Baby 4 days old feeding all night
Is your baby cluster feeding all night? Surviving cluster feeding
Home › Breastfeeding › Is your baby cluster feeding all night? Surviving cluster feeding
If you are breastfeeding a new baby, congratulations! I promise you’re doing great. But if you’re worried because it seems like your baby is feeding every hour at night, it’s okay. Your newborn is just cluster feeding.
Don’t worry, cluster feeding is not bad. In fact, most newborns (and even older babies) cluster feed at night. This is totally normal; in fact, it’s important to helping your little one grow. Cluster feeding usually stops after a few days.
Totally overwhelmed about how to nurse your little one? Make sure you grab Breastfeeding 101, my free quick start guide for you.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full policy here.
However, if your baby’s all-night snacking is causing you to lose sleep, you may be wondering, How long does cluster feeding last? Will I be doing this forever? Don’t worry; there are ways to get extra rest and manage it so you stay sane.
Table of Contents
What is cluster feeding?
Cluster feeding is when your baby feeds almost constantly for a stretch of a few hours. You may feel like your little one is constantly on your boob.
If your newborn feeds for a little while, unlatches, maybe dozes, then gets fussy and wants to nurse again… only to do the whole cycle over and over again, that’s cluster feeding.
RELATED: Newborn breastfeeding – 12 tips
RELATED: 8 surprising facts about your newborn
Cluster feeding is frustrating not only because your little one wants to nurse constantly, but they also seem to be fussier during times that they’re cluster feeding. But don’t worry; everything is okay.
Why do babies cluster feed?
Babies cluster feed for all sorts of reasons. We’ll discuss some of them here.
Cluster feeding during a growth spurt
The most common reason for it (especially if you feel like your 3 week old is feeding every hour) is simply a growth spurt.
Your baby has periods of super rapid growth, both physically and mentally. And when they have these growth spurts, they have to get the extra energy from somewhere… That would be you, mama.
And while cluster feeding at 6 weeks or 9 weeks may be most noticeable (that’s because it coincides with a fussy developmental phase known as purple crying), it actually can happen at several times of your baby’s life.
RELATED: Purple crying: When your baby won’t stop crying
Breast capacity
Of course, your baby can cluster feed for other reasons too. You may simply have a breast structure where you have lower breast storage capacity. While you never “run out” of milk (milk is like a river, not a bucket; it’s always flowing), it might be that you run low more easily than some other moms.
Think of breast storage like two people working in the garden: Each has a water hose, and each has a bucket. Both of their hoses produce a gallon of water per minute.
But one person has a one gallon bucket, while the other person has a 5 gallon bucket.
Both of them can take 10 gallons of water from to their garden in 10 minutes. The difference is, one person will have to make 10 trips to the garden, while the other person only makes 2 trips.
So whether you have a small breast capacity or a larger one, it’s okay. It just means your baby may nurse more often.
Baby is teething or sick
If your baby is unwell, they may nurse more often. First of all, they need to stay hydrated, so they need to nurse often. Secondly, you produce antibodies and white blood cells in your breast milk that are specifically designed to help them fight off germs.
Baby wants to connect
Simply put, breastfeeding is comforting for your baby. Breastfeeding causes you both to release oxytocin, the bonding hormone that calms you down and even relieves pain.
And if you work outside the home, your little one may take fewer bottles during the day, instead cluster feeding at night once you’re back together.
Unfortunately, this behavior can be really hard to deal with when you’re already exhausted from work and baby.
Is cluster feeding bad?
As a new parent, it can be frustrating when your baby seems to want to feed non-stop. And if you aren’t confident in your breastfeeding ability, cluster feeding may really scare you: Is my milk drying up?
RELATED: Is my milk drying up? Help!
While cluster feeding it may seem like a problem, it’s actually an important part of your baby’s development.
RELATED: How to know if my breastfed baby is eating enough
By nursing frequently, your baby is sending signals to your body to increase milk production. And if your newborn is cluster feeding all night, that’s actually okay too.
Generally, your supply is lowest in the evening and night, so it makes sense that your baby would want to nurse more. Plus, your body produces the most prolactin (the hormone that boosts milk production) at night.
That means night feeds are especially helpful for your milk supply.
In addition, cluster feeding often occurs before a growth spurt, where babies need extra nourishment to support their rapid development. So rather than viewing cluster feeding as a nuisance, try to see it as a natural part of your baby’s growth process.
