{"id":102479,"date":"2019-06-18T10:33:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T14:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/102479\/mod-breastfeeding-nicu\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T13:41:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T18:41:57","slug":"mod-breastfeeding-nicu","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/102479\/mod-breastfeeding-nicu\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeding your baby in the NICU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"content-author\">\n<div class=\"content-author__wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"content-author__image\" src=\"https:\/\/ovia-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/content_platform\/24276\/article_102476_MOD_Circle_v2%5B2%5D.png\" alt=\"mod\">\n<p class=\"content-author__name content-author__name--adapted\">March of Dimes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What does your baby eat in the NICU?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breast milk is the best food for your baby, even if <span class=\"pronoun-they\" data-pronoun=\"they\">they\u2019s<\/span> in the newborn intensive care unit (also called NICU). Breast milk has antibodies that help keep your baby from getting sick. It also contains nutrients that help your baby grow and develop. And breast milk changes as your baby grows so <span class=\"pronoun-they\" data-pronoun=\"they\">they gets<\/span> exactly what <span class=\"pronoun-they\" data-pronoun=\"they\">they needs<\/span> at the right time. This is true even if your baby was born prematurely. Premature birth is birth that happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the first few days after giving birth, your breasts make a thick, yellowish breast milk called colostrum. It has nutrients and antibodies that your baby needs. Even if you make only a few drops of colostrum, you can feed it to your baby. Your body starts to make breast milk about 3 to 4 days after giving birth.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not breastfeeding, your baby may get formula or breast milk from a donor (also called donor breast milk). Formula is a milk product you can feed your baby instead of breast milk. Donor breast milk is breast milk that\u2019s been donated to a milk bank. A milk bank receives and stores donated breast milk, tests it to make sure it\u2019s safe and sends it to families of babies who need it. Donor breast milk is prescribed by your baby\u2019s health care provider. It has all the benefits of your own breast milk. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes babies get both breast milk and formula. Talk to your baby\u2019s provider about the best food for your baby while <span class=\"pronoun-they\" data-pronoun=\"they\">they&#8217;s<\/span> in the NICU. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do you feed your baby in the NICU?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way you feed your baby depends on <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"pronoun-their\" data-pronoun=\"their\">their<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> medical condition and how well <span class=\"pronoun-they\" data-pronoun=\"they\">they can<\/span> suck and swallow. You can feed <span class=\"pronoun-them\" data-pronoun=\"them\">them<\/span>: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By breastfeeding. If your baby can\u2019t breastfeed, you can feed <span data-pronoun=\"them\" class=\"pronoun-them\">them<\/span> breast milk that you pump from your breasts.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breast milk or formula through a bottle<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breast milk or formula through a feeding tube. A feeding tube is a tube that goes into your baby\u2019s stomach to give <span data-pronoun=\"them\" class=\"pronoun-them\">them<\/span> food when <span data-pronoun=\"they\" class=\"pronoun-they\">they can\u2019t<\/span> get it from regular feeding. Depending on your baby\u2019s condition, <span data-pronoun=\"they\" class=\"pronoun-they\">they may<\/span> need a gastronomy tube (also called a g-tube), a nasogastric tube (also called an NG tube) or an orogastric tube (also called an OG tube). A g-tube goes directly into your baby\u2019s stomach. An NG tube goes through your baby\u2019s nose, down the esophagus and into your baby\u2019s stomach. An OG tube goes into your baby\u2019s mouth, down the esophagus and into your baby\u2019s stomach.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through an intravenous line (also called an IV). This is for babies who are very small or sick. Your baby\u2019s provider places a small tube in a vein in your baby\u2019s hand, foot, scalp or belly button. Your baby get fluids and important nutrients through the IV to help <span data-pronoun=\"them\" class=\"pronoun-them\">them<\/span> grow.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on your baby\u2019s condition, you may use a few of these methods together to feed your baby. For example, your baby may get food from a feeding tube and an IV. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can you give your baby breast milk if your baby can\u2019t breastfeed yet? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your baby isn\u2019t ready to breastfeed, you can pump your breast milk. A breast pump helps remove milk from your breasts. Using a breast pump may feel awkward at first. But with practice, pumping gets easier and more comfortable. A nurse or lactation consultant in the NICU can show you how to use the pump. A lactation consultant is someone with special training to help all women breastfeed, even women who have special breastfeeding problems. