5 tips for surviving cluster feeding
Cluster feeding refers to a baby feeding multiple times close together (or more frequently than at other times of day).
It’s very common in the first few days to weeks after birth - a baby might feed multiple times within a few hours, followed by a longer break, and this might occur several times in the day/ overnight.
At this point it happens for 2 reasons:
1. we know that frequent feeding helps to establish supply (this is when the body creates prolactin receptors in the breast)
2. Babies have very small stomachs initially and need to feed frequently
It’s also common in slightly older babies, around 4-12 weeks, typically in the afternoon and evening. They might then start to have a longer stretch of sleep in the first part of the night after a period of cluster feeding and being generally unsettled.
At this age, it is happening for these reasons:
1. It is still acting to stimulate supply, at a time of day when it is often lower
2. It helps to fill a baby up with milk before they have a longer stretch of sleep- breastmilk in the afternoon/ evening is higher in fat and sleep-promoting hormones such as melatonin and tryptophans.
3. Feeding helps to calm a baby who is unsettled/ has an activated sympathetic nervous system
Please be reassured that it’s NOT a sign of low supply or of a problem with your baby- but I know it can feel really hard, especially when a baby is also typically more unsettled at this time of day. (And often older kids need dinner, baths and connection at this time, too).
This behaviour can also happen for bottle fed babies - it’s not unique to breastfed bubs.
How to manage?
Given that this behaviour is common/ normal and probably important for the reasons described, we recommend rolling with it as much as is possible - and the goal is to to set up supports so that it’s practically possible to be feeding frequently/ constantly for a few hours.
🍼For bottle fed babies, we recommend giving smaller volumes frequently/ to demand - it might help to have plenty of clean bottles available for this period!
Our 5 top tips for managing cluster feeding periods are:
Set up everything you need in arms reach - water, snacks, book/ headphones/ TV remote. Many find it helpful to have a basket/ caddy/ trolley with everything you’ll need during this time.
Accept that dinners might feel like a circus for a while - have meals planned and pre prepped (ideally by someone else! Get a meal train!) that can be eaten with one hand, or roll with taking turns eating with your partner/ another adult while the other one has the baby. I promise it won’t be this way forever
Get horizontal.
If you’re breastfeeding, embrace side lying feeds, if these can work for you - for some families, it works to bring a mattress out into a common area so that the mother/ breastfeeding parent can lie down and feed frequently without being apart from the rest of the family
Arrange extra support/ childcare for older kids in the afternoon and evenings - this might be a roster of family or friends to help with school pick up, dinner prep and looking after older kids, or finding a neighbour or relative who can come after school/ uni and help with older kids and just be an extra adult set of hands
Get to bed yourself as soon as the period of cluster feeding/ unsettled behaviour ends - this is usually when babies have their longest stretch of sleep, so is your best chance to get some uninterrupted sleep too!
