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Treen 
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 Topic: Help with cluster feeding
Posted: 15 May 2010 at 7:04pm |
Hi girls,
My wee man is now 2 weeks old and I'm wanting some advice and to hear other people's experiences with cluster feeding. On a good day, my boy will have one 4 hour sleeping stretch, followed by 10 to 45 minute feeds every 1 to 2 hours. Then, about every second day, he will cluster feed for 12 to 24 hours.
Today, I have been sitting on the couch feeding him since 9am. He will feed between 10 to 30 minutes, then fall asleep on the job. I have given up trying to move him to his bassinet as every time I do this, he wakes up hungry again. So he sleeps on my lap for 5 to 20 minutes before waking up wanting another feed.
During these times, he wakes at the slightest noise making it impossible for DH to make dinner etc. At the moment, I have DH and my mum with me to bring me food and drinks and comfort my baby while I make a quick dash to the loo or shower but Mum's heading home tomorrow and DH is back at work on Monday so I don't know how I'm going to get through these cluster feeds without any help. 
I've also read that cluster feeding can last till 6 months?! I've asked my MW if it could be that I have a low milk supply and she said no. He's putting on weight well and during the non cluster feeds, he throws up a lot of milk which she says means he's getting enough. During cluster feeds, I've noticed he throws up less, though.
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mummyofprinces
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 7:17pm |
I dont have any advice but Jake did go through a phase of feeding every hour, I swear no sooner he finished he wanted again BUT he put on 600gm those weeks 
If he fell asleep I would change his nappy and offer again as most times he was still hungry but I released a lot of oxytocin in the early days which made both of us very sleepy (I would nod off during the feed) so he would finish his feed and that helped space out the feeds a bit. Oh look a bit of advice LOL
Hugs, it feels like it will last forever but it will pass I promise!
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tiptoes
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 7:17pm |
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I can't help with the cluster feeding but what if you feed in your room laying down and then move away slowly so he's asleep on the bed? Then you could put pillows etc.. around him so he can't wiggle anywhere.
For the noise waking him side of thing, maybe have some music or white noise going in the background through the feed so it's blocking out some of the sound?
Fingers crossed it's just a short term thing!!
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Bizzy
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 7:52pm |
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sometimes if they have wind they will act like they are hungry. cluster feeding in the evening is normal though. at this age they feel asleep on the boob very easily but it doesnt necessarily mean they have finished their feed. rubbing their cheek, or the palm of their hand or their feet are all things you dan do to keep them awake and sucking for as long as they need to.
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HuntersMama
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 8:10pm |
I was going to ask the same thing bizzy. My wee man had wind and cried which I thought meant he was hungry so I kept feeding him and round and round we went in a vicious circle!
We did cluster feeding usually from about 4pm onwards every hour until about 6 -7 weeks. I just fed on demand for those early weeks, and put a 'routine' in place at about 7 weeks.
If you need support with feeds/sleeps etc I can thoroughly recommend the plunket family centres. They were just awesome for us and I now have such a happy wee boy
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High9
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 8:52pm |
When Lily has wind she cluster feeds, sometimes it's a matter of realising when they are done and just taking them off and burping them.
My PN recommended a dummy, you could try that if he will take it, our girl wouldn't...!
Otherwise could he maybe be having a growth spurt? They have so many in the early weeks, I felt like I was forever feeding!!
Some days I didn't get anything done as I was just feeding...
But it does get easier!!
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Treen
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 9:01pm |
Chelle! Thank you! I fed him lying down in the bed with the dehumidifier going for white noise and he's finally asleep! He's been asleep for almost a full hour! 
Bizzy – I do wonder about wind. He was born with a tongue tie and I sometime wonder if he is still gulping down a lot more air than he should. I've asked the nurse, a lactation consultant and my MW every time she comes to check that he's latched on properly and they always say yes.
I burp him between breasts till he starts bobbing his head and chewing his hands, and I burp him after the second boob for about 10 minutes in which I usually get about 3 burps and one vomit. Sometimes I'll try burping him for longer if he's still grizzling (up to half an hour). Is there a better way of doing this? The longer I burp him the less sleep I get – not that I more than a couple hours altogether when he's cluster feeding.
I always rub his head, stroke his cheek and play with his feet when he falls asleep. This works for the first few times he does it but then he becomes unresponsive so I foolishly believe he's had enough. I never take him off the nipple, I just wait for him to do it yet 15 minutes later, he's making all the hunger cues again.
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High9
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Posted: 15 May 2010 at 9:44pm |
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Does the throwing up bother him?
