You may never hear the term “cluster feeding” before you are breastfeeding a baby of your own, but once you experience it, you never forget it. Cluster feeding is when a baby seems to want to breastfeed ALL THE TIME. It can last a day or several, and it’s usually frustrating or even worrisome, especially if you don’t know to expect it.

What is Cluster Feeding?

It is absolutely normal for infants to cluster feed. It’s actually an essential part of making and maintaining a good milk supply. In the first few days of life, a baby will usually do some cluster feeding. In this case, the goal is to give your body the signal that the baby is here and ready for more milk. The more often the baby feeds at the breast, the more quickly the milk supply will increase. Everyone starts out producing only a very small amount of milk called colostrum. After a few days of good feeding at the breast, a more mature milk supply will begin. For most people it’s very noticeable. The breasts might enlarge, and even get swollen and hard. The baby will actually get mouthfuls of milk, and you’ll likely be able to see them taking bigger swallows. You may even start to leak milk.

At that point you probably have plenty for your baby’s current needs. But then the baby will grow!

Cluster feeding is usually blamed on growth spurts, but you may not be able to see those growth spurts, or predict them. Some common ages for cluster feeding/growth spurts are when babies reach 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, but all babies are different and you may see more or less cluster feeding, or at different milestones.

Whenever it happens, cluster feeding is definitely part of ensuring that your baby gets enough milk. Your baby will start to feel hungrier and start asking for more milk. That’s when cluster feeding happens. You just fed your baby for half an hour at which point the baby fell asleep only to wake up 30 minutes later and ask to eat again! Or your baby might normally eat for 15-20 minutes, but now doesn’t seem to want to stop after an hour at the breast! The baby might even seem a little frustrated. At this point, a lot of people worry that they’re not making enough milk. This is true… temporarily, and it’s normal. Now that your baby has a bigger appetite, your body does need to get the signal to make more milk. The most powerful signal is a baby at the breast.

A common mistake

Many people make the mistake of supplementing their feeds with a bottle of expressed breast milk or formula when the baby can’t seem to get enough at the breast. There are some cases where this might be necessary, and it’s best to seek help if you suspect a problem, but supplementing during cluster feeding is most often a mistake, because it can lead to a vicious cycle. If your baby gets full from a bottle, they won’t ask to be at the breast and your body won’t be getting that signal to make more milk. Then your baby will continue to need more than your body is producing, leading to a reliance on supplementation. If your goal is to exclusively breastfeed, supplementation can definitely interfere. It may also mean that you have to rely on pumping so that your milk supply does not decrease.

What to do?

It may not be exactly what people want to hear, but the best thing to do is just go with the flow… no pun intended. Let your baby stay at the breast as long as they want, and feed them whenever they are showing hunger signs. And it might feel like you are breastfeeding constantly and around the clock. You might need to do this for one day, or several days, so it’s a good idea to prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

• Tell yourself that this is normal, and that your baby is doing exactly what they should be doing.
• Tell yourself that your body needs this to happen so you can continue to make enough milk for your baby.
• Tell yourself that this might be hard, but it’s very temporary.
• Remind yourself that you’re doing a great job.
• Remind yourself that after a couple of days, things will be back to normal, BUT you will have more milk to feed your growing baby, and your body is amazing for being able to do this.
• Remind yourself that your child will only be this small for a short time, and that you won’t always have the opportunity for this level of closeness and connection.
• Set up some fun stations wherever you tend to breastfeed. Stock them with anything that’s comforting or entertaining for you since you know you’ll be spending more time there while your baby gets milk.
• Get help. You might feel very frustrated about all the things you can’t get around to doing because so much of your time is spent breastfeeding. It’s a great idea to tell people that you need a little extra help during this time.

It’s really important to recognize cluster feeding for what it is, an important part of a normal breastfeeding journey. I definitely struggled with this when I was breastfeeding, but I didn’t know why it was happening at that time so I felt very overwhelmed and frustrated. If I had the opportunity to do it again, I like to think that I would feel differently about it knowing what I do now. Now that my children are teenagers, I might be able to cherish those cluster feeding days as an opportunity to just hold and feed my baby. I also want to recognize the wonder that is the design of the human body. Closeness and bonding with your child is also something that supports healthy physiological processes, and the reverse is also true. You’re doing a great job!

Reference

https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/cluster-feeding-and-growth-spurts