How long does cluster feeding last?
Cluster feeding, where your baby wants to eat constantly for a few days, can be exhausting for both you and your little one. While it may seem like it will never end, the good news is that it typically only lasts 2-3 days. You may feel like you have a tiny piranha for a few days, but after that, your little one may actually sleep extra.
After this intense period of feeding, your milk supply will increase, but with your baby snoozing instead of eating, it has nowhere to go!
For this reason, your breasts may become engorged and tender. It is important to continue to breastfeed or pump regularly to avoid any discomfort or complications like a clogged duct or mastitis.
At the same time, don’t pump so much that you keep your supply up at this high level. Instead, only pump (or hand express) just enough to get relief. Acetaminophen can take the edge off of the worst engorgement pain, but make sure you mostly focus on emptying your breasts as needed.
When do babies cluster feed?
Although cluster feeding only lasts for 2-3 days at a time, that doesn’t mean it’s a one and done deal. Your baby will have these growth spurts at several stages of their development. Here’s the cluster feeding timeline.
Their first cluster feed will come quickly – at 7-10 days old. After that, you can follow the rule of 3 for cluster feeds and growth spurts: 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 9 weeks, then 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months. There will be another growth spurt right as your baby turns one.
RELATED: Breastfeeding a 1 year old
So if your 3 week old is nursing every hour, that’s totally normal. Exhausting, but normal.
How to cope with cluster feeding at night
Any parent of a newborn knows that cluster feeding is a common occurrence, especially at night.
This can be frustrating for exhausted parents who are trying to get some rest, but there are some things that can be done to help cope with the situation.
Keep perspective
First, it is important to stay calm and realize that this is only a temporary phase. I know, easier said than done, but if you can remember that it will get better, it will help a lot.
Another important note if you have a partner at home with you: The two of you are on the same team. It’s easy to become short tempered with one another and blame each other for everything when you’re tired
Get help
While you’re likely the only one feeding your baby, you can get help in other parts of life. See if someone else can take care of older siblings’ bedtimes while you nurse.
If you have family or friends who are willing to bring you a meal or even have carry out deliver, that would be great. Even better would be if they made a double batch: One meal for now, and one to freeze for later.
Stay hydrated
You hear it all the time, but it’s true: Hydration is everything, especially when you’re nursing! It’s easy to forget to drink anything when you’re holding a baby all the time, but that’s why you should always have a giant water bottle on hand.
Be prepared
Set up a nursing station with your water, some snacks, a few burp cloths, and whatever else you may need. Snuggle down for the evening (until your bed time), find a favorite show to binge watch, and just relax.
RELATED: Must-haves for the fourth trimester
NOTE: If you are so tired that you are afraid you will fall asleep with your baby, do not stay in a recliner or on a sofa to try to keep yourself awake. If you fall asleep and your baby gets wedged in between cushions, it could be disastrous. It is safer to fall asleep with your baby on a flat, firm surface than on a couch or chair.
Consider how to co-sleep safely
It is much easier to handle the frequent wakings of a cluster feeding baby if you are room sharing with them.
For many parents, the easiest thing is to have a co-sleeper beside the bed (these are my favorites).
RELATED: The best non-toxic co sleeper bassinets
I know bed sharing is a very controversial topic in the United States. With that said, if you are exclusively breastfeeding, there’s no smokers in your home, and you are free from the influence of drugs or alcohol, there are ways to co sleep with your child safely on a firm surface.
RELATED: Bed sharing safely with the cuddle curl
Tips for getting through the cluster feeding stage
If your baby is cluster feeding all night, remember that it’s a normal and developmentally appropriate behavior for your baby. It can be exhausting, but it won’t last forever. You can do this!
If you need some extra support, my Breastfeeding 101 quick start guide can help get you off to a great breastfeeding relationship with your baby. Remember – cluster feeding won’t last forever.
Hang in there!
Do's & Dont's (Plus How To Do It Right)
What's in this post...
Are you busy with a cluster feeding newborn? This will help you know what to do so you’re not up all night feeding a baby every hour.
Newborns are perfectly snuggly and sweet and warm and wonderful.
It’s like you are focused on being so heavily pregnant and making it to birth and then… in an instant you have a tiny person that is so perfect.
And dependent on you.
But it can be hard to survive.
If they won’t sleep well, don’t seem to be eating well, and are irritable due to gas pain, overtiredness, or even baby teething… then you can feel like you’re slowly starting to lose your mind from lack of sleep and complete world upheaval.
