7.5 weeks - cluster feeding question

[jm2006]

For the past 2 weeks or so I have been cluster feeding in the evenings.  My baby doesn't exactly demand it, but she doesn't nap well in the late afternoons/evenings so cluster feeding ended up just kinda happening.  Our schedule for the day starts around 8:00 and she eats every 3hrs (8:00, 11:00, 2:00, 5:00), then cluster feeds at 7:00 and 9:00, then sleeps through till 1:00ish and again till 5:00ish, and is up at 8:00 for the day.  I haven't done the dreamfeed thing because the 9:00 feed seems like its enough to keep her sleeping quite a length of time.  I'm just not sure if the cluster feeding should continue?  Her "bedtime" ends up basically being 9:00 because she often doesn't sleep between 7 and 9. 

Thanks!
Jennifer

[Carter'sMama]

Hi there!

I never did the dreamfeed either because I kept up with the cluster feeding for so long.  Once he was on a 4 hour schedule he would eat at 7, 11, 3, 7, and then again right before bed at 8:30- 9.  We dropped the extra feed when we introduced cereal before bed and that wasn't until 6-7 months of age.  Also when we started moving Carter's bedtime up we didn't have time to get in that extra feed.  I also always gave a bottle of expressed milk with his last feed of the day to help tank him up and he started sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old!!  If your DD seems fine without the dream feed and is ok with the cluster then I would keep it up.  It sounds like your nights are going pretty well right now.  Our lo's always change their schedule whether we like them to ro not so I say enjoy it while it lasts and wait to see what will happen next!

I imagine that once your lo is on solids you will be able to easily phase out an extra cluster feeds!

HTH