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What to Expect and Tips for Managing It

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Cluster feeding is when a baby suddenly starts eating much more frequently — in clusters — for a period of time. It usually lasts a couple of hours at a time and differs from your baby’s usual eating behavior.

Cluster feeding is normal baby behavior, seen primarily in breastfeeding newborns in the first few weeks. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with your baby or your milk supply.

Read on to learn more about cluster feeding and how to manage it.

Cluster feeding can be hard to identify because newborns rarely have a predictable eating or sleeping schedule.

Your baby may be cluster feeding if:

• they’re a few days or weeks old
• they’re showing their usual hunger signs or won’t stop crying until they’re fed
• they want to eat constantly or they eat very frequently for short sessions each time
  
• nothing else seems wrong and they’re content when eating
• they still have regular wet and dirty diapers

Cluster feeding is more common in the evenings. With an older infant, though, there may be several days in a row when they eat a lot more than usual throughout the entire day. This may be due to growth spurts or teething.

What’s a normal baby feeding schedule?

Every baby is different, but a typical feeding session for a baby that isn’t cluster feeding can range from 10 to 30 minutes. Experts advise to feed your newborn baby an average of at least 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. Your baby may show hunger signs and need to eat more frequently.

Frequent feeding may help:

• prevent jaundice
• promote healthy weight gain in babies
• mothers develop a milk supply

Cluster feeding vs. colic

If your baby is fussier than usual, you might wonder if they have colic. Colic is similar to cluster feeding in that it can come on suddenly and often occurs in the evening.

A baby with colic usually can’t be soothed with nursing or formula. However, a cluster feeding baby will be soothed during nursing sessions.

Colic is defined as at least three hours of crying for at least three days a week, at least three weeks in a row. It affects 10 to 40 percent of all babies worldwide. There’s no difference in risk between male or female babies, nor between breastfed or formula-fed babies.

Colic symptoms include:

• crying that sounds more like screaming
• face and body that appears tense or contorted
• crying at a predictable time each day, often in the evenings
• crying that peaks at six weeks and usually passes by 3 months old

Researchers don’t fully understand why babies cluster feed, but there are many unproven theories. Cluster feeding probably meets a combination of needs that your baby has at this developmental stage.

Heather Turgeon, MFT, a psychotherapist and author of The Happy Sleeper, says, “cluster feeding is likely a way for babies, who have maturing nervous systems, to regulate. It could also be a way to store up on food for the night.

“What we do know about breastfeeding is that it’s a supply and demand system. When little babies want to feed, that’s a good sign that we should let them, because trying to schedule or space feedings out doesn’t give that supply and demand system the right feedback.

“So while we can have theories about why they cluster feed, what matters is that we let them do it — that’s the way to establish and maintain mom’s milk supply.”

Cluster feeding can be exhausting and you may hear people stressing the importance of a schedule for baby, but cluster feeding is a normal part of the development of many babies.

Is cluster feeding a sign of low milk supply?

More frequent eating shouldn’t cause worry about your milk supply. A doctor can easily tell you if your baby is getting enough milk based on their weight gain.

Tracking a young baby’s wet diapers can also help you tell if they’re getting enough milk. Below are the average number of wet diapers per day, based on baby’s age:

If you’re ever concerned about your baby’s eating, ask your pediatrician and meet with a lactation consultant. Babies who struggle to gain weight or seem frustrated while eating may not be getting enough milk.

Other reasons for nighttime fussiness

Some babies just tend to get fussier in the evenings. Reasons may include:

• being overtired or overstimulated
  
• missing parents who’ve been at work or away all day
• needing to be burped if they’ve been eating a lot

Cluster feeding has both positive and negative effects.

Benefits

• Baby may sleep longer after cluster feeding.
  
• It may help to increase your milk supply.
  
• It may help babies emotionally and neurologically regulate.
  
• It can increase your skin-to-skin time with baby, which has benefits for both mom and baby.

Risks

• It can increase nipple soreness.
  
• It’s unpredictable.
• It can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally.
  
• It often takes time away from other family or household needs in the evening.