A common phenomenon with little ones… cluster feeding.
What is it?
Cluster feeding (n): A breastfeeding pattern when baby groups several feeding sessions in a short window of time. It can happen for a number of reasons (some purposeful, some not), which we’ll dive into below.
Some other names for this are topping up or tanking up (giving baby a bit more to make sure they aren’t hungry when they go to bed) or even split feeding.
Split feeding is used when you sort of divide up a feed into two so that baby gets what they need immediately, then some more again before going off into dreamland.
How babies cluster feed – 4 likely scenarios:
- Baby cluster feeds at night, but not during the day.
- Baby cluster feeds both day and night.
- Or baby snacks all day but never takes full long feeds.
- Baby cluster feeds sometime in the late afternoon/early evening period (5 pm to 11 pm) on purpose.
Rules of thumb while cluster feeding your newborn
Cluster feeding can really feel difficult or confusing, but I want to assure you that these newborns days are intense yet they will pass.
And the habits you start now can create a strong foundation then fade out naturally into a mutually beneficial routine.
Remember, during this time you may find your baby log comes in handy to refer back to.
You certainly don’t need to keep track of anything, but organized mamas often feel comforted by this. Knowing that baby is getting enough milk and sleep throughout the day.
Reasons cluster feeding works
So first of all, you’ll end up cluster feeding at some point in the day with your newborn.
Their tummies are tiny and they need to fill them up at regular intervals.
This is actually a good thing and you can use this feeding rhythm to your benefit in a way that means baby gets more sleep and you do too.
Read: End Baby’s Witching Hour — In 4 Simple Steps
If you are reading this, exhausted from excessive breastfeeding (which according to research is a common reason many mothers abandon breastfeeding altogether) then please know you don’t have to feed every hour around the clock to successfully breastfeed.
As a certified infant and child sleep consultant and mother of 5, I can attest to this.
Reasons Tanking Up Is Beneficial And Why Babies Do It:
- Your baby gets lots of nourishment in a shorter period of time which is beneficial during the late afternoon/early evening hours when, depending on your personal stress levels, milk quality may be lower.
- Baby can sleep longer stretches after cluster feeding periods.
- Mom can sleep longer stretches because baby is sleeping longer stretches.
- Milk supply can be kept up with regular feeding.
- Cluster feeds help babies get through growth spurts by maintaining adequate milk supply.
- Your baby is less likely to wake up early from a nap or night sleep due to hunger.
Read: Dreamfeed: The Why, The How, & When To Stop
Watch my video on an important cluster feeding issue.
Hourly feedings at night: day night confusion?
If your baby cluster feeds at night, but not during the day then sweet baby probably has some day night confusion going on.
The goal is to make those cluster feeds during daytime hours so they’re sleeping longer stretches at night.
If baby wants to nap for 4 hours during the day… well… don’t let him!
Follow my newborn sample routine or my week by week newborn schedule and do what works for you, but know that if you let baby sleep long stretches during the day he will be up more frequently at night.
Lots of lengthy daytime naps lowers baby’s sleep need. A baby only needs so much deep sleep in a 24 hour period and if he’s getting it during the day… he won’t at night.
Read: What To Do When Baby Is Feeding Every Hour (& Not Sleeping!)
Newborn Settling Guide
Tried-and-true *hands on* newborn settling strategies that even the most fussy (or wide-awake-sleep-refusing) newborns cannot resist!
Learn More
The way forward?
Purposefully cluster feed your newborn in late afternoon and early evening and make sure baby is taking full feeds.
This means at least 10 minutes per breast if you’re nursing, often times twice that.
Read: Cocooning a Newborn & 7 Reasons Why it Can Be Good For The Family
PRO TIP
You can tell when baby is no longer actively nursing but just remaining latched on in a few ways.
First, look at the muscles on baby’s cheek. If they are nursing it will be moving up and down. Next, discern whether baby is swallowing or not.
Then, look at baby’s chin, is it moving as it does during active sucking (aka nursing).
If none of these are happening baby is likely asleep and engaging in non-nutritive sucking.
Read: How To Fix Day/Night Confusion In 3 Nights Or Less
Cluster Feeding CHECKLIST
Use our checklist to use cluster feeding to your advantage without feeding every hour all day every day!
How to stop cluster feeding at night (if you’re ready)
Whew.
