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cluster feeding at night-baby seems unsatisfied with straight nursing

Brie - posted on 05/01/2012 ( 1 mom has responded )

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So those of you that remember my post from about a month ago know how hard I had it (thrush, poor latch, mastitis) and I am so glad i stuck with it! It is now enjoyable and painless.

Anyway, my son tends to cluster feed at night before bed. For a while i was supplementing about 2-3 times a day with formula, but we are slowly getting him off of it so we can go back to exclusively breastfeeding.

But at night, he will nurse,nurse,nurse and then fall asleep. I'll put him down and the instant i step away, his eyes snap open and he screams to eat. So once again its nurse,nurse,nurse...and sometimes it doesn't even sound like he is swallowing anything (like he isn't getting milk...even though i know breasts are never completely empty)
It gets frustrating because he cries that special "hunger cry" (you know what i'm talking about mothers) so i'll make him a bottle of formula and that finally seems to do the trick.

He also tends to spit up a LOT. like projectile vomit too after nursing. I've tried eliminating foods from my diet and nothing seems to work to our pedi suggested giving him ONE bottle of the Enfamil AR formula with the rice in it to see if that helps. (i hate to do it but he needs to keep food down, as he is in the lower percentile for a breastfed baby weight at the moment)

Anyway, i'm wondering why he seems so hard to fill during the evening? ...thanks in advance for any advice

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Lorraine - posted on 05/02/2012

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28

cluster feeding is normal my daughter did the same i would feed her for 3 hours on and of before she went to sleep at night and because she was a light sleeper as soon as i put her down bing wide awake, it took a little bit because i was letting her fall asleep on me to but in the end i had to be tough and say no you are going to sleep don't pick them up because they need to learn how to self settle.With the throwing up could it be a reflux problem if it is you can get meds for that to help plus formula could be bloating them and i feel if you start supplementing with formula it stuffs up your milk supply, have you tried pumping then giving breast milk in a bottle? or even try pumping in between feeds to give a top up at night instead of formula or if it's a milk supply issue then get meds from your doctor i had to use meds when my daughter was 11 months but then put her on cows milk at 13 month's hope it help's good luck breastfeeding is tough but we pull through in the end.

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