Premature babies do not yet have a mature bowel and many cannot breastfeed because they do not yet know how to breastfeed and swallow, so it is necessary to start feeding, which consists of breast milk or special infant formula for premature babies. through the vein or through a tube.
The premature baby is regularly monitored by hospital staff, who monitor their development and assess their health, check whether the baby can already breastfeed and swallow breast milk.
- In the hospital.
- The premature baby’s diet sometimes starts with nutritious serums that are given directly into the vein.
- These serums will help your baby recover and.
- When it improves.
- Begin to breast feed.
The tube is a small tube that is placed in the baby’s mouth and goes to the stomach, and may also be the first feeding option for premature babies, depending on their health. This tube is placed because many premature babies still do not know how to breastfeed and swallow, making it impossible to feed directly within the mother.
Special dairy preparations may be given through the premature baby tube or breast milk itself, if there is a milk bank in the maternity ward. The milk bank is a place where the mother will be instructed to extract the milk, which will be given to the baby per tube every 2 to 3 hours.
Premature baby may breastfeed when their overall health improves and can suck and swallow breast milk. In this transition phase, it may be necessary to use a technique called translocation, through which the baby is placed to breastfeed with the tube, to learn how to breastfeed and breastfeed. Breastfeeding should be done every 2 to 3 hours, depending on your baby’s needs.
Even if the baby is not breastfeeding, after delivery, the mother should stimulate the breast so that the milk flows, using circular movements that must be performed at the edge of the areola every 3 hours, and then pressing the areola to extract milk. At first, it is normal that only a few drops or a few milliliters of milk come out, but this is the amount the baby can ingest, because his stomach is still very small. As the baby grows, breast milk production also increases, so the mother doesn’t have to worry or think she has little milk.
Premature babies should be breastfed every 2 to 3 hours, but be aware of signs of hunger, such as sucking their fingers or twisting their mouths, as the baby may want to breastfeed early. Even if your baby is sleeping or shows no signs of hunger, you should wake up to breastfeed no later than 3 hours after the last shot.
At first, it will be difficult to breastfeed the premature baby because it does not suck as well as other babies, but usually after 34 weeks, the feeding process becomes easier. In addition, before discharge, doctors and nurses will provide advice on lunch breaks and techniques to facilitate breastfeeding.
In cases where the baby is taking infant formula, preterm infant milk or some other special infant formula should be purchased, as directed by the pediatrician. The interval between meals should also be 2 to 3 hours and the care of the signs of hunger is the same.
Premature babies can only start eating baby food and other solid foods when the pediatrician evaluates their development and is confident they can tolerate new foods. The introduction of new foods usually does not take place until after the corrected fourth month of age, when the baby is able to lift the neck and remain seated. The premature baby may initially refuse food, but parents should insist little by little, without forcing. Ideally, start the new diet with fruit juices and fruit porridge.
It is important to remember that early introduction of new foods can cause allergies in infants and that not all children under one year of age should drink cow’s milk, even those who are not premature.
See how the premature baby develops
The main warning signs that the premature baby should be taken to the doctor are:
It is normal for the premature baby to breathe louder and the saline solution should only be applied when the baby’s nose is covered.