Need reassurance about cluster feeding

[BeeSmall]

Henry is 4 and a half weeks old and for the last week he has cluster fed ALL evening...literally in 6 hours they only breaks he has are for me to wind him and he'll scream until I put him back on the boob. Last night I was in tears by 11pm, having been going from about 5pm, my back and neck were aching and I had a headache. The HV says its perfectly normal which I understand but that doesn't make it any easier. Is there anything I can do or do I have to just wait it out? If so, when did your babies stop cluster feeding??
Thanks for your help, Bee x

 

[knopk@]

Hi hun, first of all well done for persevering, you are doing great!
There is a big growth spurt around 4-6 weeks so its probably it.
Have you tried expressing a bit in the morning when you have the most milk and giving it to him in the evening(your OH can do it so you have a break)?
x

Tapatalking so cant see signatures

 

[Mrs N]

It could be colic Hun, it is soothed by the motion of sucking and feeding, if you can bear it then just go with it. My girls are bottle fed and they want to be constantly fed at that time of night!
Xxx

 

[BeeSmall]

Thanks ladies

I expressed 3 ounces yesterday which my OH gave him about 9pm, he drank it so quickly, lay on my OH for about 5 mins then was rooting around for a boob again! Going to see if I can express some more today to see if it helps, maybe 3 ounces wasn't enough?

 

[clairem1980]

My little girl did this in the early weeks, during the day she go 2 hours between feeds but then cluster fed all evening.

I think it improved at 8-9 weeks.

You've done so well to persevere to this point, it will get easier I promise x

 

[babybee]

Yes I totally remember this as I had a horrific week long stomach bug and could keep nothing down me - just to top it all off.
It does get so much better I promise. I would say get yourself comfy on the sofa, the TV remote in hand and get someone else to make dinner! Once you know what to expect and know its completely normal then make the most of cosying up and forget about any other housework.
Good luck chick, you're doing brilliantly!
Xxx

 

[tiggy85]

It does get easier Hun. I think it was around 8'weeks he stopped doing this. I agree try to just go with it, get OH to make dinner and you just set set up on the sofa and let LO feed. I remember I was always so knackered around 9pm and he wanted to feed from 4pm till 10pm. I ended up just asking my OH to keep an eye on baby as I used to fall asleep at 9pm on the sofa and then once baby was asleep at 10ish he would take him off me and I could sneak up to bed.

I didn't find giving him an expressed bottle would help when he was cluster feeding. My OH used to give him the next feed after 10pm which was usually around 1am. So I would sleep from 10pm till 3am. It helped me to get a good stretch of sleep. Then OH would sleep 2am till 7am. So we were both guaranteed 5hrs unbroken sleep!

 

[Mum2betash]

It does get easier, I pride. Have you tried a feeding pillow? I can't tell you how much that helped me with neck ache etc. good luck xx

 

[Elfs Mummy]

I used to feed lying down to give my back a break x

 

[BevG]

its probably a growth spurt hun, between 4 and 8 weeks they tend to go thru a growth spurt, get a bit of colic and/or reflux etc and then it settles down again

 

[BeeSmall]

Thanks everyone. He's been a bit better tonight, didn't start till 7 which made a big difference. Still got hubby to give him an expressed bottle because it bought me 15 mins to myself to have a shower and get ready for bed in peace! Henry and I are snuggling in bed now so hopefully he'll go off soon. Hopefully the cluster feeding is just a phase and a growth spurt and won't last much longer. How do people do this when they have other children?

 

[Bonfire Bride]

Keep going...you're very nearly over one of the main hurdles. He could be using you as a comforter too but as he is so young, just go with the flow! Oliver still cluster feeds at night, but now it's for an hour maximum and he drifts off into a nice deep sleep. He will start to become nosey and wont want to comfort suckle/cluster feed as much in the future - just enjoy this special bonding time.

A nursing pillow could help ease neck/back pain as suggested. xx

 

[BevG]

ive been lucky as poppy tends to cluster feed either in the day then sleep til 9 or she will cluster feed after 8pm when alyssa is in bed lol

 

[BeeSmall]

Man I hate cluster feeding! He's taken to doing it all morning now too. Ahhh hate wishing the time away while he is so small and gorgeous but I'm finding the constant feeding so hard!

 

[BevG]

i know what you mean, were just nearly 7 weeks and im starting to see a lil break in the constant feedings, she will go a lil while after her big feeds and be happy and smiley lol. theres a light at the end of this tunnel

 

[madmillie92]

Oh my gosh, so THAT'S what it is... My lo is 9 days old and I feed him constantly between 10pm and 4am, its torture! I thought it was something I was doing or my milk supply being rubbish so I'm glad its normal! I have been thinking about giving him a dummy or a bottle at night, has anyone tried this? Or should I persevere? He's been doing it since birth, sonetimes during the day aswell, and never goes more than 2 hours without a feed. My milk is well and truly in (tmi but I leak soo much, if he pulls off he gets squirted in the face lol) so I'm sure he's getting enough, or could it be a bad latch? Getting tired and OH is not helpful (blames me and sleeps 12 hours a night grrr) xx

 

[Tigger87]

They cluster feed to get your supply up to what they need so introducing a bottle will affect this, and is going to increase the chances that you won't be able to bf successfully long term. To be honest, it'll negate the ease of bf too! Baby will still wake lots in the night (because they have tiny stomachs that need refilling often!) and instead of just latching him on, you'll have to sort a bottle.

Are your nipples very sore/cracked/bleeding? A bad latch will hurt, you shouldn't feel pain if he's latching properly (although I still find the initial latch a bit toe curling, the rest of the feed is better!)

 

[cosmicgirl]

Yep, remember it well. Once my little man fed right way through two soaps, X factor and a film!
It does get better, and quickly. Please stick. With it. I know it's hard but you are doing so so well x

 

[Corrinne37]

I remember the feeding frenzy also ... soooo draining!! But if you stick with it it isso worth it xxxx

 

[BeeSmall]

The last few days have been much better so I feel like there could be an end to the mad feeding! I'm determined to BF till at least 6 months so I was just wondering if I was going to have a life for the next 4 and a half months or if I'd just be constantly feeding!! Thanks for all the encouragement, it definitely helps hearing from people who've come out the other side!! x