Cluster feeding or bad habit?

Re: Cluster feeding or bad habit?

• ErinNConnorsMom

  July 2009

  You can try different techniques to keep her awake...strip her down to a diaper, run a cold washcloth over her, stroke her feet, etc.  It could also be cluster feeding, and she could be gearing up for her next growth spurt.  She's so little, though, that I definitely would not worry about any bad habits.

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• vtkgirl77

  July 2009

  Your situation sounds exactly like mine! You can read my post here:

  https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/19793074.aspx

  Basically, my theory is that my DD was not getting enough milk so I started giving her a bottle of pumped milk at night (and I would pump while DH gave it to her to keep my supply up). We start with 4 oz but if she wants more milk, we give her more. Sometimes she eats up to 6 oz. This has really helped her sleep longer at night and go to bed satisfied. I don't know if this will work in your situation but just wanted to offer what worked for us.

  

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• Sally J member

  July 2009

  I think this is typical behavior for a 1 month old.  'Bad habits' don't generally develop until 6-10 months (and even then I personally think it's normal baby development that doesn't always jive with what I WANT as an adult). 

  I think it's cluster feeding and comforting for her to be with you nursing.  She cluster feeds for a variety of reasons:  to increase your milk supply to sustain her when she's bigger, to 'stock-up' before a longer stretch of sleeping, and because your milk supply is the lowest in the evening (normal) so she has to eat more often to get the same amount she would get in the morning.  Enjoy the cuddle time!

  

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• ValerianOddity

  July 2009

  pahokie:

  I need opinions/advice, please.
  

  LO had been eating at around 9 or 10 pm and then going down for about three hours before waking to eat again.  Lately, she has been eating around 8 or 9, seeming to fall asleep on the breast, staying asleep for burping, but waking as soon as I put her down in the crib.  I try soothing her several different ways - cuddling, walking her around, rubbing her back, bouncey chair.  She rejects my finger or a paci.  After about ten minutes of crying, I put her back on the breast where she seems to eat for a few minutes, but then falls asleep and we start the whole thing again.  This lasts for 2-3 hours before she finally zonks out.  Once she falls asleep, she has been staying down for 4-5 hours before waking to feed again.

  Is this cluster feeding or just forming the bad habit of only falling asleep while nursing?  She can be soothed to sleep during the day, when she sometimes falls asleep while nursing and sometimes not.

  Thanks for the help!
  

  My LO did exactly this for about a week and a half, when he was around 2 weeks old.  I asked our pedi about it, and she said it's not uncommon for BF babies to do that between 2 and 3 weeks old, because they hit a growth spurt.  Be patient, it does pass.  HTH!
  

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• aspade member

  July 2009

  I think my pedi would like to believe it's a bad habit (co-sleeping, too--),but it's cluster feeding.  DD has done this on and off since the third week.  In fact, she's spending this evening doing it!

  (It's weird that my pedi also complained about DD not gaining enough weight for her taste..)

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