When does a baby cluster feed
Cluster feeding | Pregnancy Birth and Baby
Cluster feeding | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content4-minute read
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Key facts
- Cluster feeding is when your baby wants lots of short feeds over a few hours.
- Cluster feeding is very common, especially in the late afternoon or early evening.
- No one really knows why some babies cluster feed, but it may be a way for your body to boost your milk supply.
- If your baby cluster feeds, this does not mean that you don't have enough milk.
- Cluster feeding can be exhausting; it's a good idea to think of strategies to help you cope when your baby feeds frequently.
What is cluster feeding?
Cluster feeding is a time when your baby wants lots of short feeds over a few hours. It's normal and often happens in the early days of breastfeeding.
Cluster feeding is a normal behaviour for your baby. It's more common in the late afternoon or early evening, but it can happen anytime of the day.
It seems that some babies prefer to fill up on milk for a few hours then often have a longer sleep.
Why do some babies cluster feed?
There is no particular reason why some babies cluster feed. Some people believe it might boost your milk supply. If your baby wants more milk, then feeding more often will trigger your body to make it.
Is my baby cluster feeding?
If your baby is having a lot of short feeds close together over a few hours, you are cluster feeding.
If you are cluster feeding, you might also find that your baby:
- has short rests or sleeps between these feeds
- feeds for a few minutes then pulls off and on the breast
- cries and is fussy during this time
Common worries about cluster feeding
Cluster feeding can make you physically and emotionally drained. Many parents feel exhausted and frustrated. Some mothers say they feel like a failure, or that they lose confidence about being able to breastfeed.
You might worry that you don't have enough milk because your baby takes a long time to settle. You might also think your breasts feel empty.
But there is always milk in your breasts. They are never completely empty.
What can I do to make cluster feeding easier?
The first thing to remember is that this is normal. Cluster feeding doesn't mean that you don't have enough milk.
To make cluster feeding easier you can:
- relax and follow your baby's lead
- feed to their need
- look forward to a sleepy, settled baby after feeding
- try to rest in the early part of the day to prepare
- drink lots of water
- make sure you eat well — don't miss meals
- get as much family and partner support as you can
Things to look out for
Cluster feeding is a normal part of a baby's feeding routine. Talk to your nurse, midwife or doctor if your baby:
- is not gaining weight
- is not producing wet and dirty nappies
- is not settling after they have finished feeding
Where can I go for help and advice about breastfeeding?
For advice and support contact:
- a lactation consultant
- your family health nurse
- Pregnancy Birth Baby on 1800 882 436
- the Australian Breastfeeding Association Helpline on 1800 686 268
Speak to a maternal child health nurse. Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. This is a free service, and is available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.
Sources:
Australian Breastfeeding Association (Cluster feeding and fussy babies), Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (Infant and toddler nutrition), Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) (Breastfeeding)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: May 2022
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- Breastfeeding your baby
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What You Should Know About Cluster Feeding
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
In this Article
- How to Know It’s Cluster Feeding
- Causes of Cluster Feeding
- When Is Cluster Feeding Not Considered Normal?
- How to Deal With Cluster Feeding
- Benefits of Cluster Feeding
- Challenges of Cluster Feeding
When infants get to a certain age they may begin to want to breastfeed more frequently than usual. Often, the length of the feedings will decrease as the frequency increases. While this is normal, it can be concerning or confusing to new parents.
Breast or bottle feeding that happens frequently and isn’t necessarily due to hunger is referred to as cluster feeding.
How to Know It’s Cluster Feeding
It's normal for babies to cluster feed. It is especially common during the early days of breastfeeding. Cluster feeding is more common in the late afternoon or early evening, but it can happen at any time of the day.
Cluster feeding usually happens between three weeks to six weeks after birth. During this period, your baby experiences growth spurts. As a result, they may require more milk than usual. Throughout these times, it's important to make sure you provide enough milk to keep your baby full.
You should consider it normal for your baby to cluster feed if you notice the following:
- Your baby is gaining reasonable weight.
- The process occurs during a limited time, like 3-4 hours a day.
- Your baby is having a lot of dirty and wet diapers.
- The process occurs after birth when you have an adequate milk supply.
- Your baby has short rests or sleeps between these feedings.
- Your baby feeds for a few minutes then pulls off and on the breast.
- Your baby cries and is fussy during this time.
If you are concerned that your milk supply is inadequate for your baby’s needs, talk to your pediatrician.
Causes of Cluster Feeding
Some babies do not cluster feed at all. The following are reasons why your baby could be cluster feeding:
Your baby is undergoing a growth spurt. If your baby is at a stage where they are experiencing a growth spurt, they will naturally need more nourishment. During these times, your baby may want to nurse every 30 minutes to an hour. In the first month alone, growth spurts can happen every few days or even weekly.
These growth spurts typically happen when your baby is around two to three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months old. However, your baby's growth spurts may not happen at these exact times as every baby is different. Growth spurts usually last a few days.
