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| |    Breastfeeding a Premature Baby by Mary Silva, M.S., R.D. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. You may have been told, or you might have assumed, that breastfeeding was not an option for mothers of premature babies. This simply isn't true. The process involved is not always as straightforward as it is with a full-term infant, but it can be done. Helping to fight infection Certainly, breastfeeding offers premature infants the same benefits that a full-term infant enjoys, including a strengthened bond between mother and baby and protection against allergies. However, the fact that breast milk provides antibodies that help protect against infection is of particular benefit to preterm babies because they have immature immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to illness. Expressing breast milk Because many premature babies--especially those born before 34 weeks--are often too weak to suck, breast milk must be expressed and given by a feeding tube or by bottle (whose nipple is easier for a preemie to suck from). If you'd like to give your baby breast milk but don't know where to start, talk to your practitioner or someone on the hospital staff; most places that are equipped to care for preemies also have professionals available to help you with the ins and outs of pumping, storing, and feeding breast milk to premature infants. If you end up getting discouraged by all the extra equipment that is necessary to feed a premature infant, remind yourself that as your baby gets older, chances are she can learn to nurse, eliminating several of the steps in feeding. Moving on to nursing Once your baby is strong enough to feed at the breast, you might have to experiment to find a position that not only is comfortable, but also gives the baby extra head support to make sucking easier. If your baby is able to suck only a small amount at a time, you might want to express breast milk as well as nurse in order to establish a good milk supply. It's best to pump milk from the breast from which your baby nursed only a little or not at all. Then at the next feeding, offer this breast first. Once your baby is able to nurse well, take note of how often she eats; a general rule of thumb is that a baby should nurse about eight times a day. How often your infant feeds will depend strongly on her size, growth rate, age, and how early she was born. If you're not sure that she's nursing enough, or if this frequent nursing schedule seems too difficult to accomplish, talk to your infant's practitioner or a lactation consultant for guidance and reassurance. Getting it right, nutrient-wise Unfortunately, breast milk doesn't always provide enough protein, calcium, phosphorous, and sodium for a rapidly growing premature infant, especially if she was born more than two months before her due date. If your baby was born exceptionally early, you may want to enrich her diet with a powdered breast milk fortifier or a formula made especially for premature infants.
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