Babies Preemies Choosing Infant Feeding for Preemies By Cheryl Bird, RN, BSN Cheryl Bird, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse in a tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Learn about our editorial process Cheryl Bird, RN, BSN Reviewed by Reviewed by Alisa Baer, MD on January 04, 2021 facebook twitter linkedin instagram Alisa Baer, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician, nationally certified child passenger safety instructor, and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady. Learn about our Review Board Alisa Baer, MD Updated on January 12, 2021 Print Christian Wheatley / E+ / Getty Images Infant feeding, including feeding a premature baby, requires skill, information, and patience. Parents must decide whether to feed their preemies breastmilk, formula, or a combination of the two. Sometimes premature babies aren't able to take their feedings by mouth in the beginning, or aren't strong enough to take in enough milk to grow. One of the criteria for discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is being able to tolerate feedings and gain weight. Some babies may go home with a feeding tube, but for most preemies, by the time they go home, they are taking all of their feedings by mouth and demonstrating that they can gain weight while doing so. When premature babies begin taking their food by mouth (either by bottle or breast), they may need help learning how to eat. While most full-term babies know how to suck, swallow, and breathe—the three skills involved in breast- or bottle feeding successfully—many preemies need to learn these skills. Success Tips for Bottle Feeding a Preemie Bottlefeeding a preemie is very different from feeding a term infant. Unlike a baby born at term, a premature baby may be very sleepy at feeding times, may not be strong enough to drink enough milk to sustain growth, and may have a hard time swallowing and breathing at the same time. NICU nurses will help you learn how to bottle feed your preemie, using some time-tested tricks. Breastfeeding Benefits for Preemies Although breastfeeding a preemie is not always easy, following these tips and suggestions will help get your preemie breastfeeding experience off to a good start. One of the biggest benefits of breast milk (either from their mother or a donor) for preemies is a reduction in the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an often devastating complication where the intestines do not get enough oxygen for a period of time. This can make babies extremely ill and can result in the child losing a part of their intestines or even dying. Not only does breastfeeding a premature baby offer all of the same benefits of breastfeeding that a term baby receives, but a premature baby also receives several preemie-specific benefits of breast milk. Increasing Milk Supply While Pumping Pumping milk for a premature baby can be a challenge, especially if you feel like your milk supply is lower than it should be. Most moms can pump enough milk to nourish their babies by using these techniques. Choosing the Best Formula for Your Preemie With the many infant formulas on supermarket shelves, parents of preemies may be confused about the best type of formula for premature babies. Choosing a formula is definitely a decision that should be made with your neonatologist or pediatrician, but learning about the different products can help you and your doctor make an informed decision. Feeding Your Preemie After NICU Discharge Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Track your baby’s most exciting moments with our milestone checklist. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Herrmann K, Carroll K. An exclusively human milk diet reduces necrotizing enterocolitis. Breastfeed Med. 2014;9(4):184-190. doi:10.1089/bfm.2013.0121