Cluster Feeding in Newborns
- May 14, 2012
- by Melissa Lawrence
Hello Mamas!
What is cluster feeding? For many moms, “cluster feedings” are a tricky part of their new life with a newborn. Cluster feeding in newborns happens when the baby wants to eat constantly, often during the late afternoon or early evening. So exhausting! Watch for more on this newborn habit and how you can make it more manageable!
Pin for later!
Newborn Cluster Feeding
Sometimes mothers are concerned when their baby wants to feed constantly because they have just begun to settle into a nice routine, so they get stressed out that they have now bounced right back to the beginning! But don’t worry! This is a normal part of developing for many babies and most often, you will get back into your breastfeeding schedule very, very soon. This has been my experience with cluster feeding. For more helpful tips, check out the rest of my video!
Hope this video has given you some good advice on how to handle cluster feeding in newborns. Please weigh in if you have experience with this issue or coping with a newborn!
Comments
Melissa
testing our new comment system!
Melissa
replying to my own comment to test!
FunFran
I know this was 4 years ago but I am going through this exact situation right now with my 4 month old healthy 16lbs 11oz son. What was the answer?
How do I handle this?
Menua
Hi Melissa,
This may not exactly be “cluster feeding” nor is my baby a newborn any more. But this is the closest topic I found to it. My 4 1/2 month old baby eats every 2 hours. She wakes up at 8:30 and from then I feed her every 2 hours. I am sometimes successful at getting her to go 2 1/2 hours maybe 3. But that doesn’t happen very often. She weighs 19 lbs measures 26 inches so I know she’s not eating to “catch up”. She’s taking 3 naps a day but they are only half an hour at most. She wakes up at the slightest sound. I am trying to get her on a schedule like the one you provided but am wondering about the feeding situation first as it is very hard to follow any kind of schedule like that.
Thanks
Menua
FunFran
I know this was 4 years ago but I am going through this exact situation right now with my 4 month old healthy 16lbs 11oz son. What was the answer?
How do I handle this?
Rebecca
I have a three month old and she still seems to want to cluster feed in the early evenings. After her 4pm feeding she wants to eat at 6 and then 8. Is this something I should make her push through since she is older? I also do a dreamfeed between ten and eleven. She will do a long stretch of sleep afterwards so I’m not sure what to do. I really want a predictable three hour schedule.
Rebecca
Melissa Lawrence
Rebecca, this sounds almost exactly like what happened to me. I would try for those full feeds and they would keep wanting to eat not so long afterwards… If the baby seems full and burped and then wants to eat 2 hours later, I say of course you feed her and yes, it will often happen that you get really good stretches at night b/c she is super full and super tired. I would bet your baby is going to grow out of this soon, just as mine did. Keep me posted, xoxo M
Miri
I also wanted to point out that the hind milk you mentioned is higher in fat content and, therefore, keeps the baby satiated for longer periods of time. That is probably the reason why following the cluster feeds, baby may sleep for a longer stretch.
Thanks for the great info on your site!
Miri
proud mom of 8
Melissa Lawrence
wow 8, I am so jealous, you are my hero. Yes, definitely, I have heard exactly the same thing said about the hind milk. xo M