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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

cluster feeding driving me mad, please help!

12 replies

hoochymama · 02/04/2009 19:57

my DD is 4 wks old, and can feed on and off for hours in the evening, last night she fed from around 7pm to 2.30am on and off (with a couple of breaks).

She will fall asleep on the breast and if I put her down in her cot, she will immediately wake up and cry.

By 1 or 2 am I am exhausted and DH gives her some formula, which fills her up, but then she usually needs a quick bf to send her off.

I really want to bf but can't do this much longer!! Please help!

OP posts:
mppaw · 02/04/2009 21:01

Had this with DS, and then someone suggested starting a bed time routine so there is a cut off to the feeding, and a start to the sleeping. This was the best thing I did for both of us.
He was in his moses basket at the start, so I would bath him about 6:30pm, then sit in the lounge, dimmed lights etc, feed til asleep or he did not want anymore, then place in basket. I gave him a dummy, which I had to hold in, I would then sit there with him, til he went to sleep.
It took a good week to see an improvment, but the getting to sleep got quicker.
I also started the cluster feeding earlier, I start about 4pm now, and make the final feed at 6pm, start bathing around 6:30 and he has a final feed around 6:45pm.
HTH.
It will get easier as each week is so different at this age.

Original poster
hoochymama · 02/04/2009 21:41

thanks mpaw, that is helpful, it makes sense, we don't really have a bedtime routine now. Everything seems to change every day! It helps to know that it will get easier.

While you were establishing the routine, once he was in his basket , did you have to give in and feed him at all or did you stick with the dummy?

OP posts:
IwishIwasmorechocolatey · 02/04/2009 21:50

The best thing you can do is just go with the flow. Yes it's exhausting but it won't last forever and will ensure that you establish a good supply.

Everything else can wait - ie housework etc.

Both of our ds's have cluster fed like demons! DS1 wouldn't take a dummy, but ds2 would and we found that it was useful to give me a few minutes break in the evening, but other than that I would make myself comfy and get something god on TV and go with it.

We didn't start bedtime routines until about 10 weeks iirc.

You're doing a good job - stick at it!

mumblecrumble · 02/04/2009 22:10

TV works well with cluster feeding. I could guess the price of any property in the UK baught at auction when DD was cluster feeding....... and tell you hundreds of seasonal recipes.... the plot of neighbours.... the ending of mosst diagnosis murders and nurder she wrotes..... and talk endlessly about USA politics as some kind soul lent me the west wing box set.

My nipples were fine but man did my arse ache....

Don't last forever and one day you'll find your self remenissing....

mumblecrumble · 02/04/2009 22:10

Bedtime routine at around 4 months in this house....possibly as DH worked shifts.

babyphat · 02/04/2009 22:27

bedtime routine, never really happened in this house but the cluster feeding stopped around 12 weeks

i second TV

or feeding lying down - sadly i didn't crack that until after the cluster feeds were over

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/04/2009 22:38

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Sassyfrassy · 02/04/2009 22:46

You sound really tired and the first weeks with a newborn can certainly be utterly exhausting. If you can, going with the flow and adapting to baby will be the easiest for both of you. Have you thought about co-sleeping? It's not at all unusual for babies to not want to sleep on their own.

The clusterfeeds won't last forever but they do play a part in establishing your milk supply.

Original poster
hoochymama · 02/04/2009 23:11

yes, babyphat, feeding lying down in bed is def less tiring, but sometimes I fall asleep with her in the bed - DH is not keen on co-sleeping, and he did nearly roll on her the other night, so I'm a bit nervous of it now!

Starlight, the prob is that I'm exhausted bf her for 6+ hours in a row. It just seems like one long feed to me, tho there are short breaks when she falls asleep, but as soon as we put her in her moses basket, she wakes up and within a few minutes is crying and showing hunger signs. She may be just suckling but she seems to be swallowing, it's hard for me to know.

I've tried to feed her up during the day, but she's either feeding or asleep and if she's asleep it's v difficult to wake her up. I've had lots of tips from mw, hv, bfc etc on how to wake her but even if something works, she'll fall asleep again quickly.

mumblecrumble, someone just lent me the west wing season 1 box set, so i'll have to get it out and become an expert on american politics too!

OP posts:
Original poster
hoochymama · 02/04/2009 23:16

sassyfrassy, yes I love co-sleeping, (after saying I def didn't want to do it, before she arrived!!) but feel a bit nervous about it, it seems like a risk to me at the mo. I've been reading up on it, to try and make it feel safe to me, but I spend ages faffing around with every bit of wrinkled sheet or stray corner of pillowcase near her. do you know of any good websites about co-sleeping?

OP posts:
mumblecrumble · 02/04/2009 23:20

We sometimes found that popping her in a sling on DHs back gave me a break and she was happy not to feed for a little while.

Family beds rock, though sex tricky...

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/04/2009 23:22

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