Ain’t no mama want to be up every hour at night. The good news is you don’t have to be.
Even if you are feeding every hour through the night, you can shift that and begin getting longer stretches at night.
What’s the only way to stop cluster feeding at night?
Make sure baby is getting as much milk as they can throughout the day.
Don’t let baby snack while nursing. 10 minute feeds throughout the day mean baby will be up all night because baby is hungry and needs milk.
When you start giving baby full feeds throughout the day (this will mean you’ll have to do jump through some hoops to keep baby up) and baby settles into a predictable routine then they’ll sleep longer stretches at night.
Read These While You’re At It
Purposefully cluster feed in the late afternoon period when the milk supply is at its lowest quality (4 pm onwards) so that baby’s tummy is as full as it can be.
This will promote deeper sleep.
Eventually, even if baby wakes frequently at night for feeds, if you are not giving long full feeds throughout the night baby will get it.
It’s super hard when your newborn is cluster feeding all night, but you will get there and it will get easier!
Read These While You’re At It
Are you feeding your newborn both day and night?
If you have a cluster feeding newborn both day and night there are only a few likely alternatives.
- Milk supply is low and baby is starving.
- Baby is going through a growth spurt and is starving.
- Baby is only “snacking” and not taking full feeds or getting to the hindmilk rich in nutrients because he just takes a bit then stops.
The best way to help baby stop cluster feeding day and night is to determine which issue you’re having.
If it’s milk supply then continue feeding until your supply is up or supplement with formula (see a lactation expert).
Alternatively, if baby is going through a growth spurt then there’s nothing to do but wait it out and feed baby as much as possible to keep them full and get your supply up to meet the demand.
Newborn Feeding Chart
Use this simple printable chart to track your feeds to make sure baby is fed, your supply is up, and everyone is well.
What to do if baby only “snacks”
- Keep baby awake during feeds by taking off their clothes except diaper. You can also rub their feet, cheeks, or hands with a baby wipe or keep trying to stimulate them to stay awake long enough to feed. You can put them on a soft blanket or tummy time mat and let them kick in their diaper until they’ve woken up, then continue feeding.
- Try not to put baby down to sleep if they fall asleep while nursing unless they just won’t wake up. Keep trying to feed baby even if it takes a bit of time so they’ll get as much as they can.
- Differentiate between active nursing and non-nutritive sucking, and let baby do one but maybe not the other.
- Give the baby a pacifier (the pacifier I recommend that stays in baby’s mouth) if they wake and want to nurse right after having nursed a short time ago. They might just need to satisfy the sucking urge and this will help. Also, the next time they feed after this will mean they’ll take more milk and keep your supply up. “Snacking” can contribute to a lower milk supply because baby is never emptying a breast and getting the rich milk.
Eventually by doing those things baby will stop snacking and start taking fuller feeds which will naturally result in longer times between feeds.
Read: The Ultimate Newborn Sleep Schedule: Week By Week For The Postpartum Period
Cluster feeding in the early evening
The prime time to have newborn cluster feeding sessions is the late afternoon early evening.
As I previously said, the milk supply can be lower in quantity and quality at this time due to the stresses of the day.
Because of this, feeding baby every 2 hours for a few hours will help keep your supply up, will keep the little one happy, and will set them up to sleep longer stretches at night.
Your evening routine might look something like this.
4:30 p.m. Nurse and nap
6:30 p.m. Nurse and catnap (or skip nap)
8:30 p.m. Nurse and bed
10:30 p.m. Dreamfeed
By purposefully cluster feeding in the right time you’ll help everyone sleep more at night while keeping your precious one topped up on milk.
Summary
- Feed every 1.5 to 2 hours during the early evening.
- Give baby plenty of milk before their bedtime so they are satisfied and sleep longer.
- Cluster feed during the DAY so you don’t find yourself having to cluster feed at NIGHT.
- Drop the cluster feeds when baby is no longer interested in one of the feeds.
Remember, feeding at frequent intervals in the late afternoon early evening will not solve actual sleep problems, but it will help your little one have a full tummy.
Sleep issues might subside if they were hunger related.
Cluster Feeding CHECKLIST
Use our checklist to use cluster feeding to your advantage without feeding every hour all day every day!
Rhythms, Routines, & Schedules Pack
Easy to implement routines, rhythms and schedules from birth through school-aged kids to help you streamline day-to-day life with kids, including a step-by-step guide for getting started.
