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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Cluster feeding advice - at the end of my tether

78 replies

Armo24 · 28/06/2024 12:11

My daughter has just turned 7 weeks old - she’s been gaining weight well, has normal nappies and I just had my latch and her tongue checked by a breastfeeding counsellor and all seems ok. I’ve been mainly breastfeeding aside from the occasional emergency bottle. The issue is since last Friday night (so a week now) she has been feeding all evening non stop - one boob to the other, on and on, from around 6 til midnight, with my boobs feeling completely depleted. One day she did it in the afternoon around 3ish but it’s mainly evenings. I never get a break as if I hand her over she cries and starts wildly rooting again. I know she’s not actually hungry as last night at the end of my tether I handed her to my partner with a full bottle of breast milk and she drank none of it, screamed for ages and it took him two hours of endless jiggling and rocking to settle her just so I could get a bit of sleep before the night feeds kicked in. She’s not rejecting bottles as she took one when she was hungry this morning (I was too tired and stressed to feed her as she hadn’t settled all night). When will this feeding frenzy end? If it’s going to be much longer I just don’t feel breastfeeding is worth it as all I’m doing is feeding - watching endless tv, staring at my phone, chugging water and wolfing snacks like a zombie which can’t be great for bonding. I’ve tried and tried feeding lying down, loads of practise tweaking positions, etc, but just cannot get it right without my boobs (which are very big) smothering her nose and I’m too scared of falling asleep with that happening. She refuses a dummy though we try multiple times a day - covering it in breastmilk and swapping the nipple out for it, trying all the tricks. I’ve heard there’s a 6 week growth spurt but I’ve also heard cluster feeding should be 2-3 nights, not a week. Any advice would be welcome!

OP posts:
Armo24 · 09/07/2024 21:53

Kosenrufugirl · 09/07/2024 17:02

Thank you for the update! Can you share what worked for you in the end?

Yes! I managed one evening from a lot of skin to skin and shushing and singing to swap out the nipple for a dummy (when I was very sure she was full of course). She took the latex “anatomical” shape Bibs one. She now sometimes takes it to settle, sometimes not and shushing and patting is enough. She still feeds a lot more in the evening but it’s spaced out and I know she’s swallowing and properly feeding. Thank you for suggesting she may be overtired - I hadn’t figured it out! And thanks to the other poster for suggesting Bibs dummies!

OP posts:
SighingMum23 · 09/07/2024 22:00

I promise that this is just a phase and it will pass. Every phase of cluster feeding, teething, mobilising unsafely, potential choking, illnesses, night wakings will end and a new phase will begin.

Motherhood is tough but you are made for it. Breastfeeding isn't easy but it gets so much easier after 4 months so hang in there.

Babies love to suckle. Your baby just wants to be close to you,

Kosenrufugirl · 10/07/2024 17:40

Armo24 · 09/07/2024 21:53

Yes! I managed one evening from a lot of skin to skin and shushing and singing to swap out the nipple for a dummy (when I was very sure she was full of course). She took the latex “anatomical” shape Bibs one. She now sometimes takes it to settle, sometimes not and shushing and patting is enough. She still feeds a lot more in the evening but it’s spaced out and I know she’s swallowing and properly feeding. Thank you for suggesting she may be overtired - I hadn’t figured it out! And thanks to the other poster for suggesting Bibs dummies!

Well done! And thank you for sharing

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