Cluster feeding 2am - 5am. Help!

[peedieworky]

Hi - I've noticed a changing pattern with my 6 week old over past week and think he's now cluster feeding from 10pm-5am. Prior to this, he would go down at 6.30pm, sleep till 11ish then go from that feed till about 3am and on till morning. The past few days though he has started waking earlier after he's put to bed and then feeding pretty much hourly from 2am-5am (taking both sides). He goes straight to sleep after feeds, so not so much as if he's turning day into night.

The following morning he's very sleepy - to the point it isn't possible to keep him awake and isn't particularly interested in food. For example I fed him this morning at 6am and then he dozed off at about 730am and I ended up waking him at 1030am so that I could feed him at 11am (had been advised not to go longer than 4 hours). He was only up for 45 mins and despite me trying to stimulate him, he feel asleep - refusing to be roused for a feed and has now been asleep for almost an hour again.

It is so frustrating & am so tired that I don't know what to do! I do express BM so am happy to use bottles to supplement a process is it will help. Am also aware its hot at moment but if it was just thirst then I'd have thought he would be the same during the day as the temperature of the room he sleeps in is constant. It is bright during the day and dark at night.

Appreciate any suggestions - or even if it is just to "ride it out" and it will pass.

Thanks in advance!

Could it be the famous 6 week growth spurt? It was manic for us, then it magically settled as though a switch had gone off.
Loads of info here on Kellymom. I think the baby nurses constantly to up our supply, and it takes a few days for supply to catch up with demand.

My dd always decided to go on night-time feeding frenzies when she was having a growth spurth. She was never bothered about catching up on the calories in the day, it was always at night that she got her insatiable rumbling tum!

FWIW, extra nighttime feeds will stimulate your milk supply more efficiently as prolactin levels are often higher at night, so those night feeds are important for upping supply quicker during a growth spurt.

I agree it's ok to let him catch up on some sleep the following day, after all it was a broken night for both of you, but agree don't let him go more than about 3-4 hours at the most. I used to try and feed nice and regularly in the day, at least 2-3 hourly, in the hopes of getting some sleep at night. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, but at least it felt like i was doing something. So yes I guess I'm saying keep going, it will get better and sooner than you think too :)