Infant breastfeeding provides for the optimal amount of nutrition for any newborn infant, especially in the NICU. Breast milk is packed with proteins, fats, and vitamins that are crucial, not only to the baby’s health, but to the mother’s as well.
Under normal circumstances, a mother of a newborn infant will have the option to breastfeed her baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly recommends mothers breastfeed their babies until at least 6 months of age.
However, in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), breastfeeding may or may not be an option given the condition of the infant. This is where a mother’s decision to breastfeed becomes even more crucial.
Breastfeeding in the NICU
A mother that is able to breastfeed her baby in the NICU should consider herself very lucky. There are many mothers who do not have that ability, given the severity of the condition of their child. If able to breastfeed, then the mother should try and be present for all scheduled feedings that the baby will be put to the breast.
The nutritious value of breast milk can only help strengthen and improve a baby’s health. It is full of antibodies that help fight off illness, as well as supplying fats that aid in brain development.
In addition to this benefit, it also allows for special mother-baby bonding time. The infant will more than likely be placed against the mother, allowing for skin to skin contact. This bonding helps bring a mother closer to her baby, both physically and emotionally.
It can be difficult to have a baby in the NICU, as there is a degree of separation between baby and parents. Most parents expect to deliver their new baby, and go home several days afterward. But sometimes the infant has to stay in the hospital longer, possibly in the NICU, where mom and dad cannot be with their child around the clock. This is extremely difficult on new parents, which is why breastfeeding and the bond it helps strengthen are so important.
Breast Milk in the NICU
While many mothers may be able to breastfeed in the NICU, others may not. Their baby may be premature, or have a condition or dietary restriction preventing breastfeeding. In these instances, it is still just as crucial that a baby have breast milk. So, often, many mothers will start pumping breast milk from the day the baby was born.
Neonatal nurses will often use this breast milk as frequently as possible, at times combining it with formula to help fulfill the infant’s needs.
Over time, if an infant is in the NICU for a longer period of time, the mother will continue to pump her breast milk at home, freeze it, and bring it to the hospital when she visits. The NICU staff will save this breast milk and use it as needed for the baby. Many times when an infant is discharged from the NICU, there will still be some frozen breast milk still saved that the mother can take home and use.
Breastfeeding Benefits for Mom
Since we know how healthy and nutritious breast milk is for the baby, what benefits does breastfeeding have for mom?
According to womenshealth.gov, breastfeeding can help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression. It also can help increase the rate at which the uterus shrinks, and can even be associated with helping lose weight faster after pregnancy. In some cases, women who breastfeed are very close to their pre-pregnancy weight in a matter of months!
Also, as mentioned above, it helps strengthen the bond between mother and child. Close physical contact is very important to a newborn infant, as it delivers a high sense of security and comfort. This allows for a calmer baby, which can result in a confident, re-assured mother.
Finally, breastfeeding a baby lets the mother feed her infant as soon as he or she is hungry. No waiting for bottles to warm, and no stumbling around in the middle of the night. Breastfeeding is extremely convenient, especially when there is no worry about the cost of formula (which can top $3,000 per year), measuring and mixing formula, and running back and forth to feed the baby.
Breastfeeding is the optimal way to give an infant the health and nutrition he or she needs. Please visit the following dedicated breastfeeding resources for further, in-depth information.
Updated: June 2011
