How to Bottle Feed a Preemie Baby

Bottle feeding is one of the main activities of any newborn. Premature babies have a harder time drinking from a bottle due to the energy that it requires.This is hard work for a preemie and hard on the parents. Follow these steps to learn how to bottle feed your preemie.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Formula or Breast milk
• Bottle
• Calm, Quiet Place

Bottle Feeding a Preemie Baby

1. Get the bottle ready around the time that your baby usually eats. Wait for the baby to show signs of feeding such as crying or moving around or sucking their fingers.
2. Let your baby know that food is ready. Touch his cheek with your finger or place a few drops of formula on the baby's lips so the sense of smell or taste kicks in. Your baby should turn her head towards you in anticipation of the bottle.
3. Keep all air out of the bottle. Always keep the bottle tilted at angle which keeps the nipple full of milk. This insures that your baby is not gulping in too much air which can lead to gassiness and discomfort. There are also specialized bottles available that further reduce air intake.
4. Often a baby will turn away from the bottle and seem fussy. If this happens, try burping the baby before ending the feeding. Try the bottle one more time after burping. You may need to let the baby rest a minute first.
5. Watch for signs that indicate your preemie is finished feeding. Many babies will simply drift off to sleep after feeding for a few minutes. This is a good indicator that she has had enough.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn your baby's hunger signs. Every baby is a little different and knowing your infant's signs can save the baby from a meltdown.
• Feeding is an amazing time to bond with your baby. You can cuddle, coo, sing and look into each others eyes.
• If you are having trouble getting the baby to take the bottle, try a syringe for a day or so but offer the bottle at each feeding as well.
• Let your husband, partner or another family member take turns feeding the baby. This gives them a chance to bond as well and you a chance to rest.
• Make certain that you are using the slowest flow nipple that you can find. If your baby seems to be gulping or making excessive noise when feeding, then the milk flow may be too fast.
• Try not to feed your baby in noisy places. This can be very distracting and the baby may not eat much.