cycles on their own. Here the parent asserts guidance in place of an
infant’s inability to establish his or her own order.
Parent-directed feeding provides necessary guidance. It establishes
for baby a rhythmic structure which helps hunger cycles synchronize with
planned wake and sleep times. These principles work because they focus
on the constant factors of baby’s development. Baby’s temperament, a
huge variable from child to child, is not an issue in achieving
fundamental skills. As Chelsea’s mother provides daily interaction with
her baby through predictable feed/wake/nap cycles, Chelsea’s hunger and
sleep/wake patterns first organize then stabilize. Mom’s predictable
interactions are time cues for Chelsea. These cues assist Chelsea in
organizing her biological clock and responding appropriately.
Between seven and nine weeks, Chelsea’s parents can expect her
nighttime sleep cycles to be a continuous 7–8 hours. After three months
of age, that time is extended to 9–11 hours each night. This nighttime
sleep is in addition to her regular naptime during the day. This means
bliss for everyone. Mother. Baby. Father. Siblings. Perhaps even the
family pet.
Fact Two:
From birth onward, infant hunger patterns will either become stable and
regular or move towards inconsistency. When infants are fed on the PDF
plan, their hunger patterns stabilize. The reason for this is that the hunger
mechanism (digestion and absorption) operates as if it has a metabolic
memory reinforced by routine. If Chelsea’s feeding periods are regular,
she will establish a hunger metabolism that is stable and predictable. For
example, if her mom feeds her at approximately 7:00 A.M., 10:00 A.M.,
1:00 P.M., 4:00 P.M., 7:00 P.M., and 10:00 P.M., Chelsea’s hunger
synchronizes with those times. This happens only where feeding periods
are routine. As a result of organizing and establishing healthy feeding
patterns, babies automatically organize and establish patterns of optimal
sleep.
In contrast, erratic feeding periods confuse an infant’s young