Cluster feeding - please help!!

[Gina1981]

DD is 1 month old today and am struggling with cluster feeding every evening! Some days she feeds all morning and evening! I'm breastfeeding but I've had to introduce a bottle of formula as I'm exhausted! She has been doing this pretty much since she was born!

Does anyone have any advice as to how long it lasts for? How to deal with it? Is there something wrong with my milk? Is it wind? Please help as I feel like giving up BF and putting her on formula! I'm scared to do this as am I being impatience and then there is no going back to BF. Also am scared that she will do the same on formula!

Her weight gain is fantastic but I'm pretty sure that's because she constantly is feeding! Am I naive to think that surely she should be feeding 3-4 hourly!

I've got 2 other children to look after and they don't get a look in as I'm always so tired and constantly feeding! I'd really appreciate some advice

Cluster feeding can be a real challenge when you have other children to cope with/care for....can you get some help with them while this stage lasts?

Thing is, it is easier to change your expectations and way of handling cluster feeds than to change a newborn's normal needs to feed like this when young.

No, she should not be feeding 3-4 hourly! This is usually nowhere near enough for a baby of a month.

Cluster feeding is so normal and honestly, it is easier to go with it than to fight it :)

I feel a little alone as everyone I speak to has no idea what cluster feeding is and says that their babies never cluster fed and they would feed 3-4 hourly! I keep getting told that my milk can't be thick enough etc and I should put her on formula! DD breast Feds so well and I have plenty of milk seems such a shame to give it up!

I'm currently living with my mum, with my husband and 3 daughters! So I'm very lucky to have the help but I feel so guilty that they get no attention from their mum! I'm so tired that it's driving me crazy! Feel really confused all the time about feeding!

Oh hun I really feel for you. My DS was exactly the same. I agree with tiktok, as hard as it is, once I accepted that was how he was I felt so much better. He is my first which obviously makes things easier but once he got to 6 weeks he suddenly stopped doing it and we fell into more of a pattern. What helped us was introducing a bedtime routine. So bath feed then bed at the same time every night. We've done that from about 6 weeks and since then he has a decent feed at 4pm and another at 7 instead of the constant feeding all evening. I guess what im trying to say is hang in there, it wont last forever!

Hey Gina, the first month is the worst. I promise that over the next couple of weeks you will suddenly notice timings getting marginally longer between feeds. At a month they basically just eat and poo. Its either one end or the other.... It will get slowly better. Keep going for now its very frustratingly normal and sounds like you are doing well. x

Thank you. I'm so determine to breastfeed and as I didn't bf my other DDs that it's all new to me! Feel like a first time mum again! Am struggling to do anything if I'm being honest! Mentally I can't get my head round anything. DD has been feeding on and off since 3pm!

Going back nearly 12 months I could have written your post, it was my first baby and I didn't know anyone in real life who had breastfeed. The turning point for me was when I realised (after plenty of help from here) that this was what my DD needed and I just went with it, I pretty much set up base on the sofa with phone, laptop, books, chocolate and water and stayed there. It did get easier as others have said but honestly, somedays I wish she would cluster feed for a while just so I could sit down .
Ask for loads of help with your other children and pick times in the day when your baby fusses less to spend time with the older DC's, reading, singing etc can be done whilst feeding so just enjoy the rest as all too soon you will be chasing another one around the room - Good luck x

When does it get better? I didn't breastfed my other DD's so this is all new to me! Sitting on the sofa for hours on end is impossible for me! I didn't imagine bf to be like this at all! To be honest I feel like a first time mum again! Think I'm repeating myself! I'm at my wits end! She constantly cries when she's not on my breast!

Have you tried a sling to feed in? That way at least you can move around / go to the loo etc. DS didn't really cluster feed but I still spent all evenings glued to the sofa - I wish I'd had a sling back then.