When does the newborn feeding frenzy end?

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

Have a 3 week old DS (and a 3yo toddler). Baby DS has fed very well with no problems from birth. He's gaining weight - though he's still little, was 6lbs 9oz at birth and was 7lbs 6oz at 21 days - has plenty of wet and dirty nappies, feeding is painless and he is sucking, swallowing, burping all without any issues. He also goes 2-2.5hrs between feeds at night, for which I am very grateful.

The problem is that he has massive cluster feeds morning, afternoon and evening. He's been feeding continuously for an hour so far this morning without a break and is likely to carry on like this for another hour or two. It's like this for most of the day and it's so frustrating! I need to get me and my toddler dressed, breakfasted, to pre-school, to the toilet etc, not to mention trying to play and spend some focused time with him. Everything is, if not impossible, then incredibly difficult.

I have a Caboo sling which does have a breastfeeding position but I've found it too fiddly so far. I'm just doing everything in rushed five-minute bursts while the baby screams and toddler helpfully yells "he's crying! Give him some milk!"

I express about 2.5oz a day and DH gives it to him in a bottle every evening so I can get a head start on sleep. He takes 1.5hrs ish to drink this apparently as he takes little amounts from the bottle frequently (and squawks if DH dares to put him down) so I wonder if this is just his pattern to drink little and often. Is this maybe because he's still so small?

We only get out in the pram/sling/car by using a dummy. He just wants to feed ALL the time!

I know we're lucky with night time sleep but I am sick of every little task in the day being such a battle - either completed one handed or to the accompaniment of screaming. How long does this part last?! I do remember cluster feeding DS1 but not so frequently! Or maybe it just didn't seem like it because I didn't have a toddler to deal with at the same time?

[Littlef00t]

Not much advice, just the standard q - has he been checked for tongue tie?

[bumpieonamission]

Oh bless you I remember those times. Are you eating and drinking enough? I find if I forget then lo clusters more as if my milks not satisfying enough.

I could never master the sling feeding but it does get better and it sounds like you're doing a fantastic job!

[racmun]

Another thought is my ds was like this and it turned out he
Had reflux, babies can't differentiate between hunger pgd and heartburn to them it's just uncomfortable and they soothe it by feeding. Just a thought

[LJBanana]

My DS 2 was like this. He fed so much he was sick and then started feeding again. He had a tongue tie. When I tried expressing he too would take a little then refuse anymore. I confused his with bottle refusal. I bought every bottle going and tried all sorts until I realised he just took the milk so slowly, he was full but I was trying to force him to eat as he fed from me for hours and hours.
I managed to breast feed him for 4 months to the point of exhaustion. Finally we both cracked it and he began to take a bottle and drink a more substantial amount.
I now have DS3 who is coming up to 6 weeks. He is bigger than your child. But feeds around every 3 hours. A big cluster at night. It does calm down when you both have got the hang of each other and established feeding, but it is exhausting especially with other DC's. Congratulations and remember-it's not forever!

[ILoveYouBaby]

My 13 week old dd did this, she has silent reflux. They'll eat little and often as your milk is mildly antacid. We're on ranitidine now and things are slightly better.

[OrangeMochaFrappucino]

From Google, it seems like reflux is a possibility - he does posset quite frequently and arches his back sometimes while feeding. We actually had a calmer day today overall, so maybe he's been having a growth spurt. He's right in his evening cluster feeding session now which isn't so bad because toddler is in bed and I don't have to do anything!

He hasn't been checked for tongue tie, I don't know what the signs of it are.