Developmental milestone. Your baby may be undergoing a developmental milestone during the first six months. When your child experiences physical and psychological changes, they may need nutrition. The process can cause your baby to cluster feed.
When Is Cluster Feeding Not Considered Normal?
There are times when your baby may frequently breastfeed to the point that you need to involve your pediatrician. Such instances include:
- Your baby breastfeeds non-stop.
- Your baby cries unless they are breastfeeding and continues to show signs of hunger.
- Your baby appears jaundiced (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes), becomes lethargic (appearing tired and dull), or has tremors after long periods of non-stop nursing.
- Your baby is not gaining weight.
- Your baby is not producing wet and dirty diapers.
How to Deal With Cluster Feeding
Cluster feeding doesn't mean you don't have enough milk. However, some parents are concerned that they may not be producing enough milk for their baby during cluster feeding episodes. If you are in such a situation, be sure to:
- Stay hydrated.
- Find a breastfeeding partner to bring you drinks and snacks and keep you entertained during the cluster-feeding episodes.
- Stay prepared for your baby’s needs.
- Do not miss your meals.
- Relax, get comfortable, and follow your baby’s lead.
- Know when your baby is hungry.
When your baby is full but can’t seem to stop craving more, you may use non-nutritive sucking to soothe them. For instance, using a pacifier instead of breastfeeding your baby every 30 minutes will save you and your baby lots of fussiness and time.
Benefits of Cluster Feeding
Some of the advantages of cluster feeding include:
- Providing your baby the nourishment they need to grow
- Helping to soothe your baby
- Ensuring your baby gets enough sleep after a satisfying nursing session
- Providing comfort, security, and reassurance that sustain your baby's emotional needs
- Boosting your milk supply to fit the needs of your baby
Challenges of Cluster Feeding
Cluster feeding can make you feel emotionally and physically drained. Studies show that many parents may experience frustration or fatigue from cluster feeding. Some lose confidence in their ability to breastfeed.
You may become worried that you aren't producing enough milk, especially if your baby takes a long time to settle when nursing or your breasts feel empty. Another challenge of cluster feeding is the sleep deprivation that comes about when your baby wakes up frequently to nurse.
During periods of cluster feeding, parents may find it helpful to talk with a lactation consultant or pediatrician. Your doctor may also recommend additional ways to care for your nursing baby.
Breastfeeding with jaundice | how to do it right
Neonatal jaundice affects up to 70% of newborns. If it is less common in full-term babies, then almost all premature babies face it. Moreover, the number of babies diagnosed with this condition is constantly growing. Doctors attribute this situation to environmental degradation, medication during gestation, and other negative factors affecting the body of a pregnant woman.
Newborn jaundice usually begins immediately after birth - on the third or fourth day. On the tenth, the yellowness of the skin most often disappears. But treatment is recommended to start, even if bilirubin is not too high: the body of each child is individual and complications can give a slight excess of the indicator. The duration of treatment is also associated with the individual characteristics of the body: with equal amounts of bilirubin, different children require a different number of phototherapy sessions to cure. In many ways, the course of the disease is affected by the nutrition of the baby.
Breastfeeding during jaundice is beneficial
When breastfeeding, the baby should eat a lot and often soil the diaper. This is because colostrum has a laxative effect. With jaundice, this alignment is very handy, because bilirubin leaves the body with feces and urine. The more the baby eats and the more often it is freed from waste products, the faster the jaundice passes.
Moreover, early feeding is an excellent prevention of neonatal jaundice. In babies who immediately began to eat their mother's milk, increased bilirubin occurs less frequently than in other children. And if jaundice appears, it passes faster.
Conclusion: breastfeeding is good for jaundice and helps the disease go away quickly and without consequences.
Interestingly, with phototherapy, the child can be fed directly during treatment. To do this, you need to take a lamp with you to bed, shine a child and at the same time give him a breast. If you are treated at the KIM Medical Center, our doctors will show you how best to place your baby to feed him during the procedure.
When not to breastfeed
Breast milk is very beneficial for babies with jaundice, but only if they are fully fed. If the baby was put to the breast late or there are problems with breastfeeding, it is better to abandon it and switch to artificial feeding. However, here the decision to accept the doctor.
There is another situation when it is worth giving up breastfeeding - a Rh-conflict between the baby and the mother. If it occurs, then sometimes hemolysis develops - a condition when the red blood cells in the blood are destroyed. Namely, during this process, bilirubin appears. It turns out that breastfeeding with Rh-conflict aggravates the course of jaundice.
However, the ban on breastfeeding in case of Rhesus conflict cannot be called absolute. If the baby is doing well, the doctor may allow breastfeeding under strict supervision. After all, although it exacerbates jaundice, milk remains beneficial for the child's body. Also, the pediatrician may advise only temporarily stop feeding in order to return it when the acute phase of jaundice passes.
5 tips for moms breastfeeding a baby with jaundice
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No need to follow the regimen, feed "on demand" as much as the child wants.
