Ughhhhh - come and talk to me about this 'cluster 'night feeding malarkey

[Thomcat]

First 2 weeks were bliss - just one feed a night at 3am ish.

Last night and a couple of times just before - she woke at 1 ish for a feed and then again at 2.30 but stayed awake 'grazing' until well gone 4.30am.

She's not gulping the milk down all that time obviously, she's making mad noises, playing, messing about and getting comfort /pleasure.

My other 2 didn't do this.

The HV who happened to be round the day after she first did it said it was cluster feeding.

DD2 did do this but in the evening, not the early hours.

So how long does this go on for, I've forgotten?

DP ruffled my hair as he handed me my tea this morning and said 'fair play babes, I don't know how you do it' and I burst into tears!

I know it won't go on for ever and I'm fine with it really but just want to indulge in a bit of mutual support and moaning with others going through the same.

I love breastfeeding but hate this establishing bit.

We all deserve medals Thomcat! My 10wk DS2 has recently been ill and is currently feeding every hour (honestly) AND only had 2 hr nap yesterday daytime too.

Your DH sounds much more supportive than mine.

erm dd2 did this in the night for about 2 months!!! eeeeeeeeeeeeeek

dd1 did the evening 'I will sleep on your knee all evening but if you move me I will cry' thing for about 6 weeks iirc

fed seemingly all the time

it is hard isn't it?

says awwwwwww isn't she gorgeous and you t

no idea what happened to my post then?!

have you tried a dummy? dd1 had one - but then you have the getting up to put it back in thing

dd2 refused one

how many people have you wanted to hit who have said "oh it doesn't last long, enjoy them while they are so small"

Oh no, sorry he's been poorly, what was wrong.

How old is your DC1? And sorry if your DH isn't being supportive as well. We do deserve medals don't we. Let's big ourselves up to feel a bit better.

I was out trying to find an outfit for a wedding all day yesterday as well so was shattered from trawling the shops in the rain and breastfeeding in changing rooms!

How hard is it to find an outfit for a wedding that you can breastfeed in!

LOL OO! I keep telling myself 'it doesn't last long enjoy her while she's small'! Starting to wear off though!

And now I want to go out and she's sparko!

Don't really want to go down the dummy route, not just yet anyway. DD2 has one and adores it and one of the reasons I'd rather DD3 not have one is to prevent DD2 nicking DD3's and any to make it easier for me to wean DD2 off hers asap. However, never say never is a great rule to live by!

dd1 used to wake up all the time in the night for her dummy

dd2 used to wake up all the time in the night for me

so hmmmm, not sure of the point I am making

how are the big sisters? are they all cute when sat together?

DS2 had bronchiolitis and was quite sick, he's now feeding so much to catch up I think.

DS1 is 2yrs and has given up on daytime naps despite clearly needing them most days!

I feel like crap (and don't look much better)- am grumpy mummy!

Thomcat, are you mad, going around the shops!! Shop online!
I do feel sorry for you! You've gone and had one of those babies that don't know day from night! Ds2 was like that but he did get the hang of it eventually!
Have you given that poor child a name yet?

Oh Washersaurus - you poor thing. Think I'd go mad if DD2 dropped her daytime nap.

I did actually lay down on the bed next to DD3 today as she slept but the phone rang 3 times!
Since I've been up no buggers rung! Typical!

OO - I can't put into words the cuteness. DD2 is particularly lovely with her. They talk in the highest pitched voices and say 'hello baby' in these mad voices and DD2 holds her hands up under her chin and says 'hold, hold'. DD1 puts on a mad voice and pretends to be the baby talking back to her. They fawn over her and are so gentle. It's just lovley. On the flipside DD1 and DD2 still wind each other up and if they say 'no, mine' to each other once they say it 55 times a day!

Can't shop ion line, have ordered a load of stuff online already, sodding post office have naused it all up for me haven't they, have to trudge round shops.

Errrm , oh yeah a name, knew there was something else I had to do!

Sorry, Thomcat, forgot about the postal strike I'm in Ireland.

tc - my ds cluster feeds from around 6pm usually until 1am. I'm new to this so I'm assuming it's all normal, sounds like it to me. It's a pain isn't it? I haven't had an evening meal that I haven't had to sling down my throat in the few minutes ds is asleep for the past four weeks since ds was born! Mind you, I'd still rather that than through the night, ouch!

I'm also trying to find a dress for a wedding that I can bf in... am resigned to the fact that I'm going to be going up to our room to strip naked and bf every 2 hours ! (Mind you, I might sneak off with a bottle of champers when I do disapper!!)

hi - have you tried waking your LO in afternoon/ evening every 2 hours - if you get her getting lots of her feeds earlier - will she start sleeping for longer at night?

Not sure if it will work - but is it worth a try? I tend not to let Ryan sleep for longer than 3 hours during the day so that he gets more feeds in during the daytime.

Tried waking her yes but she's sparko and refuses to wake and feed! Tried just now as a matter of fact, she refused at first so tried again half an hour later and got a tiny feed out of her. Am hoping she feeds all evening instead though and we get some decent sleep tonight.

How did you get on last night Thomcat..any better?

DS2 only woke 2/3 times last night, which was good, but I kept waking up in a panic to check that he was OK . I don't want to get too hopeful about tonight though as he seems really sleepy again today.