Cluster feeding! Help!

[Tiger22]

So baby girl is a little over 2 weeks and I'm pretty sure she is cluster feeding..wants to eat constantly... She pretty much wanted to eat from 9am until now! (its 7pm) She eats then falls asleep at the breast then crys for more..this is getting exhausting.. I was told to keep letting her eat when she wants too which is what I am doing ..any advice? Please?! Thanks!

 

[SHAMto3]

Likely a growth spurt, which is very normal. Just let her nurse. Attempt to keep her awake during her session so she's taking in more instead of falling asleep and try soothing her before offering breast again. But it won't last long before she stops cluster feeding. Hang in there!!

 

[New Mrs W]

Sounds just like us. Apparently very normal for new babies. I have been told to ride it out and that it well start to get better at about 6 weeks ish. Xx

 

[shambaby]

Zoe did this, too, it only lasted a couple of days, so hang in there and it will get better. It's growth spurts that do this, and apparently at 6 weeks she's due another any time - looking forward to that!

 

[joo]

Mine did this at just before 2 weeks, she fed normally through the day but then would cluster feed all through the night, but by night 3/4 of this she'd just be asleep & not actually feeding but cry if i put her in her moses basket & root for more so we thought may be she was comfort sucking. Night 4 of this we tried giving a dummy at 10 days old & got our 1st decent sleep in a while. It's a very fine line knowing when to give her dummy & when to let her stay on the boob but i've got the hang of it now & also as she's getting older she lets me know if dummy won't do.Comfort sucking stimulates supply so I think it's important to let them at the beeast as much as they like during growth spurt. We also got a growth spurt at 6wks she cluster fed in the mornings & slept a lot for a couple of days. That 1st spurt at 2 wks with the cluster feeding was the hardest though because I wasn't really sure what was going on, why was she still hungry was my milk enough for her, am i doing it right, etc etc! So i really feel for you, but hang in there it will soon pass xxx

 

[jessicaR4bbit]

Definitely a growth spurt. Sometimes it felt to me that my baby boy was in a constant growth spurt from birth to 3 months, lol. Sleep goes out the window and as do showers and your social life! Hang in there! You can do it mumma. Just keep feeding on demand and get rest and help when you can. Having someone (your partner, friend or family member) take the baby for a little while here and there to give you a little break really helps and try to sleep when they sleep. It will pass, I promise x

 

[Tiger22]

Thanks for the advice good to know this will pass eventually. She had been doing this for the past 4-5 days though..she almost slept through the night last night but it is the during the day where she wants to eat constantly.. 2 times an hour all day! Basically all I do is sit in my bed an feed her all day..I'm just hoping I'm making enough milk but she is having her normal amount of wet/dirty diapers and did get past her birth weight at her apt last Friday.
The ped. Recommend after feeding her to try giving her maybe half an ounce or ounce of pumped breast milk in a bottle in case it is a low supply. I don't want to mess up breastfeeding though. Do you think I should try this?

 

[Tiger22]

Oh and I tried introducing a pacifier yesterday and she doesn't like it! Just wants to be on my breast all day and if she's not cries and cries

 

[PrincessBoo]

Fortunately Iv only had a couple of periods of cluster feeding with my LO which only lasted a upto 5 hours, but I did have the prob of her falling asleep on the boob fromm day one, my midwife told me to strip her before a feed to make her more awake and if she looked liike she was falling asleep play with her feet. my LO wont take a dummy either she'd rather have either my partners or my little finger, have you tried that? Its a pain now because it means were unable to do anything when she just wants comfort but it helped stop her using my boob as a pacifier.

 

[JenJen80]

I can completely sympathise with you. We are into week 6 and my LO is still feeding constantly thankfully she is sleeping well at night.
I tried the dummy and a bottle and she refused until today I thought i'd try again and she took both.

Hang in there it will get easier.

 

[shambaby]

If she's gaining weight and having plenty of wet and dirty nappies, then it isn't low supply and I wouldn't give top ups, even of ebm, as they're not necessary and might interfere with the balance of supply and demand. Just keep feeding her on demand and things will sort themselves out. If there were any concerns about her weight gain atc that would be different, but you said that's all good.

 

[mazzie1984]

Depends on the baby lol mine is 10 weeks and he still wants to eat every hour in the day.
I think they do have a little spurt at about 3 weeks.

 

[Rah]

I'm exactly the same glad to know it could be a growth spurt
was beginning to question my supply

 

[Tiger22]

How long does this usually last? I've been in bed for 8 hours feeding her again today.. This is so exhausting! Considering adding some pumping and bottle feeding but I don't want to give up on breastfeeding either! What could be the cause of cluster feeding?

 

[I Love Lucy]

Growth spurts typically last 2 to 3 days but they can last as long as a week from what I've read. I've also read that during a growth spurt it's not a good idea to bottle feed. I'd say hang in there until a week has passed and if she is still cluster feeding then I'd consult an LC to see what else might be the cause.