Cluster feeding aint working

[pat26]

Hi my lo is 4 weeks i am unsure if the cluster feeding is working. I make up 4 oz bottles which he usually takes 3oz most times and sometimes 4 during the day but when it comes to doing cluster feeds he may only take 2 oz and takes ages he falls asleep during the 8 one and can b very unsettled when we try put him back to sleep. He takes the df feed ok round 11 but again may only take 2 oz is this enough very confused. Wondering should stop cluster feeding as takes up alot of time in the evening for which seems like no results and keep doing the df which seems to work. 

[Ima shel Alon]

I am going to move this to bottle feeding

[*Kara*]

omes to doing cluster feeds he may only take 2 oz and takes ages he falls asleep during the 8 one

Baby should be awake for cluster feeds.  The day will look something like this in terms of feed times: 7, 10, 1, 3, 5 ,7 (with the last 3 feeds spaced two hours apart instead of 3 hrs), baby goes to bed at 7pm and then you do a DF between 10-11pm.  Most cluster feeds will be a bit smaller per feed but the total over the time of clustering would be more than if no cluster was done...

The DF is a full feed with baby asleep.  At this age, still expect 1-2 NFs in addition to all of this

[pat26]

Thanks df i can only get maybe 1 to 2 oz him into with himbeing asleep and thats it if he was to take full feed i would hav to wake him. Altough last few nites he has had dirty nappys so had to b changed so he woke up. Will keep trying and see if get it working thanks

[*Kara*]

Remember that it doesn't work for all babies and he is still going to wake once or twice on top of the clustering and DF... could be that he just can't take that much at once yet if not spaced further.  My DD did cluster a bit on her own, but I never did a DF with her.. she woke twice until she was 8 weeks, then once until about 5 months.

[pat26]

I am wondering if it is to close together as with cluster feeds aint taking more that 2 oz at a time and same with df. i would like to keep doing the df as i did it with dd1 and it worked well for her she was sleeping throw by 3 mths and diff think df helped with that and she used to only take few ozs. I am thinking would b better to have evening spaced out to 1 cluster feed so feed at 4,7 then 9 and df at 11. As takes him so long to feed its after 9 before he in bed anyway. 

[*Kara*]

Your still essentially doing a cluster with the times above... The DF is between 10-11pm (11 the latest!) with a bedtime and final feed at 7pm.  By doing the feeds at 7,9 and 11, you will do more harm than good as baby won't be hungry enough for the DF (you want them to take a whole feed ideally) and you will be at the wrong time in babies sleep pattern for the night.

[pichi]

our DS has just started doing a cluster feed between 3-7 so our pattern looks like this:

E: 3pm 4oz
E: 5pm 3oz
E: 7pm 4oz

after these 3 feeds he's usually gets a DF at 11 and that's him till around 4am? then again up for the morning at 7 or 8am.  we've found that since going up to 4oz he's sometimes going 3.5h between feeds.

don't stress too much - just go with the flow of your baby - not a clock

[pat26]

Hi pichi,

Just wondering what time r you other feeds during the day say from the morning and how much does your lo take during df. What i am find hard is that he doesnt take a lot in cluster feeds maybe 2 oz ands same with df. He is 4 weeks and put 4 oz in his bottles which he has sometimes finished on normal feeds but most times its 3 oz with normal feeds. 

I am just unsure where i am going wrong i want to do the cluster feeding and df as i am hoping will tank him up and helphim sleep better at nite

[Lolly]

You aren't doing anything wrong - some babies just don't like or need to cluster feed or dreamfeed. If he's not taking much in clusters you are better off keeping to the 3 hour routine and getting full feeds into him because he is hungrier for them.

If he isn't taking much at the DF at the time you do it try 30 mins earlier he may take it better in a different part of his sleep cycle. Or you can stop it for now, let him wake when he is hungry and then try it again in a few weeks, some babies take it better when they are a bit bigger.

Laura

[pat26]

Thanks i may drop the cluster feeds and just try doing the df and c how that goes it mayb to much on his tummy doing both. Hopeful he fed better with doing 3 hour in evening he is still young and i know its trial and error at this age thanks

[pichi]

it may just not work for your LO. my daughter didn't clusterfeed but she automatically sorted herself onto a 4 hour EASY from around 7 weeks. i can PM you our loose e.a.s.y routine if you like?

[pat26]

thanks pichi that b great any advice would b helpful thanks

[Lolly]

I wouldn't go t a 4 hour EASY - it's effectivly dropping a bottle and your LO isn't taking big feeds now so he will be having less in 24 hours when you need to get more in to tank up for the night! A 4 hour EASY is for 4+ months, some formula fed babies do need to stretch feeds a bit sooner but that's usually around 12 weeks.

Stick with the 3 hour EASY and try the DF, if the DF doesn't work just feed when he wakes and is hungry.

Laura

[pichi]

Oh no i wasn't suggesting going to a 4 hour. It was just a passing comment :/