Is breastfeeding different with a premature baby?
Here are five things you should know about breastfeeding your preemie: • Your milk adjusts to the circumstances. Studies show that when moms of preemies breastfeed, the milk they produce is more rich in proteins and has slightly different fats than later breast milk. It’s specially designed to help a premature infant through those first difficult weeks. • Your baby may be in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The disappointment of not being able to be with your baby is compounded by your inability to nurse her. But you can pump — let the doctors and nurses know that you’d like to do so, and your breast milk will be given to your baby there in the hospital (via tube, cup, or bottle), and/or you can freeze it at home for later use. • Sometimes doctors supplement with preemie formula. While breast milk is best for preemies because it’s so easy to digest, occasionally doctors and nurses want to supplement with formula to maximize the calories your baby is getting. Just remind them t
