Hellobee Boards Topic: Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 07:43:09 +0000 blackbird on "Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-cluster-feeding-do-babies-fed-pumped-milk-from-a-bottle-do-this#post-762582 Mon, 06 May 2013 06:35:27 +0000 blackbird 762582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No cluster feeding here-she has eaten on schedule since bringing her home. Once in awhile she wants to eat 30 min earlier. It's great-we know how much she is getting, DH helps with a ton of feedings, she sleeps great-I can dream feed her and top her off before bed, so she doesn't even wake up lomom on "Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-cluster-feeding-do-babies-fed-pumped-milk-from-a-bottle-do-this#post-762567 Mon, 06 May 2013 06:28:31 +0000 lomom 762567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I exclusively pump and LO has had a few episodes of taking about 3/4 of a typical feeding every 1.5 hours. He's on a schedule (loosely, we go by his cues or if its been 3-4 hours since the last feeding) so when he has episodes where he wants to feed nearly nonstop, I wonder if he's attempting to cluster feed. I was 6 feedings ahead of him but a couple days of that and I am only 3 feeds ahead, in terms of what's pumped and fortified. I had to start looking into lactation cookies and stuff to boost supply since he wasn't at the breast to naturally boost my supply. photojane on "Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-cluster-feeding-do-babies-fed-pumped-milk-from-a-bottle-do-this#post-762538 Mon, 06 May 2013 05:56:32 +0000 photojane 762538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ My formula-fed baby has never cluster fed & it is freakin' awesome! :) I love knowing how much she's eating in a day, so I can adjust when she's having a growth spurt. It's really helped her develop some pretty spectacular sleep patterns. We only ever had one night feeding as a newborn, and she started STTN at just under 6 weeks. She also doesn't spend all day at the boob, which means more time for us to play & interact -- my favorite thing these days! I still feed on demand, but the supply is more easily regulated than for a BF baby. Penny Lane on "Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-cluster-feeding-do-babies-fed-pumped-milk-from-a-bottle-do-this#post-762516 Mon, 06 May 2013 05:06:05 +0000 Penny Lane 762516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Kemma: you said my exact answer! and in @Cherrybee: s other thread. Lol:) Kemma on "Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-cluster-feeding-do-babies-fed-pumped-milk-from-a-bottle-do-this#post-762502 Mon, 06 May 2013 03:42:43 +0000 Kemma 762502@https://boards.hellobee.com/ In a nutshell cluster feeding is basically a baby's method of communicating its mother's body to produce more milk. Nursing is so much more than nutrition and is also a method of communication for a baby (particularly a newborn) and suckling can be one of their main forms of self-soothing and comforting - in short it makes them feel good and ensures they stay close to Mum! Some babies will also cluster feed as a way of "tanking up" before a long stretch of night sleep. Cluster feeding will quite often coincide with a baby's fussy periods so a bottle fed baby can still be fussy or cranky at a time when they might cluster feed if they were breastfed. Ultimately I think that if you were to bottle feed (either breast milk or formula) rather than cluster feed your body would miss the cues to produce more milk so your supply might not keep up. Cherrybee on "Talk to me about "cluster feeding". Do babies fed pumped milk from a bottle do this?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/talk-to-me-about-cluster-feeding-do-babies-fed-pumped-milk-from-a-bottle-do-this#post-762491 Mon, 06 May 2013 03:04:04 +0000 Cherrybee 762491@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Okay, so, from my research and HB, I understand a few things.... I get that breast milk is more easily digested than formula so babies are likely to be hungrier sooner or want to feed more when they are breastfed. I also understand the concept that when a baby has a growth spurt, he/she needs more food and will want to feed for longer/more often. But what I don't understand is why breastfed babies do this cluster feeding thing - i.e scream and cry for more, feeding constantly for HOURS on end - but formula fed babies don't? Or am I wrong - do formula fed babies "cluster feed" as well? Do babies who get breastmilk from a bottle do the crying for hours and wanting to feed all the time thing when they have a growth spurt? Is this phenomenon caused by the breasts not producing quite enough milk (and the sucking then produces more to meet baby's needs over a few days)? So if you were to give your baby the right amount of pumped milk, the screaming to feed would stop (but then your supply would be lower than baby's needs)? I'm acutely aware that, when breastfeeding, you don't know how much milk your baby is getting and you don't know how much of the feeding is comfort sucking/ how much is actual feeding. I know my friend's formula fed baby is soothed by the paci, but of course she know's exactly how much food he has had.... Can anyone shed any light on this situation?!! Thank you.