While cluster feeding is a normal, brief behavior, it can still be taxing on the whole family. Here are some tips for taking care of yourself, your family, and your baby during cluster feedings:

• Keep a large bottle of water and snacks near your nursing area to stay hydrated and nourished during cluster feeds.
• Set up a nursing area in front of the TV so you can watch something during cluster feedings. Or use the time to listen to audiobooks or podcasts. Keep chargers within reach.
• Change breastfeeding positions often so you don’t get sore.
• Use the downtime to call a friend. Since you’ll want to keep your hands free to hold and aid your baby, consider using earbuds.
• Sit on the couch or floor while you feed baby so you can read or play with older kids at the same time.
• Have a basket of special toys for older siblings that they only play with when the baby is nursing.
• Practice nursing your baby while they’re in a baby carrier so you can potentially walk around while they feed.
• Plan ahead. If baby usually starts cluster feeding around 7 p.m., plan to use the restroom, eat, and get comfortable before then.
• Hand off the baby to your partner or a close friend whenever you can to get a short break. This also allows for other people to have time with them.
  
• Talk with your partner about expectations and plan for how you’ll handle evening chores if the baby starts to cluster feed.
• Let friends help cook or do housework, or, if possible, consider hiring a housekeeper for the first few weeks postpartum.

Cluster feeding isn’t a sign that you need to supplement with formula. If you’re nursing and need a break, you or someone else can offer a bottle of breastmilk.

You’ll still need to pump at this time in order to keep up your milk supply at pace with the baby’s eating, however.

There are many tricks other than feeding you can try to soothe a fussy baby. Some babies may be soothed by the same method every time. For other babies, what worked yesterday, or even earlier in the same day, may no longer work. Feel free to experiment with these or other ideas:

• Wrap baby in a swaddle to help recreate the experiences from the womb.
• Offer a pacifier.
• Hold baby as you slowly walk or rock.
• Dim the lights and reduce other stimuli, such as loud noises.
• Use white noise, either from a white noise machine or cell phone app, or from a fan, gently running water, or even a vacuum. You can also create your own white noise by holding your baby upright on your chest and humming in low tones.
• Hold them in different positions. They may be fussy because they’re uncomfortable or want a change of scenery.
• Sing peaceful songs, recite poems, or speak to baby in a soft, gentle voice.

It’s important to go to your baby’s recommended checkups or wellness visits so the doctor can keep track of growth and development. These visits are more frequent when your baby is first born, when tracking weight gain is vital.

Your doctor will tell you if they suspect your baby isn’t getting enough milk or if they aren’t gaining enough weight. More frequent feedings, fussiness, or breasts not feeling full don’t necessarily mean your baby isn’t getting enough milk.

Always call your pediatrician if your baby seems very sick, lethargic, or has trouble breathing.

Cluster feeding is normal baby behavior and can happen any time, though it’s most common with newborns and in the evenings. Researchers don’t totally understand why it happens, but it’s not a sign that there’s anything wrong.

You may need to reset your expectations for these periods but cluster feeding isn’t permanent and will pass eventually.

The child began to breastfeed more often. This is fine?

This is the period in a baby's life when he begins to breastfeed more often. For example, if yesterday your child ate an average of once every two hours, and today he requires a breast every half an hour or an hour, we are talking about cluster or group feeding. This is a temporary change in the feeding regime, however, parents are unlikely to be happy with such changes and may think that they are doing something wrong. We hasten to reassure you: cluster feeding is normal.

This usually happens within the first 28 days of a child's life. As David Hill, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says, the first "attack" of cluster feeding usually occurs on the 10-12th day of life, and then repeats in the region of three months. But in general, cluster feedings are typical for the entire first half of a baby's life.

Most often, cluster feedings occur in the late afternoon, when the baby is tired of external stimuli and wants to calm down and fall asleep. Cluster feedings often accompany growth and developmental spurts. Sometimes they can last all day.

The first weeks and months of a baby's life are a difficult time for him, because he is constantly growing and developing, accepting new conditions of life outside the womb, adapting to the outside world. To do this, he needs not only to get food regularly, but also to calm down, because this big world is such a complicated thing.

