Cluster Feeding: When The Baby is Constantly Hungry

Many breastfeeding mothers know it: the baby has just been breastfed and 5 minutes later it wants to have its breast again. This phenomenon is called cluster feeding – and we have the explanation.

Cluster feeding: What does that mean?

There are days in the life of a nursing mum, when you can’t get out of breastfeeding. The baby wants to be breastfed every ten minutes. Many mothers worry that they are not producing enough breast milk and that they are not getting enough to feed their little darling. The so-called cluster feeding is completely normal in most cases. “Cluster” is English and means “accumulation”, “feeding” on the other hand “feeding”. In combination, cluster feeding describes a period of time in which your baby wants to be breastfed frequently and a lot, especially in the evening. Clusterfeeding is a bit like hoarding for the sleeping break. Accordingly, this could be the reason why clustering occurs mainly in the evening before bedtime – creating supplies for the night.

But don’t worry, clustering usually occurs in phases and will pass again.

Cluster feeding: Why does my baby do this?

It is not known exactly what the reasons for cluster feeding are. Probably it is due to a combination of many factors:

• Your baby’s little stomach: there’s just not so much that fits in there yet.
• Breast milk is easily digestible, so it moves quickly from the stomach to the intestines and does not satiate for as long as ready-made milk.
• Your little darling grows particularly quickly in the first few weeks and needs a lot of energy to do so.
• At the same time, frequent breastfeeding stimulates the production of breast milk. With cluster feeding, your baby will always ensure that there is enough breast milk available.

And to make sure that the baby really takes care of the supply, the hunger of the little ones is initially partly controlled by the hormone cholecysticinin (CCK). When breastfeeding, the level rises and signals your baby after about 20 minutes that he or she is now full. A short time later, however, the value drops again. The result: your baby is hungry. A cycle that repeats itself more often in certain phases until your baby finally falls asleep full and satisfied.

Don’t worry, you have enough milk!

Many mothers still have the recommendation in their heads that they should breastfeed their baby evenly throughout the day every two, three or even four hours. If the baby then reports in cluster phases much more often than usual, they fear that they will produce too little or too little nutritious milk. We can reassure you about this – everything is quite normal. When breastfeeding, you should not subject yourself to any norms and supposedly observed breastfeeding breaks anyway. Instead, simply put the baby on as required and listen to your own gut feeling. Then the amount of milk will also fit. Because by breastfeeding, your baby automatically orders breast milk for the next day. That’s how nature has arranged it, isn’t it practical?

Feeding can affect the milk quantity

The fear that the baby won’t be satisfied is something many mothers know. This is also quite normal: after all, the breastfeeding relationship has to settle down first. You and your baby are still getting to know each other and breastfeeding is something natural, but it is still individual, often not always easy in the beginning and has to be practiced first. If you are afraid that your baby will not be satisfied, there is one thing you should not do: bottle-feed.

The feeding trap

If you bottle-feed, your body is not stimulated to produce more milk. This is the beginning of a cycle that lactation consultants call the feed trap. This is how it can happen that soon you may actually be short of milk for your baby. This is because by feeding your baby less and less, he or she will drink less and less at the breast, thus signaling to your body that it doesn’t need to produce so much milk. The amount of milk becomes less and less and bottle feeding increases. As long as your baby produces five to six wet diapers a day and is not crying from hunger, he or she is probably in a normal cluster phase.

If your baby sucks on your breast several times over an hour or loses weight, you may actually not be producing enough milk. Your midwife or a lactation consultant can then give you competent advice.

But if you decide to feed yourself, that is perfectly fine and you don’t have to feel guilty or bad. Whether, how long and in what form you want to breastfeed is entirely up to you.

Important especially for the summer: Please never try to dilute your breast milk with water, it can be dangerous for your baby. Your baby does not need additional water even in hot temperatures. Breast milk is a great thirst quencher. If it is very warm outside, just put it on more often.

Cluster feeding: Tips for the mom

1. Drink plenty! The more your child drinks with you, the more fluid is removed. So don’t forget to drink. The best thing to do is to provide yourself with a glass of water each time you breastfeed.
2. Enjoy it! Breastfeeding needs a lot of energy – cluster feeding even more. It is best to eat many small meals spread over the day.
3. Make yourself comfortable! If you know that you are going to be busy breastfeeding for a while, it is best to find a comfortable place for it. And yes, this can also be in front of the TV!
4. Ask for it! If you are still afraid that you don’t have enough milk and your baby is not getting enough food, then ask your midwife, a lactation consultant or the paediatrician for advice. After all, that’s what they are there for!

In summary, cluster feeding is completely normal and occurs mainly in very young babies. But even older children, who are experiencing a growth or developmental spurt, sometimes need an extra portion of breast milk and cuddling units.