Growth Spurts & Infant Nursing Behavior

As most nursing mamas know, just when you start to get the hang of breastfeeding, your baby’s increased nursing frequency makes you start to doubt your milk-making abilities.  You might begin to wonder if your milk supply is dropping, if your milk just isn’t “good enough”, if you should supplement etc. 

One common reason for a sudden increase in nursing, or cluster feeding, is a growth spurt. Babies go through many predictable growth spurts in the first year. This does not mean you have low supply and need to supplement. Follow your baby’s hunger cues and nurse when they signal they are hungry, and for as long as they want to. The increased nursing will signal to your body to make more milk to meet the demands of your growing baby and usually after a few days they will settle back into their usual nursing pattern and your milk supply will regulate accordingly. 

Other causes for sudden increases in nursing include:

• Illness

• Seeking comfort due to change in routine/feeling overwhelmed 

• Toddlerhood (toddlers often ramp up their nursing frequency)

• Pregnancy

If you have concerns about your baby’s sudden change in nursing pattern, or concerns about your milk supply, contact Beholding Baby today to put your mind at ease and discover the root cause of what could be going on.