping and storing milk.
There are also many methods to train your child to develop a schedule. There are time based models, parent directed, and child directed. I read about the different styles and tried to choose one and follow it. However, I ended up using my own custom blend of the three styles and like what I have going with my little one’s schedule. She gets off track when she is going through a growth spurt, but otherwise she has progressed nicely. The bottom line is you should do what makes you most comfortable!
Feeding a child for the first year or so requires a lot of work period! It doesn't matter if you decide to breastfeed or bottle feed, both options are time intensive. You need to decide which method you want to use before your baby arrives. I choose to breastfeed. This option does not require as many bottles, etc. However, you need pumping and storage supplies. I suggest registering for more of this type of stuff than bottles. I registered for three styles of bottles and have too many in the cabinet that never get used. There are benefits to breastfeeding that never get mentioned in childcare classes. For example, you are not washing bottles all the time and you have your babies food on hand at all times, so there really isn't a reason to pack a bottle. However, all of this saved time will be used for pumping and storing milk.
There are also many methods to train your child to develop a schedule. There are time based models, parent directed, and child directed. I read about the different styles and tried to choose one and follow it. However, I ended up using my own custom blend of the three styles and like what I have going with my little one’s schedule. She gets off track when she is going through a growth spurt, but otherwise she has progressed nicely. The bottom line is you should do what makes you most comfortable!
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