Can I stop my baby snacking in the day and cluster feeding at night?

[cleoteacher]

Hi
Dc2 who is 10 days old has been feeding really well every 3-4 hours in the day and a few feeds at night.

I saw the mw and weight great etc but I worked out she wasn't getting the 8-10 feeds a day recommended so have been waking her every 3 hours during the day to feed and demand feeding at night. Since then (don't know if just a coincidence) she is snacking at the 3 hourly feeds during the day, I am struggling to get her to have 10 minutes! She either falls asleep during the feed or straight after. She comes off breast at her own accord and I offer her the other one but she just doesn't seem interested.

She's often sick after feeds too-does this mean she's had too much? I think my supply is too fast for her as she often chokes and comes off and my boobs are extremely leaky.

However once. 5/6pm comes she's extremely unsettled and seems to cluster feed. Last night I couldn't get her to settle until 11. I don't want to get in the habit of her comfort feeding or snacking but yes I know she's only 10 days old! I know people will say you can't get into bad habits at this age etc but I can feel myself getting worried and frustrated with this and resentful as I want my evenings back. It doesn't help that ds was kind of the perfect baby and never did this.

I know she's only 10 days but I want to get out of this. Is there a way I can get her to eat more in the day like she used to? I strip her and change nappy before feed to wake her up and give her gripe water/infantcol for wind before feed as think she has bit of a tummy ache.

[McBaby]

All sounds totally normal. You could offer more frequently in the day. As every 3 hours is quite a long time between feeds. 8-10 is the minimum no of feeds a bf baby needs to build your supply.

Feeding for ten minutes does not mean they are snacking especially if you have lots of milk.

If she is weeing and pooing the correct amountand gaining weight then you are doing a great job and need to go with it till your little one decides otherwise.

My two cluster fed all evening till about ten weeks but as they were getting so much milk in the evening they also slept through very early!!

[cleoteacher]

Thanks. Yes I know. Got her weighted today and she's putting on weight and doing great. I just find the hours of crying and feeding and trying to settle her in the evenings hard but know I just need to go with the flow more .

Once I settled her at 11 she slept through so I should look at it as a more positive thing.

I just find myself feeling so frustrated during the evenings. I guess I thought i d have it all sussed now she's the second one and although I feel more relaxed I still hate these evenings.

[WantAnOrange]

Cluster feeding is really important for building and maintaining your supply. The feeding you do in these first few weeks can effect your supply for the duration of BF so you really don't want to stop her. Do you have good support in the evenings , are you alone? The key is finding ways of coping rather than making her stop.

also, you said she slept through after? At 10 days that is a bit concerning. General advice is no longer than 3 hours in the day and no longer than 4 hours at night. Feeding in the early hours is really beneficial for supply and can make a difference to long term BF.