Feeding Your Premature Baby
Premature babies may not cry to be fed the way full-term babies do, because your baby may not know when she's hungry.
Because her stomach is small, her feeds need to be smaller and offered more often (about every 3 hours, sometimes more frequently).
Your baby may also take longer to feed until she grows stronger and better able to suck, swallow, and breathe at the same time.
A premature baby needs a lot of energy for sucking. Her mouth is small, and the muscles used for sucking may be weak.
Your baby will feed best when wide-awake. Help her concentrate on sucking.
Until your baby becomes skilled at eating:
- feed her in a quiet room without bright lights
- try not to distract the baby with talking or rocking
- make eye contact with your baby, unless that bothers her
- support her head and neck with your hand or arm
- keep her comfortable - not too stretched out and not too bent over
- try to make feeding a comfortable, relaxed time for you and your baby
Nutrition is important to your baby's growth and development; so, too, is a pleasant feeding experience.
Your baby may have a bowel movement after every feed, or only every 1 or 2 days.
If you breast-feed, your baby's stools will be yellowish and soft-like cottage cheese. They may be frequent (after every feeding), or less frequent (once every few days).
If your baby is fed formula, stools may be soft and yellow to brown/green. Notice the normal frequency and consistency of your baby's stools so that you can recognize constipation and diarrhoea.
If your baby passes small, hard stools and seems to have pain, or suddenly develops frequent, watery stools, you should call your doctor or nurse.
Also notice how often your baby wets her nappy. She should have a wet nappy at least as often as she takes a feed . If she wets less often, it may be a sign that she's not getting enough breast milk or formula.
Breastfeeding
The experience of breast-feeding and of feeding your baby your own milk offers many special benefits. Breast milk can help protect babies from some infections and it is the best source of nutrients for premature infants.
When your baby first comes home from the hospital, he may still tire easily while feeding and not completely empty your breasts. To keep up milk production in the early weeks, it may be necessary for you to pump your breasts and feed or store the extra milk.
In addition to feedings at the breasts, some premature babies may need a supplement to help them grow: this might be in the form of a breast-milk fortifier, a vitamin-mineral preparation, or a special formula. Your doctor will tell you if your baby needs one of these.
Before you leave the hospital, make sure you understand how to breast-feed your baby.
Make a plan with your nurse, doctor, or lactation specialist as to how often you'll need to feed, and whether you should give the baby supplements. Getting the baby weighed by your doctor or public health nurse will help you be sure he is getting the food he needs for proper growth and development.
Remember to get plenty of rest and to enjoy the good feeling you get when breastfeeding your baby.
Bottle-feeding
If you're not breastfeeding or expressing milk for your baby, your doctor will recommend special formula.
Before you bring your baby home ask the nurses how to mix your baby's formula, learn any special ways to feed, and find out how much formula the baby should drink in a 24-hour period.
Remember that most premature babies need extra iron - in the formula or as iron drops.
To be sure, check with your baby's doctor or nurse to find out if a vitamin supplement is needed.