Cluster feeding

[Helfin]

Hi! My baby is 6 weeks old, I feel like I’ve been cluster feeding FOREVER (maybe two weeks ish) from 6pm to approx 1am, sometimes 3am. How long is this going to go on 😩😩😩

It could stop soon, make sure you’ve got plenty of snacks and drinks and some box sets.

Have you tried feeding lying down in bed too? This might help you get some rest.

Trying to get some extra feeds in during the day may help too. Some people have a quiet few days, maybe take LO to bed with you and aim to feed every two hours during the day.

If the evenings are getting a bit much, it’s fine to hand LO over for a bit too. My DD would feed all evening but if we changed her nappy, gave her a big feed using breast Compressions, then handed over to DH she would sleep on him or sleep if he took her out for a walk for long enough for me to get an hour or two of sleep.

How’s everything else going with the feeding?

Thank you! Feeding is fine, nipples get abit sore in the evening but have found coconut oil to work... I’d just like her to go to sleep a little earlier than 1.... she does sleep til 5.30/6, have a feed and then sleep until 9 tho so not too bad!

So she's sleeping for 8 hours with one feed during that time?

It sounds like she is sleeping, but just not when you want her to.

Could you start with waking her earlier for the first feed? So if she's waking at 9am, start waking her at 8.50 for a couple of days and feed her, get her changed and outside. Daylight really, helps with sleep

Once you've done that for 2 or 3 days, wake her at 8.40 and do that for a few days then 8.30 until you get her getting up and going to bed more like when you want her to.

For lots of Mums, they find 7am works as this should give you enough time to get plenty of feeds in during the day and if she's getting up 2 hours earlier, she may go to sleep 2 hours earlier

I will try that, thank you! I usually nap with her until 10 so will keep trying earlier and going out in the pram. Thanks for the tips!!

There's some information on cluster feeding on Kellymom, just though you might want something to read this evening