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Watch how the child behaves for signs that he is hungry. Usually children open their mouths, suck their fingers, smack their lips.
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Record feeding times. Make sure your child eats at least eight times a day.
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Children with jaundice often sleep a lot. You do not need to wake them up for breastfeeding, they can eat in their sleep. Nature made sure that the baby did not choke and choke while sucking on his mother's breast.
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Get ready that during phototherapy the baby will wake up more often, ask for food, demand attention. This means he is on the mend.
Some children eat every 15-20 minutes and then fall asleep. This is normal behavior, although quite troublesome for mom. If you have such a baby, try to rest more often.
The specialists of the KIM Medical Center wish you a speedy recovery from neonatal jaundice and successful feeding. And if you have any questions, please make an appointment. Our doctors are always ready to help!
How to wean a child from night feeding
November 13, 2021 Likbez Life
There are times when this is not worth doing.
Is it necessary to wean from night feeding at all? For example, American pediatrician Richard Ferber, founder of the Center for Children's Sleep Disorders at the Children's Hospital in Boston and author of the bestselling book Child's Sleep. The solution to all problems, ”warns: if the baby no longer needs nightly food, the habit of feeding him at night can cause sleep disturbances.
The connection is simple: when a child eats, the digestive tract begins to work actively. This means that after eating and falling asleep, the baby will quickly wake up due to an overflowing diaper or discomfort in the stomach. To calm down, the baby will eat again, and the situation will repeat itself. If you do not break this vicious circle and do not stop night feedings, the opportunity to sleep for both parents and the baby will not be presented for a long time.
On the other hand, renowned pediatrician William Sears, author of Your Baby From Birth to Two Years, How to Put Your Baby to Sleep, and others, urges parents not to rush to give up nighttime feedings. Unless, of course, it exhausts the whole family. According to Sears, night feeding helps the baby feel safe and strengthens the bond between him and his parents.
When you should not stop feeding at night
Experts from the American medical resources HealthLine and BabyCenter list situations when you definitely should not stop feeding at night, so as not to cause unnecessary stress to the baby.
- The child is sick or teething.
- Baby is not gaining weight well.
- The baby is experiencing a growth or developmental spurt. For example, learns to roll over, sit, or rapidly stretches.
- The mother recently went to work and the baby sees less of her during the day. In this case, he may ask for a breast or a bottle more often than usual in order to feel connected to his mother again.
At what age can you start weaning from night feeding
Preferably no earlier than six months. Until this age, babies are fed almost exclusively on breast milk or formula. Although these are high-calorie foods, the stomach is still too small to stock up on them, and the feeling of hunger quickly returns.
According to experts, breastfed babies need to eat 8 to 12 times a day. On artificial - from 6 to 10 times. Thus, the average child under the age of six months will feel hungry every 2-4 hours. Including at night. So night feeding is inevitable.
At about six months, the situation changes: the stomach enlarges, and solid food appears in the diet. Cereals and vegetable purees take longer to digest, and satiety periods become longer.
Therefore, by the age of six months, two out of three babies are able to sleep through the night and not wake up from hunger. For some children, this happens a little earlier, starting at three months or when they reach a weight of about 5.5 kg. For others, interrupted nighttime sleep lasts up to a year, and sometimes longer. But six months is a good benchmark for parents to finally think about the opportunity to get enough sleep.
How to Wean Your Baby From Night Feeding
Here's a strategy to make it as comfortable as possible.
1. Be patient and be prepared to take it step by step
Slowly reduce the duration of your nightly feedings, each time taking the breast a little earlier. Or, if you are formula feeding, reduce the amount of formula in the bottle. And to make the baby fall asleep easier, stroke him, sing a lullaby or shake him.
2. Make sure your child gets enough food throughout the day
Growing babies are active and curious. Sometimes, having played too much, they may refuse to eat. If this happens several times a day, at night the baby will try to replenish the calorie stores, again and again demanding a breast or a bottle.
Therefore, make sure that the baby eats during the day. At least once every 3-4 hours, take breaks from games or walks, turn off cartoons or music, put away toys and invite your child to rest in your arms, relax and have a thoughtful snack.
If you are following this recommendation, but you are not sure that your child is getting enough food, keep track of his height and weight: they should be within the limits of age. Your pediatrician will tell you about them. Height and weight above or below the norm indicate that you need to adjust the number of calories.
3. Plan your bedtime
Without food, an infant older than six months can sleep for up to 8 consecutive hours on average. This means that if he falls asleep at 20:00, he will inevitably get hungry by a maximum of four in the morning. Plan your daily routine in such a way that the child goes to bed (and, accordingly, wakes up) at a convenient time for you.
4. Delegate nighttime feeding or motion sickness to dad or another family member
It happens that a baby asks for a breast or a bottle just to smell the mother. Try to break the link "I eat - it means my mother is near."
The easiest way to do this is with the help of dad or another close relative: let someone else, and not mom, take care of the baby at night for a while - offer a bottle, shake, stroke.