Photo: Norah Gentiane via Instagram
So you have a newborn, and lately your evenings have been hijacked by non-stop nursing sessions. If this sounds familiar, you?re probably dealing with the common breastfeeding phenomenon known as cluster feeding.
Infants nurse frequently (at least eight to 12 times in a 24-hour period), but sometimes it?s even more often, and they may bunch up those feedings?especially in the evening. This is frustrating for both the parent who?s been home with the baby all day and the parent who may only get to see the baby after work.
But cluster feeding is perfectly normal, says Attie Sandink, a lactation consultant in Burlington, Ont. ?Babies instinctively know how much milk they need. If they?re not getting enough, they just want to feed and feed,? she says. This doesn?t mean your milk supply is tanking or you need to supplement with formula. And letting newborns nurse as often as they like doesn?t mean you are spoiling them. ?I remember thinking, Is this how life is going to be"? recalls first-time mom Alison Pearce of Toronto. ?It was like looking down a tunnel with no light at the end of it.? From two to eight weeks old, her daughter, Simone, spent most evenings nursing non-stop. But once Pearce and her family noticed the pattern, they came up with a plan. Each night, before the intensive breastfeeding session began, Pearce?s mom (who stayed with them for the first month) made an early dinner while Pearce took a bath. Then, armed with snacks,...