Cluster feeding

[Emrwood]

My little girl is 8weeks old and I'm breastfeeding her. She's been cluster feeding every evening from 6-11 from 2 weeks old, which has been draining/tiring but fine I've managed, and not minded it as her first night feed would then be 3am. However I'm on day 3 of her cluster feeding all day!! The first day she started at 2pm and it lasted til 11pm yesterday it was 1pm-2am! And she was feeding probably hourly after that. So today we are both very tired and grumpy as you could imagine ☹️ and she has continued with her cluster feeding since 12pm 😩😩 I've read online it could just be a growth spurt? I was already tempted to ditch breast feeding as the cluster feeding feels like it's never ending and she's suffering badly with trapped wind so settling her is already a battle. I've not left the house in over a week because I feel like I'm constantly feeding her. I've tried giving her a bottle to fill her up but she refuses it just wants me. Any help/advice welcome. I'm desperate ☹️

Does she have a dummy?

No she refuses dummies. I've got all sorts of types sizes she just spits them out

Growth spurt! She will settle down again in a day or two.

Download the wonder week’s app also, it gives you a decent idea of when to expect rough/fussy patches and breastfed babies tend to want to feed allllll the damn time during these as it helps them settle.

This does sound a bit excessive even for a young baby that age. Have you had her checked for tongue tie? Is feeding going ok otherwise? Plenty of wet and dirty nappies? Good weight gain?
I would try and get out a bit in the afternoon. Give her a good long feed then put her in the buggy wrapped up nice and tight so she feels secure and go for a good long walk. You might well find she goes to sleep. She might cry a bit when you stop feeding and put her in the buggy but you will feel better for getting out and she will be fine. She’s only human after all and very small babies do need a lot of sleep so she must be squeezing it in somewhere. It may be that she just isn’t that good at settling to sleep and finds breastfeeding the easiest way to do it. Which is fine if you’re ok with it but it sounds like you need a break.

Breast feeding has been fine until this week. She's gaining weight rapidly birth weight 8lb 11 I've tried weighing her myself on scales at home (although not accurate) she's 12.5lb give or take. Plenty of wet and dirty nappies. I borrowed a pump in the early weeks to help encourage my milk supply and I'm not doubting that, I know she gets plenty. During the evening cluster feeds my other half gives her a bottle of my expressed milk so I can have my tea/shower in peace and he'll give her 3oz sometimes she'll only have an oz sometimes she'll drink it all. She won't take a bottle off me at all, I'm assuming it's because she can smell me and prefers to feed off me? She's been a fussy baby for 2/3 weeks because of the trapped wind and I would take her out for a walk and she would sleep in the pram, this week she just cries and won't settle. I'm so tired and struggling this week ☹️ I don't want to stop breastfeeding but I can't continue like this!

Have you tried putting her in the sling and trying to jiggle her to sleep? I did that whenever I reached a wall with nipple pain - it worked with mine and he would sleep for a couple of hours in the sling. That way you get a bit of respite. The breastfeeding support worker told me it was fine to do that as I did worry I was starving him - she said if he was genuinely hungry he wouldn't fall asleep.

Ive downloaded that app, some useful information on there thanks.

Yesterday nothing would get her to sleep, she probably only napped twice for maximum of an hour, but that was on me, as soon as I put her in her Moses basket she cried and hand went straight in her mouth 😣 today she's doing the same but falling asleep during feeds and i can't put her down. To be honest I'm leaving her to sleep on me just so I've got a break for awhile!

If this is a growth spurt how much more will she grow before 4 months? She's already very long (61cm) and I'm concerned she won't fit in her Moses basket for much longer! She's already too long for some sleep-suits that are 0-3months 🙈

If it makes you feel less alone, my DS has been doing this maybe every 2-3 days since he was about a week old. He’s now 4 and a half weeks. At least yours has been confined to a block of time! I feel your pain. He won’t settle with anyone but me, shows constant feeding cues, won’t be put down to sleep and naps for about 2 hours a day if I’m lucky. Like your LO though, he does generally sleep for longer periods at night. It’s tough going and I find it difficult some days to see light at the end of the tunnel but I keep telling myself that this doesn’t last forever. It sounds like you’re doing amazingly 😘