Learn More
Need sample routines for babies 6 weeks and older?
By now, you know how to handle the early days, but what after? Here is the good news: you’ve set your baby up for a foundation of success.
Now all you need to do is continue to find routines that work for you and your baby as they grow up and begin getting bigger and bigger.
Sob.
After having 5 babies with 5 different personalities, I know a thing or two about finding a good schedule.
This is why I’ve created a book of sample routines and schedules for babies ages 6 weeks up to 5 years.
The book includes information on how long to let baby stay awake, how much play time is good for each age, what to do with baby when baby is awake but not quite mobile, and even how to manage toddler and baby joint routines.
Chapters covered in Rhythms, Routines & Schedules include:Section One: Sample Schedules
- 6 Weeks to 3 Months Old
- 3-6 Months Old
- 7-9 Months Old
- 9-12 Months Old
- 12-18 Months Old
- 2-3 Years Old
- 4-5 Years Old
Section Two: Tips and Tricks
- Tips for Managing the Day With Multiple Children
- Daily Rhythms for an Only Child Ages 1-4 Years Old
- Daily Rhythms for Multiple Small Children Ages 0-5
- Sample Bedtime, Mealtime, and Playtime Routines
- Tips for Keeping Kids Busy Throughout the Day
For more sample routines, mom tested and approved schedules for babies ages 6 weeks and up, check out Rhythms, Routines & Schedules right now.
Cluster Feeding FAQ
How long does cluster feeding last?
Cluster feeding typically will happen until around 4 or 5 months of age. Once baby is around 5 months (see the 5 month old schedule here) and they are eating solids, there isn’t as much of a need for cluster feeding.
Does cluster feeding increase milk supply?
If your supply is low and baby is frequently feeding, this will increase your supply. Milk supply and quality is typically lower in the late afternoon early evening and cluster feeding can help fill baby.
Can you overfeed a breastfed baby?
Babies need to eat when they are hungry. Too much “snacking” can mean that baby is getting a lot of the foremilk which is less nutrient dense and will contribute to more feeding. Solution? Full feeds with hindmilk for baby.
Is cluster feeding all day normal?
Yes and no. Babies can tend to feed every hour all day long if they aren’t getting enough milk or they are snacking. If baby is feeding every hour all day long they’re not actually getting much food, they are using your breast as a snack bar.
If you’re okay with this, then you’re good to go. And if not, focus on full feeds.
Is it normal for a newborn to breastfeed every half hour?
If babies take full feeds (nursing for 30 to 45 minutes typically) they won’t need food every half hour or even every two hours. If they snack they will feed more frequently.
Sources:
- Fatigue associated with breastfeeding is a major cause in why women stop
- Excessive night waking is associated with increased maternal depression
- Breast milk composition (specifically nucleotides) helps varies by time expressed, late evening feeding linked to more melatonin production in babies
Family Routines Reboot
Take our 3 day challenge to create life-giving family, child, and self-care routines.
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Is it necessary to wake the baby for feeding
Some mothers are worried that their baby does not ask for food at night.
We figure out whether it is necessary to wake the baby for feeding at night or for his growth and development, daytime nutrition is enough, as well as how to properly disturb sleep and feed the baby, if necessary. What to give the child, how often and up to what age and how to solve the problem of night awakenings? We will talk about all this with our permanent expert - pediatrician, consultant of the SMART MAMA project Polina Aleksandrovna Kizino.
— Polina Alexandrovna, why do babies eat at night?
- Active growth and weight gain in the first months of life, the growing needs of the body for building material and energy costs require a large amount of nutrients. But the baby cannot eat a lot of food at once in order to accumulate it and use the reserves all night. Therefore, the younger the child, the more often he will eat at night. A newborn baby suckles a breast or a bottle day and night at almost the same intervals, but the older he gets, the less often he feeds at night.
— How to organize the nutrition of a breastfed and formula-fed baby?
— In this matter, it is extremely important for parents to separate the concepts of food and sleep. A small child does not need to eat during the falling asleep period, he is able to eat between feedings during wakefulness and at night during sleep. These two processes go hand in hand, but they should not be strictly tied to each other. Therefore, it is important to understand how much the baby needs to sleep and what should be the intervals between feedings.
Sleep and feeding norms up to a year
| Feed the child at the request or under the regime | Wake up the baby at night |  Milk formula
| Night feedings during the newborn period and up to three months
Night feedings for older children
|
How much sleep should a child sleep at night? Age norms change every month, but sleep and nutrition are extremely important. For example, a three-month-old baby sleeps normally 10-12 hours a night. But this does not mean that during this time he does not need to eat.