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As soon as your baby can, let <span class=\"pronoun-them\" data-pronoun=\"them\">them<\/span> practice sucking at your breast to get ready for breastfeeding. This is called non-nutritive sucking. Here\u2019s how to do it: Pump your breasts until they\u2019re empty. Then let your baby touch and taste your breast to help <span class=\"pronoun-them\" data-pronoun=\"them\">them<\/span> get used to what breastfeeding is like. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What can you do if you\u2019re not making enough breast milk?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some moms may have trouble making breast milk. It can be hard for moms with health conditions before or during pregnancy or after their baby was born. If you\u2019re worried that you\u2019re not making enough breast milk, talk with a nurse or lactation consultant in the NICU. You also can get help from a breastfeeding support group. A support group is a group of people who have the same kind of concerns. They meet together to try to help each other. You can find a breastfeeding support group that meets together in person or online. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be able to build up your milk supply (the amount of milk you make when breastfeeding) by:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting rest. Your body produces more milk when it\u2019s rested. <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating healthy foods and drinking a lot of fluid, like water, juice or milk. When you breastfeed, your body loses fluid. It\u2019s important that you get that fluid back through what you drink. <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using a breast pump after or between feedings. When you pump your breasts often, they make more breast milk. <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pumping your breasts until they\u2019re empty each time you pump <\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/complications\/kangaroo-care.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kangaroo care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (also called skin-to-skin care). This is when you put your baby, dressed only in a diaper, on your bare chest. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To read more about the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/complications\/the-nicu.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Newborn Intensive Care Unit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, visit t<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/index.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he March of Dimes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<br><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the author:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/index.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">March of Dimes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and health information, visit <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.marchofdimes.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">marchofdimes.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nacersano.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nacersano.org<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a9 2017 March of Dimes Foundation<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/112685\/par-health-nicu-mod-baby-nicu-stay\/\">Your baby\u2019s NICU stay<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/112700\/par-health-nicu-mod-common-tests-in-nicu\/\">Common tests in the NICU<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breast milk is wonderful food for your baby. It has vitamins, nutrients and antibodies that can help your baby get stronger. Some babies will be able to breastfeed in the NICU, while other babies may need to get breast milk from a bottle or feeding tube.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":233501,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ovia_author_name":"March of Dimes","ovia_author_prefix":"Adapted with permission from:","ovia_author_image":"https:\/\/ovia-assets.s3.amazonaws.com\/content_platform\/24276\/article_102476_MOD_Circle_v2[2].png","ovia_content_type_id":"175","ovia_product_mode":"3","ovia_days_from_signup":"","ovia_days_from_lmp":"","ovia_days_from_baby_birth":"","ovia_days_from_enroll":"","ovia_health_module_days_from":"","ovia_article_for_email_days_from":"","ovia_health_module":"","ovia_legacy_id2":"","ovia_ttc":"","ovia_article_subtype":"","ovia_health_symptom":"","ovia_partner_id":"","ovia_partner_custom_group":"","ovia_legacy_category":"7","ovia_legacy_category2":"","ovia_content_url_id":"102479","ovia_include_share_buttons":"","ovia_fertility_goal":"","ovia_secondary_module":"","ovia_trimester":"","ovia_child_age":"","ovia_share_image":"","ovia_more_menu_image":"","ovia_button1_url":"","ovia_days_from_postpartum":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"fert-category":[],"preg-category":[57,78,56],"parent-category":[],"fert-tag":[],"preg-tag":[],"parent-tag":[],"class_list":["post-102479","article","type-article","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","preg-category-prenatal-testing-screening","preg-category-preparing-to-breastfeed","preg-category-staying-healthy-while-pregnant"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Feeding your baby in the NICU - Ovia Health<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Breast milk is wonderful food for your baby. 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