Although some moms love breastfeeding and this extra opportunity to bond with their baby, it has been a challenging journey for me with many ups-and-downs. Because breastfeeding wasn’t always the most enjoyable part of my day, I really struggled early on when my baby was cluster feeding all day long. It took me a while to understand its purpose and find the tips on how to survive cluster feeding.
But this is perfectly normal. Cluster feeding in newborns is incredibly demanding and exhausting for new moms. Because of this, many mamas find themselves becoming overwhelmed as they try to master nursing and learn how to cope with cluster feeding.
Keep reading to learn why cluster feeding happens, common cluster feeding ages, and how long cluster
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What is Cluster Feeding?
Although doctors and nurses often say that newborns eat every 2-3 hours, new mamas know that babies sometimes eat much more frequently. Sometimes every 20-30 minutes!
When your baby goes through a growth spurt, they need more calories. This means they need more milk! Because breastfeeding is based on supply and demand, babies nurse more frequently in order to tell your body to start making more milk. This is cluster feeding.
It is very common for your baby to experience cluster feeding at night, which often also aligns with your baby’s fussy periods. Your baby may nurse very frequently, for long periods of time, with very short breaks in between nursing sessions. And this can last for several hours.
This helps your baby to tell your body to make more milk. It also fills her tummy to allow her to sleep longer without needing to nurse as often overnight.
This is a GOOD thing and there is nothing wrong when your baby starts nursing much more frequently or becomes fussier in the evening. You don’t need to start supplementing with a bottle (in fact, that actually decreases your supply and makes things even more challenging). Stick out this period of cluster feeding and things will be much easier in no time!
Pro-Tip: All moms worry that their baby isn’t getting enough milk. If your baby has several wet and dirty diapers a day and is gaining weight, he’s getting plenty to eat! If you’re still worried, meet with your lactation counselor to get a transfer weight (weight before and after nursing) so you know exactly how much he is eating.
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How Long Does Cluster Feeding Last?
Cluster feeding typically happens during growth spurts or wonder weeks. Your baby may want to cluster feed for a couple of days or for a week or two as he goes through this growth spurt.
You often see cluster feeding weeks during the growth spurts that happen in the first few months. Common times for newborn cluster feeding may occur at:
*2 days old
*2-3 weeks old
*4-6 weeks old
*3 months old
Whether cluster feeding lasts 1-2 days or 1-2 weeks, it is important to remember that things will get easier and your baby won’t always need to nurse this frequently. (I didn’t believe this at first and didn’t know if I could make it. But trust me, it really does get easier and less demanding if you can stick it through the cluster feeding weeks.)
Be patient with your baby and understand that she is only nursing more often because her body is telling her that she needs more food during these growth spurts. Then use the following tips to help make cluster feeding easier for you and your baby.
How Can You Make Cluster Feeding Easier?
1 – Set up a Nursing Station.
During periods of cluster feeding, you spend a lot of time nursing. Sometimes it felt like I was nursing ALL evening long and I was constantly tethered to my baby.
Trust me when I saw that life is much easier if you set up a nursing station when your baby is cluster feeding. Try to make the time to make a great nursing station before (or after) your baby arrives. It will be worth all of the effort to be comfortable when your baby is cluster feeding all night long.
2 – Take Care of Your Body.
Cluster feeding is incredibly demanding on you, both physically and emotionally. It is very important to pay attention to your body and take care of yourself in between these nursing stations.
Use Nipple Creams.
When your baby is (nearly) constantly latched to nurse, your nipples go through a lot! Stay proactive by using nipple creams, especially if you already have any cracking. Of all the nipple creams I tried, this is my favorite!
I used it after every nursing session to prevent cracking and it worked wonders. And I love that it’s safe for my baby, even if he wanted to nurse again shortly after I had applied it.
Apply a Warm Compress.
Again, your body takes a bit of a beating while your baby cluster feeds so frequently. Apply a warm compress to your breasts between nursing sessions to ease tenderness. I love using these
Take a Warm Bath/Shower
Soaking in a warm bath or taking a warm shower is a great way to relax and help ease tenderness while cluster feeding. Take one each evening after your baby goes to sleep. Or consider nursing in the bathtub with your baby (as long as the water isn’t too hot). Babies love this and it’s a wonderful way to do skin-on-skin bonding with your baby!
Relax
Cluster feeding takes up all of your physical and emotional reserves. It’s especially challenging while you’re still learning to breastfeed AND recovering from birth. During cluster feeding days, don’t worry about other obligations.
Let the laundry and the dishes slide and relax as much as possible. Take a nap, read a book, or watch a movie between nursing sessions and give your body and your mind a break.
3 – Don’t Forget to Eat and Stay Hydrated!
During periods of cluster feeding, you spend so much time nursing your newborn, it’s easy to forget to nourish yourself. But it’s very important that you don’t forget to eat and drink lots of water.
Eating and drinking will give you more energy to be successful with cluster feeding. It’s also important for maintaining and building your milk supply. Cutting calories or becoming dehydrated will quickly decrease your milk supply and work against your baby’s efforts to get more milk.
4 – Visit a Lactation Consultant.
I cannot say it enough! Visit a lactation consultant as much as possible – from when you first start breastfeeding in the hospital all throughout your breastfeeding journey.
The lactation consultant checks your latch to make sure that your baby isn’t pinching or squeezing your nipple. This is vital while cluster feeding because your baby spends so much time latched onto you. An improper latch quickly results in sore, cracked, and bleeding nipples which makes cluster feeding much more challenging and miserable.
The lactation consultant also helps you to try out different positions, check your baby’s transfer weight, give dietary suggestions, and more. These tips help you to be the most successful during cluster feeding days.
Pro-Tip: Visit the lactation consultant as much as possible during the first few months after your baby arrives. Go in for individual sessions or join lactation groups. Building this relationship and support system vastly increases your odds of extending the time you nurse with your baby.
5 – Rely on Family and Friends for Support
Because breastfeeding demands so much from your body, it is vital to rely on your family and friends for help as much as possible.
Ask your husband to bring food and water in the middle of your nursing sessions. Request that visitors help with a few chores when they stop to visit you and your baby.
These little things make a huge difference and will help you to feel more relaxed and less overwhelmed while you balance the demands of breastfeeding.
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6 – Learn Different Nursing Positions
When you spend hours breastfeeding, switching up nursing positions is vital. Every time you switch positions, from a cradle hold, to a football hold, to laid-back breastfeeding, you switch what part of your nipple receives the most stress. This helps to alleviate nipple pain, cracking, and bleeding and makes cluster feeding so much more bearable.
While comfort nursing, my FAVORITES are side-laying nursing (so I can relax and rest too) and nursing in a baby carrier (so I can multitask or nurse in public).
There’s no doubt about it, cluster feeding is challenging.
Breastfeeding truly is a sacrifice. And it is often mentally and physically exhausting to meet the demands of cluster feeding.
But you are strong, mama! You can do it! And you are amazing for continuing to sacrifice for your baby!
Use these tips to make things easier and remember that this challenge will be over before you know it. Soon your baby will nurse less frequently and finally give you a break. And once things get easier, breastfeeding becomes so much more fun and magical!
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Did you find cluster feeding challenging? What tips do you have to make cluster feeding easier for new mamas?
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Oh man, I do NOT miss the cluster feeding! These are amazing tips. When I had my first, I was so overwhelmed with the feedings that I began to get so overwhelmed and discouraged. It doesn’t help that so many other people try to tell you that you’re not making enough or that they need more. It’s really stressful.
Erin, I couldn’t agree with this more! I was so overwhelmed and constantly worried when people said I wasn’t making enough milk. I’m so glad we got through it, but it could have been so much easier and less stressful if I had better information beforehand!
This is so important for moms to know! I think a lot of women assume their baby isn’t getting enough and that they are failing at breastfeeding so give up. I have talked to so many women that say, “well we couldn’t breastfeed because I just didn’t make enough milk to feed the baby.” After talking to them more I begin to realize that actually they were just misinformed. So many people will tell you, “they shouldn’t be hungry that often if they are getting enough” but it is a natural process.
Meagan, you are exactly right!! So many moms end up giving up breastfeeding even if they want to continue because they are misinformed about cluster feeding. It’s completely normal for you baby to nurse very frequently and for long periods of time, especially in the beginning. Hopefully more new moms will learn about cluster feeding so they can continue breastfeeding as long as they want to.
I love this post. It’s so transparent. Breastfeeding can be challenging but so rewarding!
Thank you Trish!! I agree! During the cluster feeding days, I was certain that I would never enjoy breastfeeding. But here I am 10 months later and I really enjoy this bond with my baby. I’m so glad we were able to make it past these challenges!
Nipple cream was key for me as was a comfortable nursing station and a good tv show to binge watch!
Yes!! I agree with all three of these soooo much!!