Thanks emvy. That's what I keep telling myself, it's only temporary... I don't want to wish her little life away but I can't wait for this stage to be over 🙁 I want to be able to go out for walks with her, go swimming and start some baby groups, but whilst she constantly wants to feed I've not got the confidence to go out because I know she'll want feeding all the time. I knew breastfeeding was going to be hard because people always say it is, didn't realise it would be this difficult! I do enjoy doing it but wish I hadn't started now 😔

Weeks 8 and 9 were the worst weeks by far for me. Dd didn't sleep and would feed all night. She hit 10 weeks and it was like a switch flicking, instantly a different baby. Persevere, it is a phase and it will get better. If you're not already, co sleeping safely will save your sanity.

I'm just hoping things improve 🤞🏻🤞🏻 but I don't want to expect incase I'm an unlucky one and she cluster feeds til she's 4months+. Had a terrible night with her last night, she cluster fed til midnight which is late for her and still woke every 90mins for a feed in the night 😩 what are the benefits of co-sleeping? I've never considered it always been Moses basket for me, but I can see her sleeping better with me than in the basket as when I put her in it she instantly wakes 🙈

My DD did this OP. I rang the nct helpline in tears once because she’d been cluster feeding for 12 hours. It is very, very hard to cope with so you’re doing great.
It will pass and sooner than you think. If she’s 8 weeks now than I would’ve thought you won’t have too much longer to go!

Try to make the best of it - binge watch Netflix and get people up bring you all the food and water you want.

Good luck!

Thank you everyone for your support and encourage 😌 really means a lot! Feel so isolated and lonely because I've not got the confidence to go out with her. I feel better knowing it's more common than I thought, was worried I've been doing something wrong! I might sign up to a baby group next week when she's in a better mood, I don't feel as though I'll get judge as much now! Was worried I'd go to a group and other bf mums would tell me I'm doing something wrong!

If you can get out to a group, I would highly recommend. I was so nervous the first time I fed out of the house but now I’m much more confident. Baby groups are the best place to start because people understand - you can literally get your boob out and no one bats an eyelid! They certainly won’t tell you you’re doing anything wrong, you will get nothing but support and encouragement. They know exactly how you feel!

In terms of co-sleeping as well - do it. I do and it’s saved my sanity the first few weeks. My DS is the same and wakes so quickly if put down away from me, but lying him by my side in bed and he has in the past slept for 6 hours! He usually averages 3. Last night he only woke for one night feed. I tend to start feeding sitting up and then toward the end of the feed, breastfeed lying down until we both fall asleep. It really will mean you get more sleep and you can start transitioning baby back into the Moses basket once she settles into a more reasonable feeding routine. My midwife and health visitor have both agreed that for the time being, co-sleeping is sensible because getting sleep is far more important than getting baby into a routine it has no idea about. As PP said though, make sure you follow the guidelines.

Haven't read other comments so apologise if repeating. This may be a growth spurt. You may well feel like she'll never stop eating. It's absolutely exhausting for you and feels like you do nothing but have the life sucked out of you. Until her feeding slows try to remind yourself that nothing matters except feeding your baby. This is your job right now. Hug. I remember how impossible it felt.

I have fed in public and that doesn't really bother me, just feel feeding every half hour is a bit much for sitting in a group with strangers..

I think it definitely is a growth spurt yes. she's not cluster fed as much today, she has been feeding better rather than snacking which is what she usually does. And she's been sleeping quite a lot today so dreading tonight!! Hope she's not up til silly o'clock like the other night 🙈 I've roped my other half into helping feed her tonight, I've got plenty of expressed milk in the fridge 😏

Guess as she gets older it will pass, she will get distracted in the day etc.

Try taking her out a bit- may feed less?

Also, there are benefits- you can chill on the sofa for ages, I have a high maintenance baby at 4 months who just wants to be entertained all the time- bring back cluster feeding- I say!

Haha rubyroot shall we swap for the day? I'll take play time over cluster feeding anytime! I can't wait to take my little girl swimming etc going to be so much fun 😆

Ha- swimming is fun- but its play time 24/7 here and refusal to nap.

Lets swap

Haha deal 😜