A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 57
Feeding your premature or sick baby
Expressing milk
You can learn to pump milk from your breasts and this is called
‘expressing’. You can hand express or buy a hand-operated
or battery pump. The hospital may have an electric pump you
can use or hire. In the early days, it is normal to express small
amounts of sticky yellow fluid called colostrum.
Colostrum is
concentrated goodness
for your baby and
provides them with
additional protection at
this crucial time
It is important to express breast milk as soon as possible after the
birth and then to continue to express eight to ten times every 24-hours
(including at night). Although your baby may be only taking a tiny amount
of milk, frequent and effective expressing, particularly in the first two weeks,
is crucial in establishing a long-term milk supply. Some mums find double
pumping is easier and more effective at increasing milk supply.
Expressing can get your flow established so you have a good supply going
when your baby is ready to take the breast. Your breast milk will be the best
nutrition for your baby if they are being fed through a feeding tube.
Many babies take breast milk from a bottle or cup as well as the breast.
Breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator for a short time or frozen for
future use. If you have extra breast milk, you might want to donate it to a
milk bank, a place where donated milk is treated and stored so other babies
can benefit.
Milk banks
Milk banks provide opportunities for babies in neonatal units to access
donated breast milk. Ask your nursery staff for more information.
What is Breast Milk Fortification?
Due to the very high nutritional needs of very pre-term babies, many will
need extra protein, minerals and vitamins over and above what they get
in breast milk. For this reason, your baby’s care team may recommend
a breast milk fortifier (which comes as a powder) to be added to your
expressed breast milk. Decisions to use fortifier are usually based on how small
or how early your baby arrived. Once your baby is growing well and getting
closer to going home, the fortifier will be stopped.
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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