This will depend on your baby’s energy levels and their ability to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing.
As your baby starts to take more breast and bottle feeds, they will not need as many top-ups of milk from the feeding tube. When they are more mature and interested enough, some babies will start licking milk and in time practice sucking. During a tube feed may be a good time to do this. If you are planning to breastfeed and your baby is well enough to come out of the incubator, giving them lots of opportunities to be close to the breast may help them to learn to breastfeed. This shows that they might be ready to practise breastfeeding or bottle feeding. For example, they may open and close their mouth, put out their tongue or suck their fingers during a tube feed. In time, you may notice your baby demonstrating feeding cues during a tube feed. Skin-to-skin contact has lots of benefits for you and your baby, and helps parents to feel closer to their baby and more confident in caring for them.
If your baby is well enough to come out of the incubator, you and your partner can also practice skin-to-skin contact with your baby while they are tube feeding. You will have the time to give the milk very slowly which helps your baby to digest more comfortably. This can feel quite scary at first, but with practice you should gain confidence.
#QFEED FOR TUBE FEEDING HOW TO#
If you feel comfortable doing so, they should show you and your partner how to give tube feeds. Staff on the neonatal unit will encourage you to be as involved as possible in the care of your baby on the neonatal unit. Can I be involved in caring for my baby if they are being tube fed?
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