Author Topic: why does cluster feeding end at 8 weeks?  (Read 2074 times)

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Offline Kpop

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why does cluster feeding end at 8 weeks?
« on: March 24, 2017, 22:42:52 pm »
Hi All
 I am just wondering why tracy says to stop cluster feeding at 8 weeks?  my 12 week old's routine is something like this:
7- WU and feed
945/10-feed
1230/1 feed
345/4 feed
cat nap 5-545  CLUSTERFEED
730 feed
bedtime routine
830 asleep and sleeps through the night till 7 am ( I hope I dont jinx this by typing it out)

So I am reluctant to stop cluster feeding, because I am getting such good results with it! or at least, i believe it is partially due to clusterfeeding.... so I wanted to know the reason as to why continuing cluster feeding beyond 8 weeks is a bad idea or when i need to wean it and why... any ideas?

thank you all!


Offline Katet

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Re: why does cluster feeding end at 8 weeks?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2017, 01:47:51 am »
Firstly enjoy your baby & most importantly trust your instincts!

I think it's important to remember no book is going to be 100% accurate for all babies, it's a generalised idea of what will work for the most people. Every baby & every family is different. It's a good while since I've read BW, but I seem to recall that she does put a comment in her book that "if what you are doing is working then, don't go changing it" kind of thing. 

As you will find in your parenting journey, what works for some families & children doesn't for others... it's not like building a lego kit where it's exactly the same pieces put in exactly the same way.

I know how hard it is having a small baby & the need to "get it right" but from a BTDT it unfortunately sets you up for as much failure as it does success... golden rules with any advice about parenting is "you will never find 100% of advice is 100% right or 100% useful"
 I can though 100% say, learning not to sweat the small stuff will make your journey a lot easier. If your baby is sleeping through the night, then "work with the baby you have" & if problems arise that cause you challenges then by all means look at what to change, but don't change things just to fit a suggestion (& it is a suggestion) in a book.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline Martini~

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Re: why does cluster feeding end at 8 weeks?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2017, 08:36:32 am »
I can tell you why I think it may stop. Around 2/3 months of they eat 3h after every feed they can refuse cluster feeding or instead of taking two good feeds they take two smaller.

With DS1 cluster feeding worked great up to around 3/4mo when he took a big feed at 5:30pm and than refused or drank less on BT feed and need DF. Without DF he started to wake earlier and earlier at night. So smaller BT feed would be a problem for us w/o DF but with DF it was ok as he was than taking a bigger feed at 11pm and slept fine till 7am.

With DS2 we can really fight for 7pm feed if 5pm feed was too big:). He is 12 weeks now. And sometimes with feeding at 2:30pm he is not eager to it at all at 5pm.

But as Katet said - if something is working it's working:). Don't fix what's not broken:).
~Marta

Offline Kpop

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Re: why does cluster feeding end at 8 weeks?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2017, 13:27:53 pm »
Thank you both!