My mw recommended about 5 minutes for burping she said it was generally enough time to get one or two out, I do a mixture of over the shoulder (you just got to make sure their legs are straight) and I also burp her sitting on my lap with my hand supporting her head.
When he becomes unresponsive try unlatching him and burping him, if he's had enough he shouldn't mind.
These are just some of the things I do and find work, but everyone is different.
All the best!
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Bizzy
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Posted: 16 May 2010 at 7:48am |
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are you thinking hes hungry cause of these cues or is he crying? the cues may just be his newborn reflexes. you may want to actually take him off the nipple then wrap him and put him to bed. it could be the nipple removal that is waking him and disturbing him.
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MyLilSquishy
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Posted: 16 May 2010 at 9:37am |
whenever i burp Riley... if he doesnt burp within the first minute (when BFing) i put him back on the boob (or now) give him back his bottle. the sucking/swallowing act helps move the burps around... trying to hard to get the burps up could also be causing the vomit/spilling... i know that if i need to burp and try and force it i get a bit of vomit in my mouth. (TMI lol)
i also agree with the stroking their jawline to keep them going. another thing is to gently blow on there face (like REALLY GENTLY) also try taking off socks/mittens/beanies to cool them down a little becasue sleep is alot easier for them when they are toasty warm. and the nappy change will wake him up 2... if you try feed, quick burp, feed, burp and change, feed, quick burp, feed asleep. it seems like alot going on, but short frequent burping might be a better option if its taking 10 mins to get his wind up........
are you doing anything re: tongue tie? (ie snipping it?) if not, have you tried a different latching position? how do you latch him? "normal" hold? maybe try the rugby hold?
hope that helps! and good luck with the cluster feeding!!! maybe you could make up a fruit salad in a bowl and a couple of sammys with a bottle of water before you sit down. and the white noise/tv going/music is great for them to get used to noise, and less likely to wake if you drop a cup lol. and it might also make popping to the loo easier
also agree with Bizzy about the NB reflexes..... my boy does that all the time... incl whie im trying to feed him lol. we figured out that if we touch his top lip, if he is hungry he will open his mouth, if not he doesnt move his mouth at all, and he is a comfort sucker aswell, so he would just keep feeding, but spitting the milk out the side of his mouth.
good luck!
ETA: shocking spelling
Edited by MyLilSquishy
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LJsmum
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Posted: 16 May 2010 at 11:30am |
The first 6 weeks ar ethe hardest with all the cluster feeding, sleep deprivation, recovering after birth and getting used to everything and each other.
He will be feeding like this to establish your milk supply, you have heaps of milk, so don't worry about that. Both my boys did this it's perfectly normal and the sign of a healthly, happy baby.
I asked my midwife the same question when DS2 was 2 -3 weeks old after he had been feeding all day for a few days, i was over it!
She said don't worry, perfectly normal, worry if he doesn't want to feed and is sleepy and not interested.
Breastfed babies need to feed every 2 hours any way as they have small tummies.
If you are concerned about anything plunket line is great to call 24 hours , good to have someone to talk things over with.
The plunket family centre in Manurewa is fanastic, can't sing their praises enough! you can go and spend the day there and they can offer advice with feeding, sleeping anything you are worried about. They are open Tuesday - friday. I have found the nurses excellent and still go back for advice with DS2.
Good luck it does get easier, you are doing an excellent job 
Edited by yummymummy2
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tiptoes
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Posted: 16 May 2010 at 5:19pm |
 Treen wrote:
Chelle! Thank you! I fed him lying down in the bed with the dehumidifier going for white noise and he's finally asleep! He's been asleep for almost a full hour!
Bizzy – I do wonder about wind. He was born with a tongue tie and I sometime wonder if he is still gulping down a lot more air than he should. I've asked the nurse, a lactation consultant and my MW every time she comes to check that he's latched on properly and they always say yes.
I burp him between breasts till he starts bobbing his head and chewing his hands, and I burp him after the second boob for about 10 minutes in which I usually get about 3 burps and one vomit. Sometimes I'll try burping him for longer if he's still grizzling (up to half an hour). Is there a better way of doing this? The longer I burp him the less sleep I get – not that I more than a couple hours altogether when he's cluster feeding.
I always rub his head, stroke his cheek and play with his feet when he falls asleep. This works for the first few times he does it but then he becomes unresponsive so I foolishly believe he's had enough. I never take him off the nipple, I just wait for him to do it yet 15 minutes later, he's making all the hunger cues again. |
Yay! Glad it worked.
We used infacol before feeds as supposedly it makes all the little bubbles into one big bubble, so easier to burp. Might be worth trying something like that?
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Help with cluster feeding