As soon as a hungry baby begins to fiddle and worry, mom should offer him breasts or formula. The child eats and continues to sleep, and the sleep process is not interrupted.
— How many months should I feed my baby at night and how often?
— There are different situations. From birth, the intervals between feedings at night are the same as during the day, then the child gradually begins to skip night feedings, the intervals increase, and on average, by the age of one, the baby stops eating at night.
It is necessary to wake the baby for feedings in the first month, but initially it is worth looking at how long the baby will wake up on its own. For example, if the interval is 2.5-3 hours, and the child wakes up on his own after 3.5 hours, this is acceptable. But the situation when the newborn is sleeping is completely incorrect 9-10 hours and does not receive food all this time.
- Advise parents who want to adjust their feeding schedule.
- You can increase the intervals between feedings over time and gradually, and in the first months you need to see how much the baby is gaining weight.
If the increase is adequate, then the child needs so much food, perhaps an indulgence. If the increase does not correspond to the desired, then, on the contrary, it will be necessary to supplement the baby more actively. With older children, they are guided by the behavior of the child during the day, his weight and height gains.
Read also: How to create a feeding regimen and daily ration for a newborn who is breastfed, formula-fed or formula-fed
— When can a child sleep through the night without feeding?
— Children are all different. Rare babies begin to sleep at night from the third month. If a child eats his daily allowance during the day and at the same time gains weight normally, there is no need to force-feed him. But there are children who wake up for feeding and a year. The norm at this age is one nightly feeding. By about fourteen or fifteen months, babies stop eating at night, in terms of nutritional needs. After pediatricians do not recommend feeding at night.
It's not just that you need to refuse a child food at night - you should pay attention to his food during the day and assess its sufficiency. At the same time, it is recommended to deal with the sleep regime: when the regime is violated, overwork occurs. Perhaps the child does not know how to prolong sleep on his own, and he needs a breast or a bottle to fall asleep. Then night feedings appear, without which he cannot sleep.
— Is it better to feed at night: breast milk, infant formula or complementary foods?
| Breastfeeding: give breast or bottle expressed breast milk. | Mixed feeding: breast milk if the mother is trying to keep lactating, or bottle formula if the mother is weaning. | Artificial feeding: dilute a portion of the mixture according to age and doctor's recommendations. |
Complementary foods are not suitable for night feeding, because they require feeding from a spoon.
Do not bottle feed your baby anything other than breast milk, adapted formula, or water.
— How many times should a baby be fed at night?
— When a child wakes up and asks for food, then they feed him, or on the recommendation of a doctor. If the child needs additional food, but he does not ask, the mother should still feed him in the amount in which the doctor prescribed it.
Night feeding rules
- Night feedings usually accompany sleep and do not require waking up.
- The more calm conditions (dimmed light, silence) created during feeding, the better.
- Frequent awakenings at intervals of 40-60 minutes or 1 hour 30 minutes, especially in a child older than four months, usually do not indicate hunger, but an association with falling asleep or prolonging sleep only with breast / bottle sucking.
- With the exception of periods of lactation crisis, when the baby often asks for a breast, nightly intervals between feedings should be the same as during the day, or more.
Gradually, the intervals between feedings should be increased.
— Does the quality of food at dinner affect your night's sleep?
— Nocturnal awakenings are influenced not so much by the last feeding as by the food of the day as a whole. It is a mistake to believe that if you give your child a huge portion at night, he will sleep better. On the contrary, it is more difficult to fall asleep on a full stomach. And, with the exception of very young children, it would be rational, as the child grows, to increase the interval between the last feeding and going to sleep.
- A 1-month-old baby will fall asleep on the breast or at the bottle: at this age, the wake time is short and feeding usually causes the baby to fall asleep. The process of eating for him is a big burden, but at the same time, sucking relaxes and calms.
- After three to four months, you can gradually separate feeding from falling asleep and make longer intervals - starting from 10 minutes, reaching 1.
5-2 hours by the year.
Being full before bed does not reduce awakenings, so the baby should be fed as usual. At an older age, one of the complementary foods can be given at night: porridge with milk or meat puree with vegetables, but one should not think that they will somehow affect nighttime awakenings if the child ate little during the day.
