How long did your DC cluster feed for?

[rubyslippers]

DD is coming up for 9 weeks and still cluster feeding (4 - 5 hours per evening and conks out at around 10/11 pm)

just wondering how long your DC cluster fed for and did they just stop?

DD has been cluster feeding since she was 2 weeks old and it is the part of breastfeeding i am finding hardest to deal with as i am soooo tired by the evening

Hi ruby. Congratulations on feeding your DD yourself for this long.

When my DS got to about 12 weeks, he suddenly seemed to become a lot more settled in the evenings, and fed less. I think around 8-9 weeks I started introducing an evening bath - would feed him from one side before the bath, then give him a nice long bath, and then a feed from the other side afterwards - then he would conk out for a few hours. You could go to bed with DD for the first feed, stay there and try to sleep while OH/ nice family person gives DD a bath, and then brings her back to you?

Other tip is learn to feed lying down, with DD lying next to you - with pillows in the right places, and by telling yourself it's okay to relax and let go, you should be able to sleep. Fantastic for cluster feeding.

Hope that helps, and good luck . I think around 8 weeks the sleep deprivation really begins to kick in, so try your best to grab any little chance you can to catch up.

DS i think till about 5/6 months - we moved when he was 7 months & he hadn't done it for a while then.
But i think that's unusual and he was always high maintenance re breastfeeding - v long feeds, very often etc

ds cluster fed from 2 weeks until about 8 or 9 weeks, he used to do 6pm to approx midnight almost non stop with the odd ten min nap inbetween! I can't remember if he stopped gradually or straight away, sorry, it was only two years ago, but it's crazy how quickly you erase those exhausting days from your mind!

My dd 9 weeks too. She still kind of cluster feeds, but about 4 weeks ago I came to the conclusion that I was keeping her up so I moved the feeding from downstairs watching tv to a proper bedtime after dd1. It suited me to put her to bed properly just half an hour before me e.g. 10/11pm as then I'd get a nice long sleep before her night feed.
Now I feed for about an hour 7 til 8 sitting in my bedroom reading, both sides and then again for luck! I then usually put her down awake and she goes to sleep herself until 4am or even 7am - day before yesterday!!!

thank you all

last night, DD went to sleep at 6 pm until 10 pm

she then had a mega feed at 10 pm and went back down at 11 pm

i feel like a different woman

ah - well she was back to the cluster feeding last night

am starting to dread the evenings TBH

oh well ...

I'm sure it won;t be long rs
Does she settle and feed or is she unsettled as well?

it is strange - she just wants to eat and eat but in between the feeds she is content (ish) but if i try to put her to bed she goes nuts and goes back to the breast as if she hasn't been fed for hours

DH can jiggle her on his knee so i can eat at least

just really unsure

last night she was really sleepy - been up for a couple of hours, swaddled her (after a mega feed) and put her in the basket

30 mins later - wide awake and feeding like a mad thing

jsut knackered and starting to feel very upset

can you try feeding lying down? dd tends to fall asleep like this then an hour later if im still awake she can be transferred

i should try that once DS has gone to bed

i just want her to go to bed in the evening at a reasonable time - could handle the night wakings then

sending sleepy vibes
if you figure it out, do let me know

thanks SPB

my lovely HV came today and weighed DD

she is 10 lbs 6 oz so she is gaining around 6 - 8 oz per week which is brill. She is bang on 25th centile and climbing up it nicely.

she is still cluster feeding

and woke every 2.5 hours last night for a feed

am so bloody tired and then i feel awful for being grumpy as DD is so lovely and thriving

I think DS2 calmed down at about 4-5 months. He now has a sort of routine and goes to bed at 8 pm ish.

thanks Cece - my DD is only 9 weeks and the thought of 2 more months is making me want to cry

My sympathies. At the time it seems never ending but looking back it seems like nothing now. DS2 is 6 months.

Just go with the flow, get the remote, the phone, some snacks/drinks sorted and settle down on the sofa.... it won't be forever.

Hi there,

I don't know if i can offer any useful advice but I can totally empathise as I just read all your posts and am in exactly the same boat - My DD is 9 weeks old and I feel like I have No structure whatsoever in feeding her (breast-feeding)....and evenings are exactly the same as you describe - it really can be frustrating.....DD is just lovely but I just want to do something simple like make or eat my dinner for ONE night!! It feels like its going on forever....

in sympathy.....x

eatcake - a fellow cluster feed sufferer

i keep telling myself DD cannot carry on like this indefinitely - firstly she will explode if she does

it is so hard when you are in the midst of a phase to tell yourself logically that it will end

hang on in there too

Hi,

I remember those days... I found it best when I just accepted that the evenings were given over to breast-feeding and tried to enjoy it- take the time to relax, have cups of tea and snacks made for you, and try not to worry about anything else.

It will come to an end.

Thanks rubyslippers,

You are right....it will end one day! And then we may miss the cuddles?!

Lots of luck xx