Babies' intake of breast milk or formula nearly doubles during the first six months, and cluster feeding — going back to the nipple to gorge and coax more supply — is one way of making sure you'll have enough in the tank when his appetite roars.
Cluster feeding sessions are most common around 3 weeks again at 6 weeks. That's when babies have their first of many growth spurts , and it's in everyone's interest to make sure your milk supply can keep up with their hungry bellies. How do you know a cluster session is looming?
By now you're probably in tune with your baby's hunger cues, which could give you a signal. If he starts smacking his lips, trying to position himself to nurse, rooting around for the breast, or starting to cry, you know a long feeding may be about to happen. Marathon feeding sessions may be fun for your little bottomless pit, but they're emotionally and physically draining for Mom. Hang in there. Cluster feeding sessions rarely go on for more than two days if they go on for more than a week, check his weight; he may not be getting enough calories.
While it's almost impossible to get any real sleep when your baby is rooting around and demanding to nurse every hour, try to relax and go with the flow — literally. Tips for making a cluster session more bearable include making sure you're well nourished, hydrated, and rested. Keep healthy snacks and water handy, have your favorite movie cued up on Netflix and enlist your partner or a friend to keep you company or even offer a foot rub. Don't assume cluster feeding demands best rest.
You can do it anywhere, and some moms successfully cluster feed on-the-go, with baby in a sling or carrier. Never get discouraged or start to doubt that your milk supply isn't adequate. It is. Don't be tempted to turn to formula to appease your baby's appetite. This solution will only backfire, stalling your milk production and potentially causing you to quit breastfeeding earlier than planned.
If your 3 or 6-week-old baby starts fussing immediately after feeding, or if he starts rooting around for more after he's drained one or both breasts, he may be starting to cluster feed.
This often happens when baby starts sleeping more during the night, making his less-frequent feeding sessions even more important. Find tips for feeding baby with expressed milk.
Many moms worry about low milk supply, even though most make exactly what baby needs. Department of Agriculture. Cluster Feeding and Growth Spurts. Evening Cluster Feeding Sometimes your baby may be fussier in the evenings and want to nurse more often than during the day. Growth Spurts Your baby will go through many growth spurts in the first year.
Your Breastfeeding Rights Know your rights to breastfeed in public and at work. Using Bottles with a Breastfed Baby Planning to be apart from baby?
Breastfeeding Benefits Breastfeeding gives babies a healthy start—and is good for moms, too. Read More. Breastfeeding Basics Learn how milk is made, when to nurse, how long babies nurse, and more. Low Milk Supply Many moms worry about low milk supply, even though most make exactly what baby needs. Steps and Signs of a Good Latch These tips help you get a good latch—and know if you have one. Pumping and Hand Expression Basics New to milk expression? Finding a Breast Pump Here are options for finding a breast pump at low cost.
Making Milk Expression Work for You Get tips and see how pumping can help solve your breastfeeding challenges. Your baby is growing! There are some major milestones that happen in those weeks. The above schedule is the developmental milestones your baby will hit - physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
In the first four months of life, your baby will begin to develop language, hold their head up, roll over, and so much more! They will go from having the ability to see black, white and red to having the ability to see all the colors. They will also see much clearer. However, one thing parents also need to understand is that this development will result in heightened cortisol stress hormone production.
In other words, your baby is going to be stressed to the max. They are going to need to nurse often because the stress will burn calories, but you may also notice them do what we refer to as " comfort nursing. As your child grows and develops in other ways than just physical emotional, intellectual , they will require increased calories to support this advanced development.
This is exactly why you see them eat more frequently. You may also notice that they nap more frequently yet shorter spurts. Their bodies are eager to learn and master whatever development they are working on so they will wake, but then, they get so tired so quickly because they are mastering a new life skill.
Cluster feeding may also appear to be linked to fussiness and irritability, but those are both common behaviors associated with growth spurts. So, when you notice your baby beginning to cluster feed, you can also begin to expect a growth spurt to be approaching.
0コメント