Cluster feeding=eating too much

[jlw617]

So my baby started doing the whole cluster feed thing about a week ago, from around 7pm-midnight on average he wants to be fed/held but usually cries if he's not being fed, the problem is when I let him feed to his hearts desire, he will have a really bad spit up episode later on and it makes me worry, last night it seemed like he wasn't able to clear it on his own and I just think what if I hadn't woken up? I know they say you can't over feed a breastfed baby but maybe you can? Especially when they're still really tiny.,.

 

[MummyKP]

My 3 week old is cluster feeding in the evenings arm too, usually every hour from 6-11pm and although everyone keeps saying you can't over feed a breastfed baby I worry I am too! I wonder how long it'll go on for!!

 

[jlw617]

I honestly wouldn't care except for the fact that it usually makes him have these massive spit up episodes and I worry about him choking, my dd2 choked whil spitting up when she was a baby to the point that her lips started turning blue so I'm extra worried about something really bad happening, I'm happy for the extra calories he's getting, I just worry about him choking

 

[noon_child]

The reason they say you can't over feed a breast fed baby is because they will spit up any extra they take on.

However it is unusual for them to take on extra unless you have a forceful letdown that they can't do anything but swallow, or they are feeding to reduce discomfort (say caused by reflux) because a hormone triggered by both sucking and the fat content of LOs stomach tells them to stop sucking and go to sleep.

It may be that his comfort feeding is stimulating multiple letdowns that he then can't help but swallow, so spending the evenings in a reclined position with him sleeping on top of you, or resting against you (rather than being held slightly under the boob) will help him to avoid drinking letdowns that he doesn't want.

Also do you have a big oversupply - everyone has oversupply in the beginning but if yours is extreme it could be that he overfills his stomach before there is enough fat in there to cause the hormone to tell him to stop sucking. Milk from engorged boobs is much less fat rich than milk from "empty" breasts.

I've never heard of a baby choking on spit up - that must have been so scary! - but as you say, you woke up and I think you would again because that is what we are attuned to do. It is also why it is recommended that we are always in the same room as our sleeping infants, so as long as you know you will be near him I think you can feel confident that you'd be able to help him if he was struggling.

 

[jlw617]

The reason they say you can't over feed a breast fed baby is because they will spit up any extra they take on.

However it is unusual for them to take on extra unless you have a forceful letdown that they can't do anything but swallow, or they are feeding to reduce discomfort (say caused by reflux) because a hormone triggered by both sucking and the fat content of LOs stomach tells them to stop sucking and go to sleep.

It may be that his comfort feeding is stimulating multiple letdowns that he then can't help but swallow, so spending the evenings in a reclined position with him sleeping on top of you, or resting against you (rather than being held slightly under the boob) will help him to avoid drinking letdowns that he doesn't want.

Also do you have a big oversupply - everyone has oversupply in the beginning but if yours is extreme it could be that he overfills his stomach before there is enough fat in there to cause the hormone to tell him to stop sucking. Milk from engorged boobs is much less fat rich than milk from "empty" breasts.

I've never heard of a baby choking on spit up - that must have been so scary! - but as you say, you woke up and I think you would again because that is what we are attuned to do. It is also why it is recommended that we are always in the same room as our sleeping infants, so as long as you know you will be near him I think you can feel confident that you'd be able to help him if he was struggling.

Thanks that is very helpful I do not believe that I have an oversupply whatsoever but I guess it's possible especially possible that I may be having multiple letdowns being that he's not feeling all at the same time my breast have definitely not been in gorged lately if anything else I think it may actually be the mothers milk tea that I'm drinking that maybe causing extra gas now that I think about it which could be contributing to him spitting up although he did spit up quite a bit and yes she is sleeping right next to my bed but I just worried that I may be too tired one night to hear him but I know everything will work out the way it supposed to thank you for your input

 

[love.peace]

My premature baby cluster feeds every evening too. You cannot over feed a breastfed baby because if they are not hungry they will not suck and any extra will come up. Whereas formula can be forced from a bottle. My midwife told me smaller babies tend to feed more to try and catch up. Hugs