Please advise-16 week old cluster feeding every evening since birth

[Sophie1106]

Can anyone else empathise with this scenario?- My baby has cluster fed every evening from 5pm-11pm since birth regardless of growth spurts- the only difference I have noticed during growth spurts is that she feeds more often during the day and wakes at night. Can anyone tell me whether they grow out of this at any point? The HV just says they will stop when they're ready but there's no sign of it yet. Does this have anything to do with my milk production? Should I be starting her on solids?It's so restrictive and she has now begun to feed more regularly during the day aswell-hourly now as opposed to evry 2-3 hours. Thanks in advance for your support.

Sympathise but can't say I've experienced it. I would def try solids as soon as poss (think earliest recommended age is 17weeks, I did at 18weeks with DS and planning same for DD when she gets there).
Does sound like she's perhaps not getting enough. Maybe do some expressing to see how much you're making?!

Maybe introduce a formula feed at night if you are not doing this already? The heavy version of each formula (like SMA blue one) def helped DD who has slept through since 12 weeks unlike DS who had only breast milk til 6 mths and really didn't go through the night properly until weaned.

I am here to sympathise - DD did this until she was nearly 20 weeks (sorry) a good feed every hour to 1.5 hours between 6and 10 pm. Now is prime growth spurt time, she does not need solids or formula she is upping your supply to deal with her needs. Please, Please don't start solids her little tummy is definitely not ready for it. She feeds because she needs it. Is she feeding both sides at a feed? or just little comfort sucks to get her off to sleep?

Facebookaddict your advice is very very unhelpful and bad to say the least - expressing is not a good indicator of milk production, I know a number of ladies who couldn't express a single ounce and fed sucessfully until their LO self weaned. Also the current guidelines for solids are 26 weeks NOT 17.

Please ignore facebookaddict, don't give her solids, or formula, what she is doing is quite normal, it's not an indication of low supply, and she will grow out of it. I promise!!!!

Both mine did this, the best thing to do is just settle on the sofa with the tv remote, a nice drink and a bar of chocolate and go with it. Hold her on your lap, feed her as much as she wants and wait for the end. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and before long you'll be reminiscing about the "newborn" days.........

Hello
I am not sure I can help but I can sympathise. My daughter cluster fed from 7pm - 10pm every night until she was about 7 or 8 months. I could set a watch by her. Goodness it was hard work. I know how you feel. I don't know about solids it didn't seem to make much difference to my daughter anyway. I worried and worried about whether she was getting enough milk. I guess it was just the way she liked to do things. Gradually she did grow out of it.

Agree with greenmonkies. Perectly normal. Don't fight it. It will pass (soonish probably!)

Can I just say- she will not regularly accept a bottle although I have tried (belive me!) She does when she feels like it and does prefer EBm but |I do not get much more than 2oz out between feeds.) OOOOOOOOOOOOpsa- I agree that expressing is not a good indicator.She feeds on both sides swapping regularly. She feeds approx every 0.5 hours or goes for as long as I can keep her occupied.She has fed like this regardless of growth spurts and I belive she has just had one for about a week. She has started sleeping through til about 6am(last couple of nights-which I've heard can happen after the 4 month spurt) but during the day is still feeding more often even though I believe she has already finished her growth spurt. Last weigh in she had only gained a further 5oz over 3 wks and I must admit I am tempted to try baby rice. thanks.

Hi, I didn't have as tough a time as you, but definitely an evening session of feeding was wanted every night. I didn't feel it was really a hunger thing exactly (or why come on and off so much?) but just how he wanted to spend his evenings, bit like me liking to spend them supping a pint somewhere in the old days! A dummy gave me some release, but I know they're not popular with everyone.
There can be good reasons for introducing solids/formula, but I don't think these are them - your wee one sounds perfectly normal to me, albeit pretty wearing for you! Good luck

If she has started sleeping through she is more than likely trying to get all the milk she needs in before her long sleep. It will pass. Babay rice has no calories, and will not stop her feeling hungry and feeding - honestly what effect can one teaspoon of rice have on her hunger? Her stomach is also not ready for it.

Oh god, 16 weeks?! Mine's 10 weeks and cluster feeding all evening. Do I really have that much more of this? Well thank you for the heads up, I am better prepared now!

But seriously, from the theory I've read, if they are demand feeding then they are getting what they want and there's next to no possibility of there being problems with supply. I guess we just have to suck it up. So to speak.

I'm with Greenmonkies. My dd cluster fed for months. Can't remember exactly when she stopped, but it wasn't until we were well into weaning. I tried to start weaning at 20 weeks but she wasn't interested and it made no different at all to cluster feeding. Reverted to ebm and tried waening again at 6 months with more success... but she still cluster fed for a while after that. Must admit that I now can't remember when she stopped but she did eventually (she's now 18mo and those days seem dim and distant past!). It seems like a complete pain at the time but it will pass and you will get your evenings back and manage to eat meals without a baby attached to your breast! Enjoy the time flat out on the sofa/bed watching tv whilst you can get it... don't get so much of a chance with a toddler!!

BTW I don't mean to be glib - I do remember the frustration at not being able to sit at the table and eat a meal with my dh for months on end (let alone do anything more adventurous!) and listening with serious envy to tales of babies that went to sleep at 6 and then dreamfed at 10... but that just wasn't her thing. Hope that hearing that some babies just do this helps - as long as she is gaining weight, filling nappies (esp wet ones) and seems happy you don't need to worry about your supply. (With any luck the frequency of feeding during the day will calm down again before too long which should help somewhat.) Good luck!

have accepted this behaviour for now but 8 months??What if I need to go back to work evenings/during the day?I don't seem to have an option do I? Not to mention no life- I can't even find the time to start exercising again...if she won't accept the bottle at all what can I do?

Sorry if advice unhelpful, but this site is for support and it was MY opinion and MY suggestion so no need to attack OOOOOpsa. I was only trying to help!

All I know is that weaning early helped DS massively (no downsides/allergies) and everything improved for me too when he was sleeping through with full tummy.

Good luck Sopie1106

sorry SopHie1106

no problem no harm done- it's good to hear a variety of opinions, that's why I posted. At then end of the day you take what's you feel's relevant. Thanks- I think I'm going to need it by the sounds of it!