Sometimes breastfed babies need additional milk. The first choice is mother’s own expressed milk. If this is not available, the next best choice is pasteurized donor milk – ask about the availability of donor milk in your hospital or community. If pasteurized donor milk is not available, formula can be provided.
In the early days, when only a small amount of colostrum (your first milk) is produced, a spoon usually works well to feed your baby. Hold your baby upright supporting her head and place the spoon against her lips to gently feed. Once you are producing a larger amount of milk, you can usually feed your baby additional milk using a small cup. Wrap your baby’s arms lightly with a blanket to keep he] from knocking the cup. Then, hold your baby upright in a sitting position supporting her head and let your baby control how much milk to take in at a time. After cup feeding unwrap your baby.
If the baby is able to latch on to the breast, the additional milk can be given at the same time as breastfeeding. This can be done by placing a small feeding tube into your baby’s mouth alongside the breast so that your baby receives the extra milk. Ask for assistance from a knowledgeable health care provider.
For a breastfed baby, a bottle can be used, but you are encouraged to try other methods first. Using a bottle before breastfeeding is well-established can make breastfeeding more difficult.
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