Aaargh cluster feeding all day!

[BelinaTheChicken]

Well not all day, but it feels like it

DS2 is just coming up to three weeks and is a BIG feeder. He has at least one decent nap a day (although has yet to have it today) and a few periods of being alert and happy, but the rest of the time he is feeding or grizzling to be fed. Wouldn't be a problem, but I'm feeling bad for DS1 who isn't getting the attention he needs.

Help! What can I do? Or do I have to just wait it out and put up with a lot of cbeebies? My nipples are starting to fray, so i hope it won't last too much longer

It's normal. DS is 4 weeks old and the same. I too have an older dc who needs entertaining. I put ds in the sling and we go for walks/read/bake etc.

Your nipples shouldn't be sore though. I know when they're feeding lots it's easy to get sloppy with the latch. I occasionally snooze through the evening cluster feeds and ds's latch slips and I soon know about it. Liberal application of lansinoh and checking the latch every time should help.

It's frustrating that ds likes nobody but me atm (for them, I truly don't mind) but I know how quickly this bit passes.

Has he been checked for tongue tie?

I've not had him checked Rita, but pretty sure he hasn't got it, as he has a good latch normally. Think it's as SoH suggested, that I'm getting a but lazy with checking his latch when he's feeding all the time. When I do gave to put him down to sort DS1 out he gets really upset, then it's hard to get him latched on correctly, as he gets so stressed, then once he is on every five minutes he remembers how awful it was to have no boob for 30 seconds, has another little cry and slips off again.

I just feel bad for DS1. How long does this phase last? I can't remember from first time round.

*have, not gave

I wondered about tongue-tie in case he wasn't feeding very effectively and so having to feed very frequently.

Oh maybe it is then. Will go and see HV tomorrow, or is there any way I can see for myself? No idea what it looks like

Normal- it will pass. I bet your older one did the same but you didn't notice because that's all you had to do all day!

seeker DS1 did it too, I was just a walking boob to him for a while, but didn't have anyone else to look after, and my DM made me dinner all the time as DH and I were living with her at the time. Now I have to do everything myself and am living off porridge, unless DH gets back in time to cook for me, from his huge repertoire of toad in the hole of cottage pie. Ho hum.

Might try putting him in the sling more, have been goin for walks, but always end up stopping for a quick feed. Can you feed in a moby wrap?

They usually look kind of heart shaped at the front of the tongue, and can't stick it out far. DS had a TT although the latch felt fine and didn't give me any pain.

Of course, it might not be that at all, but it seems that TT is very often missed.

Will get that checked out then Rita, thanks. Think I'm going to start expressing so that DH can do a feed an hopefully give enough time to do bath and bed for DS1 so he's not feeling too neglected.

Thanks for all the advice

They sound v similar. There are times when I have to put ds down to have a bath (though I do bath with him, I do like my own bath on occasion) or go to the loo or do something with/for dd and he very quickly asks for milk and then spends the next few minutes frowning at my breast as he feeds or slipping off and crying a bit to remind me he had to wait.

DS was checked for tongue tie and I have no worries about transferring milk. He poos for Britain and is gaining 1lb a week. DD was exactly the same. It lasted until around 8 weeks with dd if I'm utterly honest. I know this because I started a thread at 7 weeks offering shares in my soul and it got better soon after. Luckily, he does sleep better at night.

I get things done during the day in brief bursts because the demand is often there as soon as I put him down. I sling him as much as possible ie school runs, bedtimes etc but I had an emcs and my wound reopened a week in so I'm having to be a bit careful about carrying him constantly. I was determined to feed in the sling this time round so that I could put him in there and get on with things for a couple of hours. I've found the ring sling best for feeding. Can't do it in the others at all.

Try and eat and drink regularly. I learnt the hard way that if I didn't prepare for the day then I'd be limited to what I could eat out of the fridge one handed. DH batch bakes and batch cooks regularly, makes soup, sandwiches etc to go in the fridge for lunchtime, there's always homemade flapjack/oatmeal cookies etc in the tin, I have fruit and cheese and crackers within reach and a bottle of water in each room I spend time in.

It does pass and it is normal. Quite apart from them needing the calories to grow and develop, the comfort they get from being that close and suckling is incomparable. I think because dd was allowed to feed to requirement until she weaned, she is a v well adjusted and independent, confident child.

I find it hard this time round because with dd I could make sure she was never left to cry but with ds there are times when he has to wait 5 minutes and he gets very angry, very quickly.

And the other thing I think is very important is that if anyone has to wait a bit, it should be the baby- unless he's really really hungry. It I'll do far more good for the future relationship of the siblings if the older one knows that the baby doesn't always come first, and that sometimes you find him as much of a pain in the neck as she does.

SoH That's exactly what he does, giving my boobs evils for daring to not be there all the time. Sometimes he likes to get a really good flow going then pull off and get milk everywhere which makes latching back on even more fun. At least DS1 is in bed now, so going to make a concerted effort to make sure he feeds efficiently and hopefully he'll sleep a bit better.

Seeker I'm trying to make sure its the baby that waits, but DS1 gets really upset when he cries, so bit of a catch 22. Poor DS1 had his bath and bedtime with DS2 attached to my boob, so bedtime cuddles were a bit tricky . Going to my DM's tomorrow so she can take the baby away when possible so I can give DS1 some fuss