Sucking and being at the mother's breast is a natural need for the baby, so he uses cluster feedings not only to eat, but also to get close contact with the mother. So don't get mad at him, he really needs it. And do not listen to those who say that "that way he will make a dummy out of you." Won't. Listen to yourself and the child, you are doing everything right.

The good news is that there is evidence that this behavior in a child precedes longer sleep (we're talking about four to five hours). Why, it's a whole chasm of uninterrupted sleep when you have a newborn!

Yes, indeed, cluster feedings can exhaust a mother. But, as the same Hill says, they are important for her, especially if they occur at the initial stage of motherhood. The fact is that by frequent application, the baby stimulates the production of milk, thus helping the mother to quickly establish full lactation.

Of course, the baby needs maternal care and warmth, skin-to-skin contact, but you should not forget about yourself during this exhausting period of group feeding! More precisely, it is strictly forbidden, otherwise you risk bringing yourself to emotional exhaustion. Here's what can be done.

Don't blame yourself or your child. He is all right, all babies have such days, and you are doing everything right - offering him what he needs most now.

Do not forget to drink and eat , because your body is now intensively establishing lactation, which means it consumes a large amount of energy. Eat well and don't limit yourself to kuro-buckwheat.

Sleep between feeds . Facebook and Instagram can wait. Especially if cluster feedings caught you at night, and the baby wakes up every hour. Yes, it will seem to you that it is easier not to sleep at all than to spend time on short sleep sessions, but this is not so.

Connect partner . Yes, you may think that this is rather pointless, because he does not have breasts with milk. But he can carry the baby in his arms while you drink tea or spend time in the shower - during this period it is important to give yourself a little respite.

Don't listen to the "experts" . You will definitely be advised to put the child down and "let him scream" or do something else so that "God forbid, spoil him." But you shouldn't do that. We now know more about children and their needs than ever before. So: cluster feedings will not spoil your baby. He really needs them. In any case, more than senseless motion sickness, attempts to distract and hiss are more necessary.

It is believed that one episode of grouped feedings should not exceed two days, and the application itself should not exceed an hour. If the baby “hangs” on the chest for an hour and this has been happening for two days, you need to contact a lactation consultant or a pediatrician you trust.

We asked Daria Utkina, a doula and mother-and-child care consultant, to talk about cluster feeding.

Not all babies go through this period, but most do. It seems to me that knowing in itself that this is a physiological norm, and not an epic fail in becoming a milk fairy, already gives a lot of peace of mind. Often women worry that the reason for cluster feedings is the notorious “not enough milk”, although the child has just enough of everything.

Speaking of support, it's very cool when there are people nearby who also know that cluster feeding is a variant of the norm and you don't have to fight with it. Because even a confident and informed mother will be disturbed by the constant background anxiety of relatives. And if this is the first baby and everything is still completely new, then any comments on the topic “something is not working out for you”, “something is wrong with the child” will fall into the most vulnerable point.

Evening time can also be planned in advance, taking into account the baby hanging on the chest. Arrange with a partner to come to the beginning of vigils, call a postpartum doula or a friend / mother / anyone to be around.

On the contrary, it helps some women to break the stereotype about crazy evenings at home, pack the baby in a sling where he can feed non-stop, and go out into the world.

Well, adjust expectations all the time. Cluster feedings become a problem when the idea sits in your head that a baby usually eats at least once an hour, or even every three hours. And when everything happens differently, it makes you reconsider your ideas not only about babies, but also about your life with them.

Many of my clients find it helpful to remind themselves of "one thing a day." Especially for those who are accustomed to work tirelessly and assumed that while the baby was sleeping and eating, it would be possible to continue almost in the same rhythm.

Plus, sometimes it happens that cluster feedings are just situations where a child for some reason (inefficient attachment, a short bridle, for example) has to be on the breast all the time to get the right amount of milk. In this case, it would be good to call a consultant on breastfeeding and find out what is the reason.

During cluster feedings, the mother has a huge responsibility and may feel overwhelmed, exhausted and frustrated. Obviously, dads can't offer to help feed their baby, but there are some important ways they can help moms.

Get up with your mother. This is really important, she will not feel so lonely if the partner tries to cheer her up during feeding (and at the same time not fall asleep next to her).

