It is common for babies to ‘cluster feed’ where they will feed nearly constantly, with small breaks. It can happen at any time of the day but is more common in the evenings. Please be reassured that this is normal and will help to establish your milk supply and aid bonding. Just make sure your position and attachment is effective, breastfeeding is comfortable for you and that your baby has the wet and dirty nappies expected for their age.. and it’s a good idea to have a table next to you for snacks and water – ask your partner to help keep you supplied.
It’s also completely normal for your baby not to cluster feed, so please don’t be worried if they don’t.
All babies will have ‘growth spurts’ which can last a few days and you can practically feel and see them growing. You might find that baby becomes fussier and will want to feed constantly. This happens because your baby is growing fast and needs your supply to match their demand. And the only way they know how to ask for more milk is to feed more frequently.
It’s really important not to take frequent feeding as a sign on it’s own that you aren’t making enough milk – always use other ways of checking that breastfeeding is going well such as weight gain, plenty of wet and dirty nappies, comfortable, effective breastfeeding and that baby starts to become more content and alert in between feeds.
You can tell your baby is growing without using a scale (do not weigh your baby on a home scale, the error margin on these is very large and may worry you unnecessarily) by looking back at pictures for a week before, seeing the fit of their clothes change. You can contact your health care professional at any time if you feel that your baby is not growing as you expect.