Cluster Feeding

Cluster Feeding: Normal, Natural and Hard Work.

Ah, it's that time of day!

That time when your baby latches on to the boob around sunset and only come off the swap sides ... again. Quick nappy change and ... back on the boob. Into the baby carrier and ... boob. More boob while you prep Dinner, more while you eat dinner. Boob in front of the TV ... boob in bed while you scroll on your phone. Asleep! Ninja roll out from beside them to dash to the loo and ... okay, more boob!

And this is entirely normal!

Is it lots of feeds or one never-ending one? Does it matter?

In the days before electric or even gas or oil lamps, when candles were expensive and bed was warmer anyway ... snuggling up with your baby in the first few hours of night must have been quite nice. Then a few solid hours sleep before a few more feeds overnight and then up with the dawn.

Our babies aren't broken. Our society and lifestyles are! If you are up too late at night because you want some adult time (Netflix and Instagram!), need to prepare for the workday ahead or catch up on housework ... you are going to find the evening cluster feeding frustrating. If you have other children, a partner who isn't supportive or you are juggling work and study with parenting - this will be really hard.

But your baby is behaving typically. Frequently removing milk works with your fluctuating hormones which peak in the early hours of the morning but dip naturally in the late afternoon and early evening.

The breastfeeding season is intense. It is hard to get the balance right with modern lives. But adults can adapt and change - babies and toddlers cannot.

Society needs to support breastfeeding mothers to meet their babies needs.