Two lots of cluster feeding a day - will he drop one of them eventually (please!!)

[peggotty]

My ds is 17 days old and cluster feeds from 9.30am-ish until 12.45pm and then in the evening from 6pm-ish til 10-30pm. I was expecting the evening cluster feed but not the daytime one. They are both followed by relatively long sleep times, but I could really really do without the daytime one as it clashes with when I need to be seeing to my dd, generally trying to do things, and it's making it really difficult. I am going with it but would love to hear that he may eventually give this one up?! Any advice please?

Hi Peggotty, I'm sure I remember you from a while ago when you were heavily pg and v pissed off?!! Congratulations on your ds, how lovely!!

I can't say your ds will defo give up the morning cluster feed, but it's likely he will. Does he feed much in the night?

Hello Iliketomoveit! Yes it was me heavily pg and pissed off - now bf-ing constantly and pissed off - never happy am I!? He generally feeds twice in the night - at 2ish and 5.30 or thereabouts, in the first week he fed ALL NIGHT LONG and I thought I was going to go insane from lack of sleep but thankfully that has settled down. It's a shame newborns don't come with a crystal ball so you can predict what they're going to do next, as I like things nice and predictable!!

Crystal balls and instruction manuals would be great wouldn't they?!

I would guess that as your ds is feeding less in the night now, he is making up for it by cluster feeding in the morning. As he gets more efficient at feeding and as your supply becomes more established, this will eventually stop.

Keep with it as it sounds like you are doing gret, and best of luck

Thanks . My midwife says that 3 weeks is usually when bfing is 'established' but I'm sure I've seen on mn that it takes longer than that - is it about 6 weeks or so usually?

SORRY but my dd is 8 weeks old and has just really started cluster feeding - i am going insane! 5/6pm - 12/1am, it is a total nightmare and i really do sympathise with you. hoping someone can come along and tell us this will stop soon!

I think they do say 6 weeks is about the time your supply is established, which is why they say not to express before then.

Cluster feeding does two things 1. it helps the baby through a growth spurt 2. it builds up your supply even more, to facilitate point 1.

So go with it rather than getting annoyed by it. It happens for a reason, and it will pass.

pegotty how is it going? we are into week 2 of this cluster feeding pattern, my sofa has a dent in it from me sitting there for hours on end!

Hi Caz, just spotted your message. It's all gone pear-shaped here again - he's been feeding every hour since yesterday afternoon - including all night, I am absolutely shattered. I am struggling. Doesn't help that I spent the morning with my friend who has a baby 2 weeks older than mine who is ff and has slotted nicely into a four hourly feeding pattern - I would kill for 4 hours between feeds. Bf-ing just feels like a bloody hard slog at the moment with no good side Ds has put on 19oz in one week however, so he's certainly getting enough milk!