Newborn Cluster Feeding on Day Two After Birth

I have written a ton about cluster feeding on my website.

One question I have gotten a lot is about newborn cluster feeding on day two after the baby's birth. For some reason, this day gets a lot of attention as a time when cluster feeding starts.

With my first baby, this did not happen, so I did not relate to this when I had her.

But now that I have had three babies, I can say for sure that cluster feeding commenced in earnest on day two for my second and third babies.

My first baby was born full-term but ended up in the NICU. We had a rough go at breastfeeding, with me wondering if I would even be able to breastfeed her at all.

On day two, my milk was not coming in, and I could not breastfeed or get anything productive from pumping.

After much work in the first two weeks, we went on to breastfeed successfully. This was not a typical breastfeeding experience. For many women, colostrum does start to come in as soon as their baby is born.

With my second and third babies, breastfeeding was more accessible and more typical.

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Cluster feeding on day one

So what happens during those early first couple of days of breastfeeding?

On day one, when your baby is born - it is essential to bring your baby to your breast so they can get colostrum. You won't feel like much is coming out and may wonder if your baby is getting enough.

In my experience, neither of my babies nursed much in the first 24 hours. It felt like a little, and they slept a ton.

Take advantage of it if you can, and try to sleep. I never slept great in a hospital, but things get much more hectic once you get home.

Cluster feeding on day two

On the second day - day two, your baby will start to nurse more. At this point, I kept my babies on my breast as much as they wanted. I wanted to bring my milk supply in, and it kept them happy, so why not?

When they drift off, nursing is the time to put them down and try to rest yourself.

It may feel like cluster feeding starts on day two. For me personally, I felt the real cluster feeding ramped up after the first week or so, but there was a lot of nursing going on during days 2 and 3 after birth.

If you have concerns about how much your baby will nurse on day two, check out this great post from La Leche League.

At this point, your baby's sleep is going to be all over the place, and it's going to feel rough for you. I found this with my first baby, even though she was in the NICU, and it was a shock to my system.

Knowing what to expect with my second and third made it seem more tolerable but still exhausting.

Try to roll with it, knowing it is temporary. Your baby will not have any set sleep schedule in those early days and may want to nurse on and off all night.

Eventually, just like regular cluster feeding, they will sleep longer. This is when you need to try and sleep, too.

Eventually, they will sleep more at night and less during the day, and feeding will move earlier.

Those early days will feel tough but try to roll with it, knowing it will get easier.

I freaked out with my first baby once we were home. I found a routine with time, though, and things significantly improved after the first few weeks.