— How to wake up a newborn to feed at night?
- To feed a baby, it is enough to offer a breast or a bottle and not wake him up - with a maximum probability he will start sucking. There are situations when the child is very lethargic and you need to fill his nutritional needs. In this case, you can “wake up” and use tactile or sound stimuli - take the baby in your arms and change the position of his body, undress him, stroke him, start talking to him quietly so as not to injure or scare him. Any impact should be smooth and progressive until the baby wakes up. But he can suck in a dream.
If the child gains weight adequately, eats enough during the day, feels well, then the absence of awakenings should not be frightening.
The priority is how the child develops: with adequate development, night feedings are not insisted.
— Let's discuss the problems that parents face during night feedings.
- The child often wakes up at night and cries
- Often the child wakes up at night not from hunger, but to calm himself and prolong his sleep, but he does not know how to do this except with a breast or a bottle.
Parents often underestimate the regime, but it is extremely important, because the violation of the regime significantly affects the functioning of the nervous system. If sleep is not organized, then any irritants are quickly unsettled, the baby can react violently to everything. It is worth paying attention to the rituals that precede going to sleep, associations that accompany falling asleep, living conditions - separate and / or joint sleep. Some babies sleep very restlessly after feeding. There may also be reasons for sleep disturbances.
- Refusal of night feedings
— Parents face a problem when they decide to stop night feedings prematurely.
Within reason, you need to follow the child, give him the opportunity to regulate his desires. Ideally, you do not need to feed specially or, on the contrary, stop force-feeding the baby, although there are exceptions in case of violations of his health.
- The baby does not want to eat or eats little and falls asleep
- The baby sucks sluggishly if he does not like the shape of the nipple, bottle or is uncomfortable at the breast and it is difficult to get milk. If the baby falls asleep after a short suck, but he needs to be given a certain portion of milk or formula, then he needs to be woken up and fed. During sleep, it is sometimes easier to feed than during the day.
If the child wakes up and does not want to eat, but at the same time he adds normally, then you need to deal with other reasons for awakening. In a healthy child, they look at the organization of sleep, wakefulness and nutrition during the day. Neurological symptoms against the background of sleep disturbance require examination of the baby by a doctor.
— How to normalize sleep and nutrition in infants?
— The norms of sleep and feeding are conditional, therefore, first of all, it is necessary to observe the behavior and physiological needs of the child. If he gains weight well, develops adequately without striking deviations from the norm and negative conditions, then there is no point in adhering to strict rules.
Norms are a guide that allows you to quickly react in a situation where something is wrong with your child. If the baby is very worried, often wakes up at night, gains weight poorly, is naughty during the day, then the norms will help correct his condition. If the child develops well, he is active, stable, there is no reason to adapt to the pattern.
Every age has its own dietary and sleep norms. A child under one year old quite justifiably asks for food at night, and it makes no sense for him to refuse it. In the event of a lag in weight and height for some time, the baby will have to be fed more actively, even if he does not ask, until his condition and parameters return to normal.
Some children stop eating at night earlier, and if they develop well, do not lag behind in weight and height, then this can be considered the norm.
*The ideal food for an infant is mother's milk. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. MAMAKO® supports this recommendation. Before introducing new foods into your baby's diet, consult with a specialist.
What is baby mode? — A little boy's sleep
Does a baby need a routine? Now the opinion is very popular that the baby “knows when he eats and sleeps”, or “he will let you know when he wants something”, or (which I like best) “the baby will work out a regimen for himself” . In fact, indeed, there are times when the baby regulates his day on his own, and mom does not need to make any effort to put him to bed. And the baby itself is very calm, does not act up, rarely cries, calmly eats, calmly falls asleep. Such children are called "gift" or "angel babies". But, unfortunately, such children are few.
Most of them need our help to “develop a regime”.
When the first child is born, the life of the parents changes dramatically. Even if you prepare very diligently, go to courses, read literature and have experience communicating with the kids of relatives and friends, the first child still puts you in a stupor. One feels great happiness, joy from the fact that this little baby is your son or daughter, the cutest little man on earth; but on the other hand - fear, a huge fear of the unknown, fear of harm, doing or not doing something, and also a great desire to give the baby only the best, all your warmth, care, affection, feed, warm ... In a state of such mixed feelings It is very difficult for parents to understand what their child wants at the moment - to eat, sleep, play, is cold, has a stomach ache? And here the regime comes to the aid of parents.
