Cluster feed in the AM???

[lunababy]

Hi.  Trying to interpet my son's patterns...  He is 8 wks old.  Great eater.  Gained 3 lbs in first month.  (He's a chunker like my DD!)

He regularly does a cluster before settling in for the night.  He typically feeds (and this is a really loose list - it is by no means consistent, just easier to list here):

6 pm
8 pm
11 pm - DF
4 am
6:30 am
7:30 am

Is he doing another cluster to start the day??? Do they do that?

I did EASY w/DD and learned a lot.  He is definitely taking a full feed each time and I do not let him nap while eating.  (An LC visited last week during a typical feed and he took 2.5 oz in about 7 min and then a little more again after that but we forgot to weigh him again so I'm not sure how much more.)  He is a short napper and we are just about to embark on shifting him from 2 hr EASY to EASAS which I hope will shift some of these feeds!  He is more than healthy and certaintly seems like he should be able to do less frequent feeds.

I would appreciate any advice on if I may have allowed his feeding patterns to get off track. And if so, how to adjust.  I love to BF and want to do what is right but something tells me we are off here.

Thanks.





He's usually up again after 2nd feed in an hour or so and then again in 2. 

[Samuel's mum]

Actually cluster feeding in the morning is surprisingly common. Mother who co-sleep and feed on demand in other cultures and in the Western world say it is the pattern that usually emerges naturally. If you're happy with it and it's working for you then I wouldn't change it. It's a time of day when your supply is often as its best so he's getting good stuff!

I really really wouldn't think of being 'off-track'. You sound very calm and in control and he's obviously doing very well.

By all means if you are not happy have a go at changing it - try and settle him to sleep at 6.30 without a feed and see if he'll go a little longer. Think of ways to increase the 4 am feed. If he's falling asleep during the feed you could think about breast compressions. If he's waking up at 6.30 on the button regularly try and break the pattern by waking him a little earlier and then resettling.

However, to be honest if what you are doing works - yes, it is normal and I wouldn't worry. Your nights sound very standard and he is building up your milk supply and doing well. After a few more weeks you could experiment with some different sleep techniques e.g using pat/shush to try and settle instead of feeding if that's what you want to do.
For the moment it sounds like you are all doing great and that's a very proud looking big sister you have there!

[ErinB]

I'm no expert (in fact was posting on here like mad yesterday w/problems!!  ) but my lo who is almost 8 weeks often does the same thing! She spaces out during the day, but after an early wake between 5-6 AM, she usually wants to nurse again in about an hour or 2! If she is in the bed with me after that early wake-up, she could nurse almost every hour for as long as we stay in bed (this is how I catch up on sleep some mornings!!  ) It's the only time I "co-sleep" w/her, usually just to get another hour of sleep, but as I'm preparing to go back to work in another month or so, I've started putting her back in her crib after the early AM feed. Now she sleeps, and doesn't seem as interested in nursing again (MOST of the time!)
So just to let you know you're not the only one out there!!  ErinB