Bedtime cluster feeding in a 6 month old. Is there any benefit for bubs?

[sparkler]

My DD Eli who is a few days off 6 months cluster feeds in the evenings. She has 2 solid meals a day and breast feeds on demand.

In the evening she has a breast feed at 6.30pm then goes to sleep soon after. She normally sleeps 30 to 50 minutes then wakes up for another feed. This sometimes repeats 3 to 8 times before she settles for approx 6 hour sleep. Tonight it lasted from 6.30 till 9.30 :hair:. I really love our feed times but I really need her to settle to sleep so I can relax time and spend time with DH too.

I know that cluster feeding is common in newborns but does it have any benefits in an older baby or could it just be habit?
I am very pro demand feeding but I hate to think that I may be developing bad sleep settling habits with her.
Could it potentially be bad for our breastfeeding relationship if I persisted in trying to settle her another way and deny her feeds when she is obviously asking for them????

Any advice or comments would be much appreciated, TA :bee:

[the_queen]

It could potentially be bad for the BFing relationship, because it could be bad for your supply :yes: Cluster feeding serves 2 purposes: fills up bubby's belly, because supply is naturally a little lower in the evenings; and building the supply by frequent suckling. So each purpose complements the other :)
At this age, she's probably also going through a growth spurt :yes: So this type of cluster feeding is normal normal normal. I know, not much comfort, I totally understand the :hair:

Sleeping 30-50 minutes sounds like she's waking after each sleep cycle - again, normal for a breastfed baby, because the baby and your body are working symbiotically. And while there are some techniques for helping a bubby stay sleeping from one sleep cycle to the next, I would hesitate to advise that because her belly may need filling (ie better to fill it between 6:30 and 9, than be woken at 11 because her little belly is empty) and also because her frequent suckling is building your supply. It's just how nature means for us to feed our babies :yes:
Hard work though, I know :hugs:

Here's my suggestion - I know you said you want to settle her because you want time to yourself and time to spend with hubby. Do you co-sleep? If you don't, could you co-sleep for the first half of the night? At 6:30, do the whole bedtime routine (for us, and it's always been this way, it's just a basic dinner, bath, bamboo nappy, bitty (BF) to sleep) but instead of sitting up to feed her, take her into your bed, and lay down with her, feeding her laying down. Have the room darkened, but you could watch a DVD, or read a book (if you can manage while breastfeeding - I find I can't, I'm not dextrous enough or something). Once she falls asleep, leave her attached until she comes off by herself. The comfort sucking and sleep-suckling is really good for your supply, and helps her to get more of that fatty hindmilk. Once she's fast asleep, you can either leave her in your bed, or put her into her cot. I co-sleep full-time, so I'd leave her in there :-) but it's up to you. If you leave her in there, you can sit up and read, or talk with your hubby, etc, and then once she stirs a little, you can pop her back on the boob immediately and she probably won't even wake up, but she'll feed for a while longer and eventually come off again by herself.

Another option is to sling her in the evenings and let her feed (and stay attached) while you're wearing her. That depends on whether you can do it or not, though - I can't, because, well, me too fat LOL


However you deal with it - this too shall pass and she should settle into a fairly recognisable pattern soon. My boy did go through a growth spurt at around 6 months, but soon settled into an evening cluster-feed followed by a dream feed at 11pm, which got him through until around 4/5ish. Then an early morning feed at 6am, and over the next few months, that 4am feed slowly merged with the 6am feed.

[sparkler]

the_queen :hugs:Thank you :flowerz:


It is very reassuring to hear that its all normal and makes it a lot more bearable knowing that I am doing the right things for Eli.

Unfortunately co- sleeping in the evenings is not an option. I have a 2 1/2 year old too that needs TLC and attention after I get Eli into bed. She gets a bit upset when I have to leave our storytime to settle Eli, my hubby takes over but she has always had me settle her for the night so she gets a bit put out. Eli also gets a lot of wind when feeding, so when she drinks herself to sleep it only ever last 5 minutes and she wakes crying and needing to burp :rolleyes:.

The sling is also a great idea but I dont think it would work for too long - she already weights close to 9kg.

The last 2 nights Eli has gone to bed at 6.30pm then woken about 7.30. Instead of feeding her and settling again I have got her up and hubby and I have played/cuddles her until about 9pm then she has feed on both sides and gone straight to sleep until about 3am. :yelclap:
I will keep doing this for a few days and see if the pattern continues to work. It has been great because Dh gets more time with Eli and I dont spend all night in her room feeding and settling her.

:bee: Thanks again the_queen, your advice was greately appreciated.

[the_queen]

You're very welcome :hugs: I'm really glad that you've found a solution, well done :bee: :kiss: