Cluster feeding or something else?

[bumpy]

Hi, my 7 week old baby seems to constantly feed & fuss between approximately 6pm to a final feed at 9pm and then he sleeps well until about 1/2am - which is great but the early to mid evening is horrible - he feeds and falls asleep but won't settle and usually wakes within 10 minutes - is this cluster feeding, is this colic or is this just being a baby...! :-) Any help/suggestions much appreciated. Thanks

[Fuschia]

Probably all three!

What are you trying to do from 6-9pm? When are you having your dinner? Is there someone with you? Do you have other chikdren to sort? If you can manage it, I'd suggest having a snack at about 5, then chilling out on the sofa with the baby feeding and watching dvds while someone else sorts out dinner and does all domestic tasks. Then go to bed when the baby does. Are you breastfeeding? Try to avoid too much "snacking" switching breasts because you feel less "full" in the evening as the sugary foremilk can make a baby windy. Just stick to one side as far as you can... make sure you eat and drink, try to relax. I used to have a bath and glass of wine the second MrF came in the door then into my pjs.

[Fuschia]

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/fussy-evening.html

[bumpy]

Cheers, generally I'm in a quiet room upstairs trying to remain calm but he can probably feel my inner turmoil & tension...! Yep we're breast feeding on the one side, I'm going to try staying downstairs this evening and just chilling in front of the telly but was always concerned about the over stimulation thing?? Thankfully my husband does all the cooking at the mo and no other kids to deal with.

[Fuschia]

Gawd, don't languish in an upstairs room fretting at how long it takes! Grab your evening R&R when and how you can, I say. 7 weeks is tiny. Look after yourself, and things will flow for the baby. Plenty of time after 3m or so to start with a bit of a bedtime routine. Have a glass of wine (it is allowed!) and eat some snacks and watch TV and socialise with DH and then go to bed when the baby settles. This stage won't last long. x

[Pickle]

Great advice from Fuschia. My son used to do the same and had lots of periods of cluster feeding over the first few months, I would always sit on the sofa watching TV while feeding (generally stuffing my face full of chocolate, on the basis that if I was going to be burning all those calories while sitting down I may as well make up for it ;-) ).

This phase will pass, I remember how stressful and frustrating it can be, so just try to ride it out as comfortably as you can.

P x

[bumpy]

sounds like i just need to chill in the evenings and he'll chill me. :-)

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Bumpy,

Great to see you posting on here. I agree with the others - at this age the babies were usually snuggling up with me downstairs (and sometimes being very fussy as you describe), and then would come up to bed with me, and sleep in a crib of some type next to my bed, or in bed with me.

The routine will come later, enjoy the tiny baby snuggles while you can!

Molly

x

[Fuschia]

I think if you're itching to leap up and "do something else" they can tell...

[bumpy]

cheers molly and thanks for all your advice both nappy & non nappy related - it's been invaluable. on the cluster feeding di stick to the same breast for the 6 to 9ish feeds and the switch at 9pm ish or what's the best way to go about it? cheers

[The Nappy Lady]

Hmmm, not sure what others do, but I always go by feel - use one side until it 'feel's empty (weigh it in my hand), then switch to the other side.

Though these days they are both pretty pathetic most of the time!!!! :-$

[sillywoman]

I'd agree with Fuschia big time, bumpy (Hmm, where have I heard that name before?;-)). Get you downstairs to your telly & your man, & just chill (as far as possible wth a fractious 'evening' baby on your breast)!

It also does sound like completely normal 7 week old behaviour (I bet if you ask around you'll find that loads of babies did the same kind of thing at that age), evening fractiousness is quite common, you're tired & your breast milk isn't as rich & satisfying as it is earlier in the day. The more you can put your feet up & relax whilst he's feeding, the better. Also, as Pickle rightly pointed out - this is definitely the time for wine, chocolate & cake. It will help boost you & maybe your milk supply too (guessing there, no research AFAIK to back it up - yet!) Molly's advice re feeding is good too, feeding 'til one breast is empty (you can tell by feel) then switching to the other - as long as both are being used it doesn't really matter though. Although I did know one woman who fed her baby to 9 months, but only from the right breast - he wouldn't feed from the other. So I guess maybe use whichever he prefers (if he has a preference)?

Relax and enjoy him, the rest will all follow . . . . .

[bumpy]

cheers guys - ohh no is my identity being revealed...! ;-)

now on to another question - i'm looking to express so that i can get away for a massage or two and have a pump from a friend - is this okay if i sterilise it by boiling for 10 minutes or should i get my own?

and sooo looking forward to that glass of wine tonight. :))

[EDmummy]

Well said Fuschia and Nappy Lady. I remember exactly what is was like fretting through these cluster feeds the first time round. Give yourself ... and your baby a break. This type of cluster feeding is ideal to allow you time to catch up on your sleep in the early months. It was only the second time around that I took full benefit of this and so wish I had the insight to have done with baby No. 1. Your baby sounds he/she is doing exactly what they need to do and there is no point in cloistering yourself away to do this.

[Fuschia]

bumpy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> now on to another question - i'm looking to

> express so that i can get away for a massage or

> two and have a pump from a friend - is this okay

> if i sterilise it by boiling for 10 minutes or

> should i get my own?

What sort of pump is it? If you use one of the bigger ones (lent one in hospital for eg) you get a sterile collection set including the various tiny tubes (though I am not sure why as no milk goes through them, only air)

Anyway, I would have thought boiing for 10 mins or a soak in milton will do the trick, you're thinking of the bottle and the cup thingy?

[bumpy]

it's an electrical medela pump. have boiled everything that will come in to contact with me or the milk for about 20 minutes and air dried so hoping that's okay as really want to give it a go tomorrow as am sure it'll take a few days to collect anything!

[bumpy]

Just to say thanks for all your help as we now have a much calmer house and baby. Sometimes he goes down at 6pm ish and sleeps through to midnight and other times he chills with us in the evening going down at around 9/10pm ish and sleeps through to 2am ish (yes with a little fussing but not much)

[Ko]

my little one has always been worst in the evenings. much much worse than during the day. i've figured out that he is just tired after the day and all the stimulation, going out, playing etc.

at night, i would feed him and try to get him straight back to sleep, so overall he was getting a lot of sleep during the night hours. in the morning first thing he is in such an unbelievably good mood normally! during the day, mine would have good naps, but still be shattered by early evening after all the day's activites.

definitely chill out with your other half and watch some tv! mine is so used to the tv in the evening that he can fall asleep with it on when it comes to bedtime! yet any 'unusual' sound will wake him because he's not so used to it!