Premature Baby Care and Feeding Journey

Introduction

• Baby girl born prematurely at 28 weeks.
• Parents concerned about her health and development.

Feeding Challenges for Preemies

• Premature babies have developing sucking, swallowing, and breathing coordination.
• Higher nutritional needs compared to full-term babies.
• Oral feeding might not meet nutritional needs initially.

Professional Support and Assessments

• Speech Therapist
  • Assessed baby's feeding skills at 32 weeks gestational age.
  • Advised on suitability to start oral feeding and preparation tips.
• Dietitian
  • Assessed baby's weight and recommended nutrition for growth.

Breastfeeding and Nutrition

• Human breast milk recommended as optimal nutrition for preemies.
• Initial challenges with breastfeeding:
  • Pain and issues with positioning.
  • Nurses provided support for proper positioning to ease breastfeeding.
• Gradual adaptation to baby's hunger cues for feeding.

Feeding Techniques

• Breastfeeding on demand every two to three hours when baby was ready to go home.
• Assisted baby with burping during/after feeds to reduce spitting up, crankiness, and gassiness.

Oral Feeding Development

• Use of pacifiers or fingers for soothing and developing oral feeding skills.
• Monitoring for signs of distress like coughing, gagging, and persistent crying.

Progress and Signs of Readiness for Solid Foods

• Baby currently five months corrected age.
• Observations of pre-weaning readiness:
  • Increased hunger before usual feeding times.
  • Drooling and putting fingers in her mouth when seeing food.
• Plan to start solid foods once she can sit upright with support and has adequate head/neck control.
• Excitement about discovering her favorite foods.