Pregnancy comes with many unknowns. Even if you’ve already given birth, each pregnancy can be very different. An outcome that occurs in many pregnancies is having your infant admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This happens if your baby is born prematurely or if there is a complication at birth.
Although breastfeeding your baby may not happen right away, it is still possible to provide breastmilk.
Why Does My Baby Need Breastmilk?
Breastmilk is a living substance with properties that protect your baby from illness. Providing your baby with breastmilk can lower the risk of sudden infant death (SIDS) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) , a life-threatening condition. Both of these happen more in premature babies. There are many other conditions breastmilk helps to prevent. Type 2 diabetes, asthma and obesity are just a few.
Amazingly, the breastmilk you produce after giving birth prematurely is higher in protein and other nutrients that premature babies need. Though donor breastmilk may be available, fresh breastmilk is the best. It contains the best immune properties to strengthen your baby’s weak immune system.
How Do I Produce Milk if My Baby Can’t Breastfeed?
Start using a hospital grade breast pump as soon as you can. A nurse or lactation consultant at the hospital can get you started. Pumping every 2-3 hours around the clock will mimic your baby’s feeding pattern and “tell” your body to make milk.
In spite of regular pumping, it can be challenging to keep up a good milk supply. Holding your baby skin to skin (also called Kangaroo Care) as much as possible can really help! You will need to get your baby right next to your skin, so wear loose clothing. You’ll want to remove your bra. Your baby will only wear a diaper. Don’t worry! Nurses will handle all the tubes and wires and help you do this safely.
Skin to skin snuggles are not only comforting for your baby, but increases the amount of milk you make. It’s also a great way to get your baby used to being near your breasts.
What About When My Baby Is Ready to Go Home?
While your little one is in the NICU, many things can happen to prepare him for breastfeeding at home.
Skin to skin time
Little tastes of your milk on a swab
Non-nutritive breastfeeding (letting your baby suckle after you pump)
Sucking on a pacifier
Once your baby is ready to start taking milk from a bottle, she is ready to try breastfeeding! Her nurse or a lactation consultant can help you. Though she may not be good at it right away, the more you practice, the better she will get.
Having your baby suck directly from your nipple will also improve your milk supply. Ask your nurse about how often you can try breastfeeding. As your little one gets closer to going home, the number of times he can breastfeed each day will increase.
Many mothers worry that practicing breastfeeding will make their baby stay at the hospital longer. Be assured that this is not the case! You will hear that your baby needs to take all his bottles before he can go home. This is true, but breastfeeding counts! He will have good days and bad days with feeding. This is normal for both breastfed and bottlefed babies. Research has shown that babies that breastfeed directly before bottle feeding actually go home sooner.
Though there are challenges when your baby is in the NICU, you can succeed at making milk and go home breastfeeding!
Office of the Surgeon General (US); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); Office on Women's Health (US). The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Rockville (MD): Office of the Surgeon General (US); 2011. The Importance of Breastfeeding. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52687/
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