Cluster feeding is very exhausting!! My son just turned two weeks old so we are experiencing a period of cluster feeding right now. It usually happens later in the evening before he goes down for the night or has his longest stretch of sleep. For a few days there, he was sleeping 10-2 and then 3-5:30/6, but this week, not so much. That’s okay, because I am aware that he is growing (he grew half an inch since birth) and is telling my body to make more milk! Another period of cluster feeding we have is after his long stretch in the morning and before his nap in the afternoon. You are doing a great job momma!!
Thank you so much and YOU are doing great! It sounds like you are making a great schedule, but also listening to your baby and his cues. You are wonderful!
Cluster feeding was really hard for me. I was already struggling with low milk supply, so cluster feeding made me worry about milk supply even more. Also, I’m super impressed you manage to nurse with baby in a carrier. I never could manage that.
Lauren, I completely understand low milk supply is so challenging and emotionally exhausting on its own without baby also cluster feeding and trying so hard to get more milk. I was so surprised at how stressful this was! Fortunately, I had an amazing lactation consultant that was so supportive and shared so many great tips! 🙂
Thank you! I’m super uncoordinated, so I was sure I wouldn’t be able to do it. But I figured I might as well give it a try. It was awesome! Seriously, it was even easier than not in a carrier because they are so supportive. You’ll have to try it with your next baby! 😀
Cluster feeding can indeed be challenging and exhausting. When my babies would cluster feed, I would just tell myself it was a phase and it would get better. I would sleep whenever I could, and drink as much water as possible.
Lisa, this is the perfect response! At first, I honestly didn’t think I could do it. But once we got through the first period of cluster feeding, I knew what to expect. And I learned that it truly was just a phase and it would be better in a few days.
Cluster feeding can be really hard and exhausting, but I think it really helped with my first born sleeping through the night pretty young. Nursing stations are a must with feeding and I always have something to look forward to when I would breast feed 🙂 Great post and great tips!
Thank you Hannah!! Yes, this is such a good point! Although cluster feeding frustrated me, learning the reason for it was so helpful! Baby needs more food in order to grow and baby is filling his stomach to sleep longer at night. What new mom doesn’t want more sleep, even if it mean cluster feeding in the evenings??
Great post filled will all kinds of amazing tips! The nursing station is SMART!
It’s important to remember that cluster feeds aren’t just for breastfed babies. Formula-fed babies do the same thing, except they are a little easier to get through since it doesn’t have to always be Mom who feeds baby.
Keep on keepin’ on Mama’s!!
Yes, this is such a great point!! I posted information on my Instagram page and asked moms that formula fed if they saw this too, and they all agreed that cluster feeding happened for them too! I think the nursing station is PERFECT for all moms (and dads and other caretakers) that want to stay comfortable while helping to feed their baby.
Cluster feeding is so rough. When I breastfed my first, I did NOT expect to be feeding 24/7 during those cluster times. I think the only thing that truly got me through was my mom friends who encouraged me to keep going and reassured me it was normal.
Erin, yes I agree 100%! It completely surprised me how much time I spend nursing during cluster feeding! I’m so thankful for supportive friends and an amazing lactation consultant!
These are great tips! I had a love/hate relationship with cluster feeding. I loved just laying around and nursing my daughter but then somedays I was like I just want to be alone!
Thanks Meagan!! This is EXACTLY how I feel about it too!!
This was one of the hardest things to get through as a new parent. These tips are great and are really helpful when you are working through the longgggggg hours of cluster feeding. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Christine!! I agree that this was one of the hardest things for me as a new mom! I’m so glad I finally learned a few tips to make things easier!
When I was nursing in the middle of the night for what seemed like endless hours at a time, sometimes, my husband set up a nursing station for me. He had included 2 bottles of water ( I was constantly thirsty) and snacks (I was constantly hungry). It was a life saver!!!
Rachael, I completely agree with you! At first, I underestimated the importance of a great nursing station! It helps so much when you’re spending so much time nursing!
Girl, yes. Cluster feeding can be so hard! I remember the pain, the thirst, and the feeling that I could get NOTHING else done. Thank you for this post and the information it holds. This will be a great resource for new moms! Xoxo
Thank you so much, Season! I couldn’t agree more! I was so surprised at how challenging cluster feeding was! But I’m so thankful we hung in there because thing got so much easier. 🙂
These are PERFECT tips for breastfeeding moms that need to survive cluster feedings! I wish I had paid more attention to staying hydrated and changing up positions more often. I will be referring new moms to this post, thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind feedback and for sharing this to other new moms!