Bathe, walk, entertain the child (and also his brothers and sisters). Cluster feeding will be much easier for mom if she can focus only on this.

Take on household chores. Clutter in the house is unlikely to help you stay calm. Conversely, if household chores are in order, mom will be less anxious on busy cluster feeding days.

No. What mother eats does not affect the amount of milk. There are no official lists of prohibited or permitted foods during feeding. If the mother or child does not have allergic reactions, then you can eat whatever you want, and even drink two small cups of coffee a day. We hope it's not cold!

Child asks for food every hour: feed on schedule or on demand?

Kizino Polina Aleksandrovna

pediatrician, perinatal psychologist

What should and should not be done if a newborn baby asks for food every hour? Polina Kizino, a pediatrician and leading expert of the Smart Mama online school, gives advice on breast milk and formula feeding, as well as on cluster feeding of an infant, which will help even experienced mothers.

— Polina Aleksandrovna, why does the child ask for food every hour?

— A child needs frequent feedings at certain periods of his life and development. Here, the main problem is that often mothers do not distinguish between the child's need for food and his anxiety for other reasons. For them, a fussy baby is always hungry and needs to be fed. But acting by mistake, you can go beyond the norm.

— Is it worth keeping a baby's diet at all and how to avoid overeating?

— When breastfeeding, a baby can suck out different amounts of milk in different feedings and get hungry a little earlier or a little later, so a nursing mother needs to trust the baby more and follow his needs. The mixture stays in the baby's stomach a little longer than breast milk, and to avoid overfeeding, clear intervals between bottles are introduced. Mixed feeding will be a cross between breastfeeding and artificial feeding.

Overeating in a small child is rare. In extreme cases, if so much is eaten that the stomach does not hold food, the baby will spit up an extra amount of milk or formula.

Read also

• How much and how often to feed the baby day and night, and whether to set feeding hours.

How often to feed a newborn

- Why is the baby constantly hungry? And what if he often asks for food at night?

— You need to be careful and careful with night feedings. When a baby asks for food and is fed every hour, this is called cluster feeding. It is acceptable for one or two days, but if this happens for a long time, it is not normal.

The problem is that frequent "snacking" may be a constant violation of the regime, due to the fact that the baby does not receive enough attention from his mother. He may be full, but he needs to make contact with his mother, kiss her breast and thus relieve his anxiety. Therefore, you need to analyze the situation and try to understand why night feedings occur.

— Is it rational to reduce the amount of milk depending on the intervals between feedings?

- In the first month, you should not increase the intervals: on the contrary, you should try to stimulate lactation so that by the month it becomes mature. When a baby eats every three hours, and the mother suddenly takes a break, for example, at nine o'clock, this can affect the amount of milk later.

Of course, the baby is growing. And if he received breasts at intervals of three hours quite regularly, then with the introduction of complementary foods, one feeding goes away, and the break becomes longer. With a systematic and gradual reduction in feeding, milk production adjusts to the rhythm of the baby's nutrition. The alternation of large intervals and frequent applications can negatively affect lactation. The body gets used to the lack of stimulation, and then it will be more difficult to increase the amount of milk in multiple feedings. Therefore, it is better to go to reduce breastfeeding gradually.

— Is feeding according to the schedule always a good thing?

— Feeding at the same time can be both a plus and a minus. Mom is calm, trying to adapt to the children's routine and understands what awaits her in the near future. The baby also adjusts to a certain routine, which gradually prepares him for complementary foods on schedule.

The disadvantages begin when the mother artificially tries to adhere to the regime, not relying on the needs of her baby and not “feeling” him. Even under a regime, allowance must be made for new circumstances. And if a child has a need for food, he does not need to refuse, especially a very small one who still does not know how to wait for physiological reasons.

— How to determine how much food to give during one feeding?

- When breastfeeding, it makes no sense to calculate the volume, and it is difficult to measure it. On artificial feeding, the calculation is based on the age and weight of the baby. Usually, the amount of food per day is calculated: it is divided by the number of feedings at the moment. For example, if a child eats every three hours, then the volume is divided by eight or seven, and for older babies - by fewer feedings. Each age has its own formulas and calculations.

