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Cluster feeding and caring for an older child

samilea05samilea05 member
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months
My 2 week old wants to nurse constantly. Especially during that fussy period in the evening and over night. I'm exhausted and frustrated by the demand. Plus, I have a five year old who wants my attention and deserves some time with his momma when he gets home from school. Any mom's been through this? I know everyone says it gets easier, but my first son was like this for the first nine months. I don't think I can keep it up for that long, especially since I go back to work in ten weeks. 
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Re: Cluster feeding and caring for an older child

  • indy_chicindy_chic member
    Same boat but my 5 year old never went through this. I wish my husband could nurse sometimes ;)



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  • rlbrooks84rlbrooks84 member
    I'm bottle feeding but I do have a 4 and 6 yr old and it took a little while to find a rhythm with everyone. My LO also always wants to eat as its time to take people to school or pick up, bad timing. Anyways can your son sit with you and color? You two could come up with a story and he can draw pictures to go with it. Then you can sit and nurse but still give him some attention. I also find going to the park works well, I waited til my LO was a month but then we started going to the park. Or just sitting outside while your little man plays, I have one very independent little boy and one that doesn't like to do anything by himself. It's been challenging but it's getting easier. 
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  • TheAnalyticalMommyTheAnalyticalMommy member
    OMG that's tough! Do you have a couch area (or bed) where you can nurse and snuggle with your 5 year old at the same time? My oldest loves to cuddle so this was a common after-school activity for us. 

    If he's feeling left out, and you really can't interact with him that that moment, you can also try to tell your baby stories about the older one. Your 5 year old will overhear it and feel included (and proud). I actually wrote about doing this in a blog post. 

    As for the cluster nursing... I definitely remember being frustrated with that (even though I loved the cuddle time)! It does get easier but it lasted a while for me too. Netflix and Pinterest got me through it! Once I found something to occupy my time, it got a lot easier. What are you doing during the cluster feeding sessions?
    Rachel (a.k.a. The Analytical Mommy.com and @analyticalmommy on IG)
    I'm just trying to make sense of things :-) 
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  • JonandJenniferJonandJennifer member
    I swear I just did a double take because I could have written this word for word. Thinking of you. I'm in the same boat. 
    Me: 33 DH: 35
    Married: October 2008
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