Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

Flip

Original poster

Newborn extreme cluster feeds

13 replies

ganda1 · 08/07/2015 15:21

Hi all,

I would just like a bit of advice/ reassurance. My baby is 8 days old and since he was 4 days old every night from 10pm has wanted to feed constantly, and won't be put down without screaming. This goes on until about 5am when I'm so exhausted my husband takes him out in the car to let me sleep. I know it's not because he's hungry as he feeds well during the day and has regained his birth weight already, and my milk has also come in.

I appreciate this is probably normal behaviour for a newborn, but how long will this go on for before he sleeps at night? During the day he sleeps fine and is happy to sleep in his Moses basket, but night falls and it all changes!!!

Thanks in advance :)

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

uppereastsidemom · 08/07/2015 17:25

I think it is normal enough? My DD2 cluster fed from 11pm to 2am for the first week or so, then it gradually got earlier and earlier. She now settles about 9pm at 9 weeks. Just take all the help you can get during the early days and I know it is hard to believe with DC1 but everything is a phase and most things pass

daisychain1991 · 08/07/2015 19:36

Oh its so hard, but yes normal. Have you tried laying down to feed him on your side? I did this and even though I never really slept at least I was horizontal.

Elllimam · 08/07/2015 19:49

Both of mine were the same it was hellish. It settled by about two weeks in though. My only advice is to get a good box set, drink a lot of water and eat a lot of oats. I supplemented with DS1 and my supply never caught up but with DS2 I just kept feeding and it settled itself. Good luck.

YokoUhOh · 08/07/2015 19:54

Newborns feed lots at night in order to boost supply. It will calm down eventually. I co-slept so that I didn't have to wake up to feed DS.

Oh, as we're on the subject, you might find at 6 weeks that your LO is on the boob all day/night for a couple of days: just go with it and make sure you have Hobnobs within arm's reach!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/07/2015 19:58

Perfectly normal. Some Mums find white noise helps, others try swaddling or getting DH to hold them for a while.

Have you managed to feed lying down yet? This may help. If you need more reassurance, please give one of the Bfing helplines a call.

And congratulations

JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/07/2015 20:13

And I agree with the others, make sure you have drinks and snacks, phone, remote, kindle/tablet to hand. Go to bed early and if you fancy a bit of reading whilst you are awake in the night, try this.

Also, could your DH try taking him out earlier? If they went out about 10 ish, it shouldn't affect your DHs night sleep too much and you might be able to get a could of hours of unbroken sleep

Mrscog · 08/07/2015 20:53

Normal, but theoretically he should need a sleep somewhere amongst all that cluster feeding. Both of my DC needed white noise to settle at that age, have you tried that? It was miraculous with both of mine, unfortunately DC2 is now 11 weeks and the magic is wearing off!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 08/07/2015 22:22

How are you getting on ganda?

NickyEds · 09/07/2015 15:31

Not just theoretically Mrscog there's no way a newborn should be awake for 7 straight hours. Will your ds sleep but not be put into a moses basket/crib? If yes then normal I'm afraid. Very controversial on mn but have you tried a dummy?

LMonkey · 11/07/2015 23:41

I really do feel your pain, it doesn't feel like that long since I was going though cluster feeding with my second lo. Its really tough.

At this age I would recommend white noise and swaddling. As its summer then I would only use a cotton cellular blanket for this though.

Have you tried propping yourself up slightly and having baby lying on you feeding? Its not ideal but you may get more sleep this way. I do this every morning with my 4 month old. It just buys me a couple more hours sleep when she wakes up at 4.30. They seem to sleep well this way. I just make sure my arm is resting on a cushion on the inner side of the bed and that she is lying at a slight angle so that her nose isn't flat against my skin.

It seems like hell at the time, I remember thinking "is this how its going to be?", but this part really doesn't last long. The feeds stretch out, baby will develop his own patterns and routines and everything settles down. Then we're faced with a new set of problems!

I really hope things improve for you soon.

Original poster

ganda1 · 14/07/2015 11:39

Hi, thanks for all your responses. Things are a bit better, for some reason he sleeps better downstairs, maybe it's cooler, and he is now sleeping a bit, admittedly most of the time on me!! From talking to theiswife it's normal for them to cluster feed like this, it is slowly getting earlier so at least we can both get some sleep :)

OP posts:

JiltedJohnsJulie · 14/07/2015 22:02

That's good news

abadoo · 14/07/2015 22:26

Good luck Gandy. I'm sure it will get better. dS1 was fine but ds2 wouldn't sleep anywhere except next to / on me for 14 weeks. Then one day she just pulled herself off when full, flung her arms back and waited until I put her in her cot to sleep for 3 amazing hours! She didn't really look back after that until we were in a lot older type of sleep problems but that's not for now I think my point is stick with it. You sound like you're doing an amazing job.

Flip