Cluster feeding question

jj0313

Perhaps a dumb question but how do I know I have a baby who is cluster feeding vs having a baby who will just take the boob any time I offer it? I'm still not feeling very strong about picking up feeding cues. Tia!

dr_pr

I usual offer a paci, and if he turns it down and clamps onto a boob I know he's hungry. Plus, if he's actively eating (you see sucking and swallowing) then he's hungry. Breastfed babies don't overfeed themselves. If he's just hanging out with shallow sucking, he's just comfort sucking and I try to get a paci in there instead.

jj0313

I feel like, in general, my baby is a pretty shallow sucker. It sometimes makes things hard to gage. I'm going to talk to the lc about this next week.

ssstephanie214

jj0313 said:

I feel like, in general, my baby is a pretty shallow sucker. It sometimes makes things hard to gage. I'm going to talk to the lc about this next week.

We had this shallow sucking issue until the baby got her frenulum clipped. She would eat for ten minutes, quit, and want to eat again in 20 mins. I thought it was cluster feeding, but now I realize she wasn't getting enough when she fed so she went more frequently. Hopefully the LC will give you some good insight.

staugustinewedding

dr_pr said:

I usual offer a paci, and if he turns it down and clamps onto a boob I know he's hungry. Plus, if he's actively eating (you see sucking and swallowing) then he's hungry. Breastfed babies don't overfeed themselves. If he's just hanging out with shallow sucking, he's just comfort sucking and I try to get a paci in there instead.

This.