cluster feeds

[Hemera]

My son cluster feeds from about 3am to about 9-10 in the morning and I can't cope with it. It's not even the lack of sleep its just the relentlessNess of being on the boob all the time and nappy changes every hour or so too as the milk just seems to flow right through him. Any tips on how to get through this? Dont want to use formulaand they advised not to introduce bottles of expressed milk till about 6 weeks. I'm literally sobbing my eyes out every morning and its not good for me or the baby, not to mention our bonding.

 

[Sarah13]

Kynon cluster feeds a lot too (last night being one of those times!) I started forcing him on the boob in the evening to try and change the time to suit me and it has kind of worked. He used to poo all the time as well but strangly since the day he turned 6 weeks he started going once a day! They say things change at 6 weeks and I'm starting to believe that as the last few days have been better so hang in there x

 

[Rósa]

Caitlin cluster fed all the time til about 5 weeks then settled down, she used to poo all the time too but once she hit 5/6 weeks only went twice a week lol. (That has changed now she is being weaned lol)

 

[Maria1977]

There's not alot you can do really, it's a shame that he does at that time of night (or morning really), my son used to start late afternoon and go through til about 10pm.

You could try feeding LO while you are laying in bed, that way you can get a bit of sleep too. I still feed laying down now so I can get some sleep.

The only thing you can do really is try and push him to go longer before you put him on the boob, so that hopefully, eventually, he won't be cluster feeding at that hour.

Do you have a local BFing support group? They will be able to give you alot of advice on how to cope with the cluster feeding.

xxxxxxx

 

[Franna75]

Hello - Tom was also cluster feeding at that age until quite recently, although he does still wants the boob all the time, but he's just a pork chop. I started expressing at about six days, i didn't realise at the time that you weren't supposed to until six weeks. I think it's so not to confuse baby. If your LO is a good latcher then you may not have a problem. He's always been fine with both. Hope you find a way, it does get easier, one day you'll wake up and things will have changed. If you can sleep when he sleeps, do.

I also feed lying down which helps, its so much more relaxing.....

 

[ft90]

Caleb was really bad for this, I couldn't take it because I wasn't getting any sleep!

I just bought the tommee tippee closer to nature bottles and expressed milk for him. I know the midwives tell you not to but the bottles are specially designed so the baby won't forget how to breastfeed. Caleb is now having mostly formula and then 2/3 feeds a day from me so those bottles have been a godsend!

Also I think even now he uses bottles or boob for comfort and cries without them when he's not even hungry so we're giving him a dummy now. My cousins LO used to cluster feed every hour and then she just gave him a dummy and he stopped doing it.

Caleb loves his, and even though the midwives would probably shoot me for giving it to him, he gets to sleep so easily with it!

xx

 

[Hemera]

.Thanks for all the suggestions guys. HAd a much better night last night. He fed from 7-10.30 and then slept. STill woke up every 1.5-2 hours for more food and changes but much more manageable. Will try and do the same tonight and hopefully won't go insane. aoe