What is a mode?
In our concept, a schedule is a schedule to be followed. We got up at 7-00, had breakfast at 7-15, brushed our teeth at 7-30, etc.
Fortunately or unfortunately, children cannot be tied to time, or rather, they can, but this will not benefit anyone. Now there are still experts who recommend the “clock mode”, but such a minority. Most recommend “structuring the regime”, that is, dividing the day into “cycles” and following them, introducing flexible rules that focus primarily on the needs of the child. How does it work in practice?
A newborn's day consists of 3 processes - sleep, feeding and wakefulness. In sum, they are the “cycle”, of which 7-8 are obtained per day. That is, it turns out that the length of one cycle is from 2-3.5 hours. "Structuring" is the deliberate repetition of these processes in a certain sequence. For example, sleep-wake-feeding. The newborn has little to no wakefulness, as he needs a lot of sleep. But still there is a little wakefulness. What is included? Almost all the time of wakefulness can be occupied by feeding and changing clothes, and only short episodes of communication with the outside world, primarily with dear beloved mother.
It can be literally 5-10 minutes at first. Just woke up - and again you need to prepare for the next dream.
When do sleep problems start?
The baby grows, his brain develops, and gradually he begins to show interest in the world around him, stops “sleeping all the time”. That's when the sleep problems start. Parents try to rock the child, breastfeed it, put it in the stroller and roll it, because they realized that the child needs to be put to sleep. But when exactly it is better to do this is a very big question. It was this question that arose in my time, because I did not understand how much the baby “should” walk, and when it was time to sleep. Scientists come to our aid, who have determined how many babies of different ages can stay awake - this is wakefulness norms . I would say that these are the main data that parents need to focus on. Yes, all babies are different, but in the first year they are all very similar in that they are awake for approximately the same time between sleeps.
So we have determined how the regime is built. We take into account the norms of wakefulness for a certain age, and also repeat the same sequence of actions.
An example of a “structured regimen”
For example, I will describe one cycle of a 3-month-old baby who has 1.5 hours of wakefulness. I will describe in as much detail as possible so that you can clearly imagine what can happen to the child.
7:00 - woke up,
until 7:10 - lay on the stomach, smiled at mom, hugged, tried to crawl,
7:10-7:30 - feeding,
7:30-7:40 - walked around
7:40-7:50 — lay down on the rug, rattled rattles, whimpered,
7:50-8:00 — mother picked it up, calmed , went to the kitchen to have breakfast and shifted the baby to a deck chair or left it on the arms,
8:00-8:15 — the baby was tired of being in one place again, so they walked around the apartment with their mother on their arms, watered the flowers and listened to a pleasant mother voice,
8:15 - mother noticed signs of fatigue in the baby and brought him into the room where he sleeps,
until 8:25 - calming ritual before going to bed,
at 8:30 the baby fell asleep,
then a dream lasting 1- 1.
5 (or 2) hours, and then all over again. Each time the locations will change, the actions of the mother during wakefulness, but the actions before going to bed and upon waking up should remain unchanged.
Now do you understand what I mean? Of course, neither we nor the kids are robots, and we cannot repeat the same thing over and over. But there should always be some predictability. In this case, these are: feeding always during active wakefulness (and not for falling asleep), the same ritual before going to bed and the same way of putting to bed.
What are the advantages of such a “structured regime”?
First of all, comfortable for the baby. Children are very fond of repeatable actions, for them it is like a game in which they participate and know what will happen next. At the same time, they feel safe, gradually get used to it, and every month it gets easier and easier for the mother with the baby (and not vice versa, as often happens). The kid is calm and happy, what could be better?
But there are pluses for mom too.
Mom always knows what will happen next and can plan her day. In addition, she knows exactly when the baby is hungry, when he is tired, when he needs a change of scenery, and she will never confuse hunger with fatigue, which often happens to young parents due to lack of experience. And, importantly, mom is not in the dark about what will happen next. Mom is calm and happy, like a great addition to a contented baby.
Of course, our life is full of events and unpredictable actions - you need to go to the clinic, go to your grandmother, guests have come, there is no hot water, etc. But even with such an abundance of unexpected changes, you can easily rearrange your “mode”, as it is not tied to time, but simply consists of repeated cycles. If someone had told me about this when my son was a newborn, then my life would have been much easier. But I only found out about this when he was two months old, and yet after a couple of weeks I managed to fix our day, and very soon the night got better.
