EVERY feed is a cluster feed. Is it a problem?

[Hopefully]

DS2 is 3 weeks old tomorrow (planned CS birth). Since he was born he has fed in clusters - i.e he is on/off/dozing/on/off/on etc for about two hours at a time. My reward for being trapped in a chair all this time is that he will then usually have a long sleep (60-90 mins, sometimes even more, up to 2.5 hours once or twice) in the sling before the process starts again.

HV is unimpressed with his weight gain - he lost around 8%, then didn't regain his birth weight till 2.5 weeks, although last weigh in he had gained 3oz in 3 days (which I thought was pretty good. HV still underwhelmed. Although I did hear her congratulating the mother after me at clinic on getting 10 week old onto 4 hourly bottle feeding routine, so possibly we will take her opinions with a pinch of salt).

Allthough I have DS1, 2.5, to look after, I have loads of help from family at the moment, so have no problems with this feeding 'routine' of DS2's for the moment. When he gets to about 6 weeks I will finally have to actually look after 2 children alone for a while, but I'm hoping his feeds will have sorted themselves out a little bit by then.

Anyway, what I'm basically wondering is if it's OK for DS to be feeding like that. HV, my mother, and various other well meaning HCPs/relatives have suggested that he's not getting enough milk, but he is doing plenty of nappies, and appears to be content and gaining weight. I think they are all also worried about me being knackered, but actually I feel absolutely fine. Constant questioning is beginning to make me wonder if I should be doing something about cluster feeds though. Thoughts? Reassurance? Criticism? Any opinions welcome!

Of course it is OK. Nothing you say suggests he isn't getting enough milk and if that was the case limiting his access to the breast would not help. And anyone who says it would is talking bollocks.

I'm not sure what you can 'do' about feeding patterns at this stage anyway. Apart from leaving him to scream which I assume would not make you feel fine.

Sounds absolutely fine and normal!

You are doing fine.

I think everything you have mentioned sounds fine - by six weeks he'll probably not be clustering so much, and even if he is you can probably space his feeds a bit so you can look after your toddler.

Now he's regained his birthweight you're only supposed to get them weighed monthly at most, so if he seems healthy and the HV isn't helpful don't see her.

But Rita who wouldn't want the opportunity to have their feeding decisions/child's health questioned on a weekly basis?

Thanks for the reassurance. It's one of those situations where I couldn't see how it couldn't be fine, but endless questioning was beginning to make me wonder.

My little one is 9 weeks today and I simply cannot fathom how people have already got their small ones into a regular routine! Sam feeds roughly every 2-3 hours, but the amount he takes varies, and he will often fall asleep mid-feed and wake up half an hour later screaming for more. I could not tell you what time he is going to be feeding on any one day! But short of leaving him to scream until 3 hours on the dot (never going to happen) what can you do? I'm just assuming as he gets older he will get a bit more settled.

I found around 4 months there was more of a pattern. Not a schedule, more like feed first thing/before nap/lunchtime/before nap/after nap/bedtime/dreamfeed/nightfeed. The actual timings changed each day but there was definitely a routine to it.

It was 4 months for me too. At that point her naps became a bit more predictable (9ish, 1sh and sometimes a quickie at 4:30 but sometimes not) and that meant feeding became more predictable too.

I'd just keep getting him weighed and if his weight continues to go up, don't worry about it. If he wasn't getting much milk, he probably wouldn't sleep for a long time after a feeding session.

Maybe go to a bf clinic to get latch checked? I went a few times in the early weeks as it gave me reassurrance we were doing okay.