# Cluster Feeding... in the EARLY MORNING???



## L'lee (Dec 6, 2005)

My almost 4 month old DS is cluster feeding and catnapping from 5 AM to about 7 or 7:30 AM every morning. He doesn't cluster feed at night, but he sleeps his longest stretch first thing in the night (about 4 hours, usually, and we miss out on 1-2 hours of it because we're having dinner







- but if we try to keep him up later he's SUPER CRANKY), then he will sleep for 1 1/2 - 2 hours for a couple of cycles, then at 5AM he starts the cluster feeding/catnapping. He sleeps in his cosleeper for the first cycle, then either in the cosleeper or with me after that, though he seems to sleep in longer chunks when he's in the cosleeper, but all bets are off once 5 AM hits. He doesn't act like he's ready to get up at 5 AM, he falls right back to sleep easily, he just doesn't stay asleep for long! At about 7 or 7:30, he wakes up smiley and cute, that's how I know he's done with sleep for the night.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is there anything I can do to encourage him to sleep a leeeetle bit longer, because by then I'm just SO tired and craving that extra bit of sleep.

Thanks!


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

My dd has always done this. Just keep him in bed with you and nurse and sleep.

-Angela


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## AlbertaJes (May 11, 2006)

That's mine too. Except she's awake till 10, then sleeps 4-5 hours, wants to eat, sleeps again till 530 then eats straight till about 8. Then (thank goodness) she sleeps till 10 or 11.

I usually fall asleep while she's eating and she can usually find the nipple herself if she loses it, so I can sleep through most of it.

ETA: I feed her on one side the first part of the night and the other side for the cluster feeding, that seems to work best for us.


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## kissum (Apr 15, 2006)

My dd does the same. I just sleep topless most of the time so that she can easily find my breast on her own and I get a little more sleep that way.


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## ochoco (Oct 19, 2005)

My eight-month-old does. I usually wake up when he starts to shift around, but fall asleep as he's nursing. It's all a bit hazy, but I am aware that it's happening from about 5:30 AM on, probably once every hour or so. It's never bothered me, though, the way the middle-of-the-night feedings used to; I think my sleep cycle has adjusted.

If I try to get up early to get something done, he'll be awake within the half hour, and he's not happy about it! If I stay in bed with him, he can often go until about 8:30 AM, with one final nursing session to start off the day. When he's ready to wake up, he's up, and that's that!


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## L'lee (Dec 6, 2005)

Thanks, mamas.

We're moving to the east coast (from the west coast) soon, so I'm thinking about trying to see if he'll keep his schedule without adjusting for jet lag - then he would be going to bed at 9 or 10 and getting up at 10 after cluster feeding starting at 8. We'll see, I may have to have to REALLY darken windows, but then at least I could get the first long stretch of sleep with him!

I sleep either topless or with an open pajama top, but he needs help finding the nipple, generally, so I do have to wake up to get him started. It's definitely easier when I stay drowsy and can go back to sleep while he's eating, though. I hope he learns to find that nipple on his own soon!


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