Saint Joseph Hospital & Good Samaritan Hospital
Neonatal Intensive Care Units
(NICU)
Home Feedings
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Breast Feeding:
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Signs that your baby may not be getting enough breast milk:
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They are not gaining weight regularly
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They have fewer stools and/or wet diapers than when you took your baby home
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They are not sleeping between feedings
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A good breast feeding session should take about 30 minutes. If feedings are taking longer, your baby may be having trouble getting milk from the breast. This can happen because:
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Your milk supply is decreased
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You are not getting a “letdown” of milk
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Your baby has not completely mastered all the skills needed for breast feeding successfully
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Bottle Feeding:
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Once your baby Is nippling about half of their feeding, you can bring in a bottle you will use at home to try here if it is different than the Dr Brown System we use in the NICU.
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See the Feeding section for other home bottle recommendations.
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NEVER heat breast milk or formula in the microwave as it does not heat evenly and can be too hot
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Throw away any remaining breast milk or formula left in the bottle after each feeding
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Feed your baby ONLY infant formula and/or breast milk for their first 6 months (corrected gestational age)
Feeding Your Baby at Home