Newborn Feeding Support
Feeding is the thing most often assumed to be instinctive and most often difficult. Positioning, attachment, supply and a baby who will not stay awake are all common, all fixable, and all much easier to sort out with somebody watching a feed than with advice given in the abstract.
- Somebody watches an actual feed
- Expressing taught where the baby cannot feed
- Tube feeding supported in the neonatal unit
- Help offered rather than waiting to be asked
Stay
Alongside the postnatal or neonatal stay
Duration
Ongoing while in hospital
Anaesthesia
Not applicable
About Newborn Feeding Support
Support covers positioning and attachment for breastfeeding, establishing supply through expressing when a baby is in the neonatal unit, moving from tube to breast or bottle as a preterm baby matures, and identifying the small number of problems that need a different approach. Weight and nappies are the objective measures, which is more useful than judging by how a feed felt.
- Positioning and attachment fix most early difficulty
- Expressing establishes supply when a baby cannot yet feed
- Weight and wet nappies are the objective measures
- Formula is used where it is needed, without a fuss
Before you read on
Everything here is general information about newborn feeding support. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.
Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.
When is it recommended?
Situations in which a doctor may suggest newborn feeding support.
- Mothers finding breastfeeding painful or difficult
- Babies not latching or staying awake at the breast
- Mothers of babies in the neonatal unit who need to express
- Preterm babies moving from tube to oral feeding
- Babies not gaining weight after discharge
- Mothers concerned about milk supply
Procedure details
The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.
Watching a feed
Somebody sits with you through an actual feed, because most problems are visible in the first two minutes and not describable afterwards.
Positioning and attachment
Small adjustments to how the baby is held and attached resolve most pain and most poor feeding.
Expressing if needed
Where the baby cannot feed directly, hand expressing and pump use are taught, with a schedule to establish supply.
Objective check
Weight, wet nappies and stools are reviewed, which tells you whether feeding is working better than any impression can.
How to prepare
What to sort out before you come in.
- Ask for help early rather than waiting until you are struggling
- Feed on demand rather than by the clock in the early weeks
- Bring any pump you already have so you can be shown how to use it
- Note how many wet and dirty nappies the baby has each day
- Bring your partner or whoever is helping at home, as they can support the positioning
Recovery
What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.
- Most feeding difficulty improves considerably within a few days of correcting positioning
- Supply responds to frequent feeding or expressing, usually within days
- Expect frequent feeding in the early weeks, which is normal rather than a sign of insufficiency
- Weight is checked at follow-up to confirm feeding is working
- Ask for further help after discharge rather than persevering alone
Why choose Humayun for feeding support
Feeding advice given without watching a feed is guesswork, and most difficulty is visible in the first two minutes.
- Somebody sits through an actual feed rather than giving advice in the abstract
- Expressing supported from the first hours for babies in the neonatal unit
- Objective measures used, so reassurance is based on weight and nappies rather than impression
- Support offered to every mother rather than only those who ask
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