The only documented method of breastfeeding was demand feeding until the mid-18th century, when strictly scheduled suckling four to six times a day was first introduced by wealthy English society women. 1 S cheduled feeding seemed to be the only way that these women could combine their social responsibilities with breastfeeding. By the end of the 18th century, scheduled feeding fell into disrepute, due to increased infant morbidity and mortality. In the early 20th century, leading French and German paediatricians and obstetricians reduced breastfeeding to the level of pure food transfer and recommended a new, strictly regulated timetable both for breast and formula feeding. 2 On the basis of the experiences of wet nursing in hospitals, five feeds per day and none during the night seemed to be adequate to ensure the survival of an infant. In the 1960s and 1970s an increasing number of mothers, as well as paediatricians and obstetricians, returned to demand feeding. A new perception of the non-nutritional aspects of breastfeeding, new knowledge about and understanding of the unique characteristics of mothers’ milk and recommendations from non-medical breastfeeding counsellors (eg, the worldwide-operating La Leche League) were the main reasons behind this change in behaviour.

In the Euro-Growth Study, with various starting times in 1991–1993, breastfeeding mothers from 22 centres in 12 European countries were asked how many times their infant ate each day. 3 The mean number of breastfeeds in 24 h declined from 7· 1 at 1 month in 1152 mothers, to 6· 6 at 2 months in 873 mothers, 6· 2 at 4 months in 487 mothers, and 5· 8 at 6 months in 254 mothers. At the age of 1 month, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine or more feeds were observed in 0· 7%, 7· 6%, 31· 1%, 25· 7%, 25· 3%, and 9· 5% of the mother-infant pairs, respectively. Considering the relatively similar socioeconomic and cultural background of the mothers enrolled and the fairly homogeneous familial structure with a nuclear family and few children, the large clear differences of the mean number of feeds per day between most centres is surprising (table). The instructions of medical authorities given to three generations of lactating mothers, especially in Central Europe and France, may still influence their breastfeeding daughters. Breastfeeding professional advice was a significant (p< 0· 05) factor for a lower number of breastfeeds per day in eight centres with large subgroups of breastfeeding mothers receiving professional (n= 464) or family (378) advice. Thus, many obstetricians, paediatricians, general practitioners, and nurses still seem to be undeclared proponents of scheduled feeding. Demand feeding is currently recommended all over