Extreme cluster feeding

[Emarosa]

I’m a first time mum to a 7 day old. He’s been just wonderful but tonight he’s been like a different baby. He’s been cluster feeding constantly since 8:30pm. It’s now almost 6 and DH and I have had zero sleep. My nipples feel so sore and my breasts empty. He screams when we try to put him down and I’m terrified of falling asleep with him on me.

What can I do??! I’ve read about cluster feeding for 3/4hrs but this seems so extreme.

@Emarosa 💐I remember this with mine when she was newborn.

I asked my dp to sit next to me on the bed while I breastfed to make sure I didn’t roll onto her when I fell asleep. I asked him to pick her up when she came off the breast.

It was the only way I could get any sleep. When I woke up dp got some sleep.

We took it in turns so we could both get sleep.

I was also told by health visitor that she was comfort feeding.

A few people suggested a dummy when she was older but she wouldn’t take one.

Hang in there, it does get easier 😊

Ok first go through everything - is it wind? Has he got a temp of any description? Have you eaten any onions or spicy food in the past day? Is there a hair wrapped round any of his fingers or toes?

Then if you can, get dp to go sleep in the spare bedroom and set up your bed so it’s safe for baby and see if you can feed lying down. That way you can sleep and baby will hopefully chill out a bit and sleep too.

Totally normal, mine would feed for 45 minutes then fall
asleep but would scream blue murder if I tried to put her down so we napped in the feeding chair, her propped up on a feeding pillow so she couldn’t move or be squished. Big hugs, find a comfy spot, get a big bottle of water, I pad, snacks and settle in. I highly recommend greys anatomy if you want something to watch.

Do you have a Hakka? You could collect some milk then your husband could do a feed whilst you rest, that worked well for us.

Both mine cluster fed like this, it lasts for a day or 2 then settles. Use nipple cream religiously.

I binge watched Charmed while I was breastfeeding. Watching tv really helped me feel rested and preserved my sanity a bit. 😁

It's hard but it is normal. DD would start around 6-7pm and I'd usually be able to put her down and go to sleep about 4-5am.

It would be for a few days while she had a growth spurt, then she'd settle down for a couple of weeks, then she'd do it again.

My main recommendation would be to make sure you have plenty of drinks and snacks to hand. I watched a lot on the iPad in those phases. DH would sleep next to me and if I was struggling to stay awake he'd sit with me for a bit and chat or make me some food or something. Then he'd take her in the morning after her next feed to let me sleep a bit more.

I gave up trying to sleep, put lights on and tv and snacks. I just said to myself at some point the baby will sleep again and so will I.
Eventually that was true. Also got their sperm donor to sleep in another room, so he could rest. Theory being that he could take over when feeding finally stopped.

It does stop, it’s not forever. Your baby is just reassuring himself that you are there. It’s part of bonding.

Check for wind, both ends. Personal choice but a dummy can help.

Feed on your side lying down with no covers or pillows near baby. That way you can at least doze. Some nights they just are demons.

I Co slept for this reason, mine would feed lying down around every 90 mins until they were 10-12 weeks (both born quite small)

Thank you all so much for the support and tips.

Did you typically find it to be one night or multiple? He has been feeding a lot again the last few hours… so I’m a bit worried about tonight!

Mine did this; turned out they were tongue tied and weren't actually getting any milk; hence were hungry. Is your DS gaining weight ok and has he been checked for possible tt?

My second baby slept on my boob! He’s a probably having a growth spurt. Have you learnt the difference between feeding and comfort suckling (sorry if you have) sometimes they’ll remain latched but they’re not feeding.

Also check out safe Co-sleeping. I would have side boobed and got some rest. Well done for sticking it out.

I think also that by constantly suckling they are encouraging your milk to be produced in greater amounts, stimulating the mammary glands I believe. It's probably not what you want to hear, but it is normal. Rest when you can and settle into it. I also binge watched some stuff. It helped me stay sane too

He definitely is comfort feeding some of the time. I leave him with skin to skin for a bit of time after feeding to hopefully show him he won’t be stripped of the comfort immediately after unlatching. Any other tips?

He was briefly checked for a tongue tie in hospital, but they didn’t think he did. Lots of wet nappies too and his last weigh in was fine, but my boobs do feel very soft after last night and haven’t really had chance to replenish.

When was he last weighed? I don’t think feeding for hours and hours is normal. I would phone and ask for a midwife/HV home visit so they can check his weight gain and hydration markers. Good luck!

It’s really normal for your boobs to feel soft after cluster feeding, so don’t worry about that. In fact when your supply regulates they probably won’t feel hard or especially full again.

you could try using your finger to break the suction of his latch and putting him down or co-sleeping. My first happily transferred to a co-sleeping cot after a feed. My second would only sleep next to me.

I suspect (but don’t know) that he’s suckling. My second baby boob slept all night!

If he is suckling, what’s the best way of calming him enough to transfer to his cot?

hes definitely feeding intensely for the full night, not just a few hours.

If you look at under their jawbone/throat you can see them swallow if they’re feeding. If they’re just suckling it’s just the mouths and cheeks moving. I used to count to ten and if no swallow unlatch. I’d unlatch then leave a few moments then try and put down. Like I say worked with no.1 but no no.2.

breastfeeding.support/flutter-sucking-and-comfort-nursing/

Your baby is only 7 days old. He’s still learning to breastfeed.

My dd breastfed exactly like yours in the beginning. The health visitor explained that she would get faster and more proficient and she did. I can’t remember if she was 2 or 3 or 4 weeks old when she improved and didn’t need to be on the breast constantly.

It isn't cluster feeding until your milk is properly in - it coincides with growth spurts.
This might help - would have saved us no end of problems if I'd read it antenatally or in the first week!
fedisbest.org/resources-for-parents/cluster-feeding-normal/

It's worth getting the weight checked again to make sure they've measured properly and not missed something - I had so many people describe behaviour like this as cluster feeding when my baby wasn't actually getting enough milk and was starving. She ended up being readmitted.

Really normal, it’s partly comfort (as is they feel safe at the breast in a new scary world) it’s regulating their bodies, they’re feeding for rapid growth and also telling your body to produce more milk as milk is supply and demand. I remember DS doing an 8 hour clusterfeed at 10 day, he never did that long again though.
Id suggest not even bothering with a cot transfer, set your bed up for safe bedsharing (keep covers out of the way, no loose clothes etc, look up the Safe Sleep 7) and just keep baby in bed with you. You’ll get more sleep.