Dr Vijay Kumar

Signs and Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Catagory: Children     Author: Dr T.V Vijay Kumar

How-to-Feed-Your-Baby-in-the-NICU

The finest nutrition for your newborn is breast milk. Breast milk contains nutrients that support your baby’s growth as well as antibodies that help prevent him from becoming ill. You may give your baby formula milk or breast milk from a donor if you aren’t nursing. You can pump breast milk if your infant isn’t yet ready to nurse. Your infants may want to nurse differently if you have multiple.  Spend some time determining what is best for each infant. Speak to your nurse or a lactation specialist if you need breastfeeding assistance. 

 

What is the diet of your baby in the NICU? 

 

Even if your baby is in a neonatal critical care unit, breast milk is the best nutrition for them.  Antibodies in breast milk can protect your infant from illness. Additionally, it has nutrients that support your baby’s growth and development. Additionally, breast milk varies as your baby develops, ensuring that your baby receives the proper nutrition at the appropriate time. Even if your child was born early, this is still true. Premature delivery is defined as giving birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy. 

 

Your breasts produce colostrum, a thick, yellowish breast milk, during the first few days after childbirth. It contains the vitamins and antibodies your baby needs. You may give your baby colostrum even if you just made a few drops of it. About 3 to 4 days after giving birth, your body begins producing breast milk. 

 

Your baby could get donor formula or breast milk if you aren’t nursing. Instead of breast milk, you may give your child a milk substitute called formula. Donor breast milk refers to breast milk that has been donated to a milk bank. A milk bank collects and preserves donated breast milk, analyses it to ensure its safety, and then distributes it to needy families. Your baby’s doctor may prescribe donor breast milk. All of the advantages of your own breast milk are present. Infants sometimes get both breast milk and formula. The best meal for your baby when he is in the NICU may be discussed with your baby’s healthcare professional. 

 

How are babies fed in the NICU? 

 

Your baby’s medical situation, as well as how well she can suck and swallow, will determine how you should feed her. You may give her food: 

 

  • If you breastfeed. You may give your baby breast milk that you pump from your own breasts if she is unable to nurse. 
  • Breast milk or Formula milk in a bottle. 
  • Formula or breast milk is delivered through a feeding tube. A feeding tube is a tube that is inserted into your baby’s stomach to provide food when regular feedings are not an option.  Your infant may need a gastronomy tube (also known as a g-tube), a nasogastric tube  (commonly known as an NG tube), or an orogastric tube depending on her health (also called an OG tube). Your baby’s stomach is immediately entered via a g-tube. An NG tube is inserted through your baby’s nose, esophagus, and stomach. An OG tube is inserted into the mouth, esophagus, and stomach of your infant. 
  • Using an intravenous line (also called an IV). This is for ill or extremely young infants. A tiny tube is inserted into a vein in your baby’s hand, foot, scalp, or belly button by a medical professional. Through the IV, your baby will get fluids and vital nutrients to support her growth. 

You could combine a number of these feeding techniques depending on your baby’s health. Your infant could be fed using an IV and a feeding tube, for instance. 

 

If your baby is unable to breastfeed yet, how can you offer them breast milk?

 

You can pump breast milk if your infant isn’t yet ready to nurse. Using a breast pump may help you drain your breasts of milk. Initially, using a breast pump could seem strange. However, pumping becomes more comfortable and easier with experience. You may learn how to use the pump in the  NICU from a nurse or lactation consultant. A lactation consultant is a person who has had special training to help all nursing mothers, even those who have their own problems. 

 

Allow your infant to practise sucking at your breast as soon as she is able to prepare for nursing.  Non-nutritive sucking is what is meant by this. This is how you do it: When your breasts are completely empty, pump. Then, to help your baby become acquainted with nursing, let her touch and taste your breast. 

 

What can you do if your breasts aren’t producing enough milk? 

 

Some mothers could have difficulty producing breast milk. Moms with health issues before, during,  or after childbirth may find it challenging. Speak with a nurse or lactation consultant in the NICU if you’re concerned that you’re not producing enough breast milk for the baby. An additional resource is a breastfeeding support group. A support group is made up of individuals who share similar worries. To attempt to assist one another, they gather together. A breastfeeding support group that meets in person or online is also available. 

 

You might be able to increase the amount of milk you make while nursing if you: 

 

  • Taking a nap. When your body is relaxed, it produces more milk. 
  • Eating healthily and consuming a lot of liquids such as milk, juice, or water. Your body loses fluid while you breastfeed. It’s crucial that you replenish that fluid via your diet. • Using a breast pump after or in between feedings, your breasts produce more breast milk when you pump often. 
  • Each time you pump your breasts till they are empty. 
  • Caring for kangaroos (also called skin-to-skin care). At this point, you should place your baby on your bare chest while it is just wearing a diaper. 

How are several babies to be fed? 

 

Learn how each baby eats best if you have multiples (twins, triplets, or more) in the NICU. For instance, you could discover that one infant prefers to nurse at the breast while the other prefers to drink from a bottle. Or maybe one infant performs better on breast milk while the other does better on formula. Or you can elect to only utilise formula as necessary and pump breast milk for each of your children. 

 

Take your time to find out what works best for you and your baby. Expect your goals to shift as your children grow older. When both infants are healthy, you may nurse them simultaneously. While you calm the other infant, ask someone to help you hold the other one. You can handle both on your own with some experience.