Approximate amount of infant formula by age and frequency of feedings

— How can you tell if a baby is gaining weight?

- We discussed earlier that at each age there are average norms (range) of weight gain. But gains above the norm does not mean the threat of obesity. Physiological features, height-weight proportions of the baby are taken into account. Even if the weight gain prevails over the increase in height, it is still not necessary to restrict the child in nutrition. It is important to meet his nutritional needs and not replace the milk/formula with water or dilute the formula with more water to reduce its calorie content. When nutrition is adequate, and the correct feeding regimen and eating behavior has developed in the family, as the child grows and masters new skills, the child will begin to expend more energy, and the reserves accumulated in previous months will quickly be used up.

— When is it time for an overweight baby to see a doctor?

— Babies under one year old are seen by a pediatrician every month. At the appointment, the doctor can look at more pronounced weight gain and discuss whether the child is active enough for his age or needs stimulation. After all, it happens that babies are ready to crawl and roll over, and parents leave them to sit in a deck chair without the possibility of moving, or children spend a lot of time in a stroller, where they are also unable to realize their motor needs.

Don't forget about endocrine diseases that lead to obesity, although they occur very rarely. If necessary, the pediatrician will prescribe a consultation with an endocrinologist.

— What advice does the World Health Organization give about feeding children?

- WHO says baby should be breastfed on demand. Wants to eat every 40-60 minutes - you need to feed and not wait until he stops asking for a breast or the time between feedings is maintained.

However, a child's anxiety does not always indicate that he is hungry. Breastfeeding is not only about nutrition, but also about interaction. Sometimes breastfeeding becomes a satisfaction of the need not so much for food as for communication. If the child lacks attention, affection, care, then he can ask for a breast much more often, because at the time of feeding he has the opportunity to closely contact his mother.

— What are cluster feedings and why do they occur?

— Cluster feedings have been talked about relatively recently. These are situations when the baby is applied to the breast very often for some time, literally "hanging on the chest" to be with his mother.

Peculiarities of cluster feeding:

• are often observed in babies of the first month of life;
• may appear in two to three months or recur sooner;
• often coincide with growth spurts, when the baby's excitability increases, he learns new skills, receives a lot of information from the outside;
• usually last one or two days, and if it drags on, then it is necessary to analyze the sleep and wakefulness regimen, the presence of overvoltage, the adequacy of the child's nutrition and, if necessary, take measures;
• are not related to the mother's diet - however, in such a rather difficult period, it is desirable that the mother does not have aggravating factors in the form of a strict diet, which will negatively affect her well-being and mood.

A small child depends on his mother. When his level of anxiety rises due to certain changes in the body, he wants his mother to be around as often and as long as possible. Being on his chest for a long time, he calms down. This condition is normal for a child, and there is no need to wait for him to stop asking for breasts or asking for pens. You need to come to terms with the fact that there are such periods in the life of a baby, and organize your life in such a way that frequent cluster feedings do not interfere (slings and other carriers help).

Cluster feedings occur less often on artificial feeding, because the baby does not associate food with mother as closely as with natural feeding. Mom has other ways of interacting with her baby that compensate for communication during feeding. Feeding on such days usually takes place, but the baby spends more time in her arms, and the mother is more actively involved in his life and pays more attention to him.

It is impossible and unnecessary to feed a child chaotically all the time. When breastfeeding, it is important to take into account the needs of the baby and try to choose something between a regimen and its complete absence. Artificial feeding is easier - the ideal regimen depends on the frequency of feeding in accordance with the age and weight of the baby. When a child begins to ask for food every hour, the first thing to decide is whether he is hungry or has some other need. There are times when a baby needs a mother and he needs more communication, a change in position, a feeding place. This is the norm, not a disease that needs to be treated. Mom needs to carefully observe her baby, learn to feel his needs, and everything will be in order.

*The ideal food for a baby is mother's milk. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. MAMACO ^® supports this recommendation. Before introducing new foods into your baby's diet, consult with a specialist.

* Breast milk is the best food for babies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child's life and continued breastfeeding after complementary foods are introduced until the age of 2 years.

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