Cluster feeding is making me sick!

[Gamm]

My baby boy is 6 weeks old and he's started cluster feeding again after a week of regular feeds every 2 hours (it's like he teased me with them then regressed).

Suddenly, DS has started cluster feeding, but only really at night. He's on my boob constantly and whilst I know a bit is for comfort, I can feel and see that most of the time he's feeding. He must be really hungry!

Is this a common thing? Anyone any tips on how to stay sane? I'm so tired to the point that I feel sick!

Lying in bed feeding DD (5 months) right now. Good luck OP it hopefully will settle down in a few weeks.

I’d never have survived breastfeeding without cosleeping. Currently bfing my 5 week old DC4 and he will most likely co-sleep until he starts to sleep more at night. Lying down feeding is a godsend.

Cluster feeding is a part of breastfeeding you’re not warned about but it can definitely feel never ending and draining. The good thing is it forces you to slow down and enjoy your baby whilst they’re still tiny. Shit thing is you can’t get anything else done . It does pass as with any stage of your life.

Safe cosleeping!!!!!! Also cluster feeding is very normal. Just make sure tongue tie and silent reflux are ruled out first.

Thanks so much everyone for the support. I just had DS weighed and he's gone from 7lb8oz to 8lb15oz in 12 days! No wonder I feel like he's attached to me all the time!

Where did my tiny 5lb baby go?! 😢

Wow! Another vote for lying down feeding and co sleeping here. It will let you get some sleep until this phase passes.

Is he your first/only child? If so just practice safe co-sleeping and allow yourself to nod off. I have never been a good napper as I can’t switch off easily, but soon succumbed to feeding and napping. You have to. You can’t be on red alert all the time if the baby is constantly feeding. My first babies were nice little regular spaced-out feeders, but my third was relentless and so it was difficult to switch off because I had older children to care for. I had to delegate so much and once you’ve done the first bit of decision making, ie “I’m leaving that” or “I can’t because of the baby’s feed pattern, could you do that?” You start to relinquish control and this phase won’t last forever. Ask for help, reduce your expectations of yourself for at least a few weeks. Not everyone can zip about going for coffees with friends, scrubbing the house and serving up 5* meals at 6 on the dot every day of maternity leave. It’s hard, babies are extremely vulnerable and have very high needs, it’s mainly you that they rely on, which is of course a huge pressure. Switch off and just feed and watch Netflix. Don’t be hard on yourself, this stage doesn’t last forever!

Well done you! Be proud that you are responsible for all 8lb 15oz of him. You're doing an incredible job. Keep it up!

Another co-sleeping advocate here. Took me a while to get the hang of feeding lying down though

Well done! My baby is 15 weeks old now and I remember those days well. Absolutely hellish. I had intense rage every time a well-wisher said 'enjoy every moment!!'. Some of it is just plain hard and an endurance test. You're doing great. I'm so glad I stuck it out. I feel so much better now, hope you do soon.

To those who co-slept - how does winding work? I am on my knees exhausted with 12 week old DS but i think wind keeps him awake at night. I would love to be able to just lie there

Totally normal OP. He’s putting in his order - the more you feed now, the more plentiful supply you’ll have later. Mine stopped about 8 weeks after 5pm - 1am sessions every day.

Mississippilessly

From what I remember when I felt baby let go (you know cause you’re then stuffing your boobs away with a breast pad but nice and soundlessly and without waking baby- if you’re anything like I was I leaked all over the shop as soon as ds released) It’s at this point you scoop them up with a muzzy over your shoulder, give them a gentle rub or pat until the burp comes up then lay back down and doze off. Until next feed lol

Mississippilessly

Try co-sleeping propped up with pillows behind you and a nursing cushion under your arms so you can angle them to their best burping position and back to sleeping/feeding position with minimal effort. I know what you mean about feeding lying down and then having to sit up to burp a windy baby- it’s very awkward and uncomfortable for you both. Look up safe sleeping arrangements so you can be kind of reclining all night but the baby and roll anywhere.
For me the main point of co-sleeping is to do as little movement as possible so you stay in a kind of sleep/awake to danger state all night. (Which isn’t sleep but as previous posters have said is better than being sat up awake 24/7).
Gamm
One thing I’ve learnt with dc3 is that dc1 is such a bloody shock cos your body takes time to adjust to sleep deprivation. You will honestly not feel so shell shocked after a night with no sleep in a while. I think I’ve lost some brain power to sleep deprivation but the closeness to your baby and the knowledge that you’re doing the best thing for them is magical in the long term. And I think the main thing you’re not told enough pre children is that it’s all phases- right into adolescence! You think you’ll never cope with one stage and before you know it you’re out of that problem and worrying about the next thing.
You’ve done an incredible job to give birth & get a baby to that healthy weight, biggest achievement of your life! Just try and feel confident you’re doing the right thing, that was the key to breastfeeding for me.

With my second I BF and cluster fed him in the evening. At 10.30pm ish my husband gave him a bottle of formula. I personally needed those few hours off to recharge my energy. It worked really well for us.

Super normal but totally exhausting. I found it started just as I was trying to get into a more normal routine during the day (getting out and about etc). Sleep during the day when he sleeps, even if it means doing NOTHING but feeding baby and sleeping. It will pass and you can get back to normal :)

Safe co-sleeping is your friend here.

It's progression not regression.
They feed and feed and despite leaking all over the place you feel that they are not getting enough food.As your weigh in shows this is not true.
Babies get growth spurts,midwives and health visitors bony tell us about this do lots of mums feel inadequate,don't know what's wrong or give up and don't know that it is for a few hellish days when your baby is growing(bigger tummy),sucks like mad and your hormones respond by producing more milk after a few days
If we knew this we could tack snacks and drinks to the sofa and hunker down to box sets for the duration instead of being weeping wrecks-you can tell that 15 years later I still remember this period as one of the worst.
You will get through it op and the plus side is that your baby can eat more so usually sleeping and waking times extend too.

Breast fed babies don't normally need winding as they cannot accidentally suck up air since there is non in your breasts.

Oh God, I remember the cluster feeding. It brought me to my knees. There's so many growth spurts! You feel like they're not getting enough, but they're just putting in their order for the next day. More feeding = more milk production.

6 weeks, you're doing well. Things get better by 8 weeks but still more growth spurts to come.

Well done and congratulations on your little baby x