Cluster feeding when baby isn’t a newborn - experiences?

[Peaplant20]

Does anyone have experience of this? LO is 4 months old and for the past week and a half has not stopped feeding, it’s exhausting and I don’t know what to do. She never cluster fed as a newborn and pretty much consistently spent around 1.5-3 hours feeding every day up until last week and she’s now feeding for 4-5 hours a day. I’m at my wits end I can’t do anything as she’s permanently attached to me, a feed is sometimes lasting well over an hour and I’m really struggling. Is this normal? Here are my ideas as to why it could be but I’m not sure, I’m going to ring the national breastfeeding network tomorrow:

• growth spurt?
• she’s had a cold which started at a similar time but it’s pretty much gone now
• teething?
• she had a tongue tie division 3 weeks ago, but I thought that would make feeding more efficienct if anything. Her latch looks better visually since then, and she’s clicking less, but the latch is actually less comfortable than it was before and my nipple still comes out squashed.

I have no idea whether some of it is comfort eating or not.

Still lots of wet and dirty nappies. I’m fairly sure my supply is still good as I pumped yesterday and got around the same amount as normal.

If the latch isn’t comfortable and your nipple comes out a different shape then it sounds like you need a bit more help with the latch. Do you have a feeding specialist you’re in touch with already or could you ask your health visitor?

My DD had a big growth spurt around 4 months and I remember it being hard work!

She's having to relearn how to feed with the corrected tongue tie so it could possibly be that?

Would second going to a specialist who can observe and give you more advice though.

Could also be a growth spurt :)

Waving hello from the sofa where I feel like I've spent most of the past 3 days.. Cluster feeding like mad over here too dd is 16weeks Im assuming it's a growth spurt? In saying that dd has cluster fed literally all day the past few days but then the past 2 nights has slept from 845-7 so I can't complain but with a 3 year old also it's hard work when the cluster feeding goes on so long (believe me dd is the opposite of ds he fed all day and hourly at night until he was about 18 months 🙈)

My 14 month old has started doing this, it's a bloody nightmare! I never even planned on breastfeeding past 6 months and she was mostly formula fed until about a month ago when she started being Velcroed to the breast on and off all day long! Feel like I've got a newborn again, except for more climbing on me while she's doing it!

I put it down to teething, change in routine and environment. Their little worlds are so small at this age, so any change is a big one, so extra comfort and sustenance is needed at seemingly random times! It is exhausting though you're right. A good excuse for getting cosy with your little one, some snacks, Netflix etc, it's the perfect time of year for it.

Sounds like a growth spurt.

When my DS has a growth spurt, it’s like half hour feed, half hour play, half hour feed, half hour play all day long. His growth spurts usually last about a week.

I think a growth spurt is likely. DS fed until he was 2 and he would go through a cluster feeding phase every few weeks / months.