I've had a lot of parents who were very strict with their baby's feeding schedule. It was insane. I think some just wanted to feel in control of their child. Some parents were the "food police" and certain ounces were to be given at certain times.
I had one that up until they were 10 months old were only to get 4 ounces every 3.5 hours. The only reason they started the food at 10 months was due to failure to thrive after a doctor's visit. If I hadn't been starting out in the field I would have reported them to CPS after all my attempts to tell them they needed more than what they were getting. My director at the time ignored me when I tried to get help with the situation.
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Off to google cluster feed.
I am very familiar with another type of cluster....Leave a comment:
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Baby Doesn't Want to Cluster Feed
I have a five month old whose mom is definitely cluster feeding at home. When this child started with me at three months, the mom told me that he never drinks more than 2 ounces at a time, feeds EVERY HOUR, has reflux and spits up a lot, and doesn't nap more than 20 minutes at a stretch. I chalked that up to a parent who feeds too often to give him a chance to get hungry enough to fill his belly and therefore was never full enough to nap.
Sure enough, upon transitioning in, the child turned out to have a voracious appetite and will nap for two hours at a stretch in addition to a couple of catnaps a day. He's in the middle of a growth spurt and has a lot of strength and muscle control. I've never had an infant who spat up LESS. He hardly ever spits up! On the one hand, babies change their behaviors quickly. On the other hand, I never saw the behaviors that his mom said he has at home.
He's here from 7 AM to 3:30 PM: 8.5 hours. The last couple of days he's been here, there has been less milk in the jug his mom sends with him. He needs another two or 3 ounces to be satisfied. He will take four 3-oz. bottles over that 8.5 hours, or do a couple of those smaller feedings and then from 4.5oz. to 6oz. after his long nap. He lets me know when he's still hungry.
He had a check up today, and the mom just texted me to say that the doctor said not to give him more than 4oz. at his age. I can understand being concerned about 6oz., since it's breastmilk and isn't supposed to be taken in as high a volume as formula, but it seems like capping a feeding at 4oz. for a five-month-old in full-time group care is a little strict.
I can accommodate capping the feedings at 4oz., but if there isn't enough milk coming in to keep him satisfied, this is not going to be a fun series of conversations with the parent. I have had a couple of genuine cluster feeders before. It's pretty miserable: half an ounce here; an ounce and a half there. Always fussy. That isn't this baby. I feel like the attachment bloggers have disseminated their MO so thoroughly that it's screwing with everybody now.
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