Cluster feeding

Lisababy14

What does your LO do during cluster feeding? Mine will eat then cry and then eat and then cry. There doesn't seem to be any happy time in between when he wants to eat and is crying. Is this what it is supposed to look like?

LunaBug924

FTM here so no experience but it sounds similar to what's going on here. She'll be good for about a half an hour to an hour between feeding (from both sides) but then she'll need a diaper change and won't be consoled by anything other than more boob. And she'll feed like a regular feeding so I don't think she's using me as a pacifier. I just feel bad because I feel like she's sucking me dry and not getting enough. I'm interested in what other moms have to say.

Hallil

Yes, it's normal. When they cluster feed it's to bump up supply for the coming days/weeks. The only way to make the body make more milk is to make it think it's not making enough. Supply and demand, just keep offering and keep up your eating and drinking habits, lots of water and nutritious foods.

My midwife warned me of the 3,6,9 growth spurts/cluster feeds with DD1 and she was exact to the day on this schedule.

3, 6, 9 days old
3, 6, 9 weeks old
3, 6, 9 months old

Don't get discouraged and really don't be quick to supplement around those times, that's when it's most helpful to stick with it.

Miggg

Good info, thanks @Hallil! I've had the same experience as you @LunaBug924‌ and was just starting to have the same concerns as it seemed like his demand was starting to exceed my supply.

spinsoffresonance

DD use to do this every night from 7-10pm when she was a newborn. We called it "hunger monster." she would come off one boob crying and rooting, we switched side and after 20min of sucking she'd come off still crying and rooting. So back to the first boob and repeat. Nonstop for about 3 hours every night.

@LunaBug924‌ DD never went more than 30min in between feedings in the beginning. Don't feel bad. This is how breastfeeding works. The more often they eat, the more you will produce. For me it usually took 1-2 days for my supply to adjust to increase/decreased feedings.

Lisababy14

Thank you all for your responses. My milk had just come in yesterday and I was happy with how feelings were going until 8:30pm hit. We made it through, he finally went to sleep around 12 and gave me a solid 3.5 hour break.

I had to keep reminding myself that the LC said if you can make it the first 40 days, feeding after that will become much easier.

Lisababy14

@lica001‌ that is what DS was doing but with a 5 min cry session in between boobs where he wouldn't latch and I couldn't soothe him.

spinsoffresonance

Totally agree with your LC. The first 3 weeks are incredibly hard. If you can make it through, the next 3 weeks get easier and once you make it past 6 weeks life is good and easy again (although she didn't sleep more than 3 hours at night until 9m old but that's a small price to pay!). At least that was my experience with DD.

bumpuser10194737

lica001 said:

Totally agree with your LC. The first 3 weeks are incredibly hard. If you can make it through, the next 3 weeks get easier and once you make it past 6 weeks life is good and easy again (although she didn't sleep more than 3 hours at night until 9m old but that's a small price to pay!). At least that was my experience with DD.

It definitely gets better- I agree that this is about the same time frame I experienced with my first two .

This little one also tends to cluster feed in the evenings

SMM1986

My girl was a stinker last night, Up about every hour to eat. Of course she decides to actually sleep this morning when I'm up for the day.

Sarac2288

That was us last night from 12-3am then he slept till 7am then 7 am -11am feeding a then 11 -330 sleep

Lisababy14

@Sarac2288‌ He did it again to me this morning from 9 am to 1 pm and he's going on almost 3 hrs. of a nap. Good to know I'm not alone. Now I'm waiting for the pedi to call back because even with all that food he only had two poops yesterday and 1 so far today

mirdamae03

@Lisababy14‌ that's totally normal. The BM is being fully utilized by the body and has little waste output.

awc1986

DD does this. She'll generally sleep in the day from 11-4 or 5 and will cluster feed either side of that. Then we're up every 3 hours in the night.

Lisababy14

@mirdamae03‌ what about wet diapers? I just counted and he's only had 3 today

mirdamae03

How many has he been having other days? Lack of wet diapers are more worrisome than poop diapers.

Lisababy14

the on call pedi called back and said everything seems fine and said not to worry. We have our one week check up on Monday so hopefully everything is still ok.

I FF DS1 so breast feeding is very new to me and I hate not knowing if he's eating enough