How so you know when a cluster feed session has finished?

[Babybellyblues]

When do you know when a cluster feed session has ended?

For me it was when baby passed out.

When the baby goes to sleep.

How asleep? Asleep for 5 mins? Or at least an hour?
So a cluster feed could last all night for example from 8pm till 5am?

How old is the baby?

In the first few days, yes it can be all night! Also new babies might just not want to sleep away from you at night.

After the first couple of weeks mine would feed from say 7pm-10/11pm then sleep for 2-3 hours then wake every 2 hours through the night.

3 days old. Am trying to prepare for tonight. Last night cluster fed all night 8-5. Have been trying to feed regularly today, every 1 or 2 hours been waking to feed, although I did the same yesterday during the day and it made no difference. Depressed that I'm going to end up with another baby who doesn't sleep much.

DC2 had a few nights at first just feeding on and off all night. She would also only settle on my chest.

Are you sleeping with the baby or trying to get them in a cot/basket?

DC2 was tongue tied though so that probably didn't help!

When the baby is 6 months old?

He sleeps well in his cot during the day. Last night gave up on the cot around midnight but still didn't sleep until 5 am.

Should I use a dummy tonight do you think? I think my milk is come in already too.

Honestly- yes it's tough, but you just have to stick it out. It won't last long- although it will feel as if it does. If your milk's coming in he needs to feed and feed to get the supply going- then everything settles down. The worst thing you could do is give him a dummy at this stage.

I'd try to stick it out without the dummy for as long as you can manage at this stage - the cluster feeding is partly comfort and partly him stimulating your supply to bring your milk in / increase your milk. Giving him a dummy will mean that your supply is less likely to increase and so prolong the hell that is cluster feeding.

It's really hard going though, you have my sympathy and I hope your DH / DP is taking care of everything else so you can just feed and sleep.

I'd leave it a couple of weeks at least for a dummy - a newborn needs to feed at this stage.

Just to update, I managed to sleep a little more last night. Maybe 4 hours broken up. He was still feeding for most of the night, but I fed laying down from very start. My problem is that I suffer insomnia myself and find it hard to catch up with naps during the day. I will keep the dummy away for awhile and count my blessings that there is plenty of milk now and I'm not in pain :)