Breastfeeding premature or multiple babies

Breastfeeding a premature baby or more than one baby might seem like a scary prospect, however with support, you can enjoy a successful breastfeeding journey.

Breast milk has many benefits to you and your baby. It contains all the things your baby needs for nourishment, and protects against infections.

Breast milk is easier for a small baby to digest than formula milk, so you’ll be encouraged to breastfeed, or to express your milk if your baby is too small to suck at the breast

Breastfeeding premature babies

Even if you don’t plan to breastfeed your baby, please consider expressing breast milk for your baby while they are on the Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NICU). Your breast milk is very important for your premature baby as it helps to protect them from infection and gut problems.

Your baby may not be ready to breastfeed for some time, but they can still be given your expressed breast milk to help keep their mouth clean and moist (mouthcare). Your expressed breast milk can also be given through a feeding tube as soon as they are ready.

The midwives/support staff and nurses in hospital will support you on how to use a breast pump, how to express and safely store your milk for your baby whenever they are ready to have it. Giving your baby breastmilk is a great way of supporting their progress and brain development.

Benefits of breast milk for premature babies

Your first milk, colostrum, is packed full of antibodies and other substances that helps your baby to fight infection. These antibodies continue in the breastmilk as your baby grows and will boost your baby`s immune system helping to maintain a healthy gut. Some premature babies can develop an inflammation in their gut which is a condition called necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). This condition can make babies very sick, but babies fed with breast milk have shown they are less likely to suffer from NEC.

Breastmilk helps with your baby`s growth. Your breast milk is designed specially to meet the needs of your baby. It contains many nutrients including proteins, fats and other substances that your baby needs to grow. As your baby gets older, the team looking after them may suggest adding some fortifier and vitamin supplements to your milk to boost the amount of nutrients your baby receives to help their growth.

Expressing your breast milk can bring challenges as well as being extremely rewarding. It can be a great support in feeling close and building a strong bond with your baby.

There are many long-term benefits from breastmilk for premature babies. They are less likely to be re-admitted to hospital after they have been discharged, less at risk of obesity, allergies, and cot death. Compared to formula feeding breastfeeding is more convenient and cheaper and breast milk can help the brain development of premature babies as they grow.

Bliss is an organisation to support parents and carers of babies who are born prematurely or sick.

Breastfeeding twins or more

When you know you’re expecting more than one baby, breastfeeding could seem overwhelming. With careful preparation and good support it is possible for you to reach your breastfeeding goals. Remember, any amount of breastfeeding is better than no breastfeeding at all.

Caring for two or more babies not only takes more time, but also takes more physical and emotional energy. It is sometimes easier to feed 2 babies at the same time and some mothers prefer this while some prefer to feed 1 baby after the other. The important thing to remember is feed responsively for both mother and baby’s needs.

Breastfeeding is a great way to soothe your babies and helps you build a strong bond with them.

It’s perfectly possible to breastfeed twins, triplets or more. Lots of twins are breastfed until they start eating solid foods.

All babies are different and gradually you’ll learn the separate habits and feeding abilities of each baby.

Don’t expect to have a set feeding routine straight away; you’ll generally find that many babies settle into natural feeding rhythm once they’ve reached six weeks old.

You may like to try a few breastfeeding positions to see which suits you best.

You’ll get support with breastfeeding at the hospital from the midwives and then when you take your babies home you will be visited by your health visiting team. To help start breastfeeding, surround yourself with people who can offer you help and support such as family and friends or other breastfeeding mothers. There are also many breastfeeding helplines, as well as your local peer support service, who you can contact for advice and guidance.

Useful links

• ABM- Breastfeeding twins
• Feeding twins, triplets and more
• Twins Trust
• Advice from the Baby Sleep Information Source (BASIS) on safer sleep for twins and multiple babies.