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Preemie babies require extra care and smaller quantities of milk, using specialised feeding devices and ongoing support until their suckling reflex is fully developed. This crucial reflex typically matures around 36 weeks. Before then, most premature babies are unable to breastfeed or bottle-feed and are often fed through tubes, which deliver expressed breast milk or formula directly to their stomachs.
Once your baby’s suckling reflex is developed, the real work begins. Transitioning to breastfeeding or bottle-feeding requires patience, practice, and a dedicated support team. This delicate dance involves balancing feedings, monitoring your baby’s progress, and providing the comfort and care they need to thrive. It’s a journey that starts in the NICU, preparing you for the moment when you bring your baby home.
But feeding is just one part of caring for your preemie and once this basic need is met you can focus on protecting their sensitive skin, ensuring they get restful sleep, and providing a calm, nurturing environment are equally important as they grow stronger. Having the right essentials – from feeding support right through to sleep aids, helps ensure your baby’s overall well-being while giving you peace of mind as a caregiver.
Caring for a preemie is a journey that requires a thoughtful, holistic approach. With the right tools and support, you can meet their every need and help them thrive every step of the way.
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Within the first 24 hours of life, your newborn will need just a small amount—around 1 teaspoon of colostrum—per feed. As they grow, their intake increases, with daily needs ranging between 450-1,355ml, depending on whether they are formula-fed, breastfed, or combination-fed. This amount is often determined by your baby’s body weight, and your pediatrician will guide you toward a steady weight gain of 150-200g per week.
During this phase, smaller bottles, slow-flow teats, and appropriately sized soothers are essential to support your infant’s feeding journey. The pre-solids stage is made up of an exclusive liquid diet, with feedings every 2-3 hours and gradually stretching nighttime feeds as your baby grows.
As your baby progresses through this phase, other needs start to become more apparent. Just as they develop feeding preferences, you may notice specific sensitivities or new routines that help them feel comfortable and secure. Whether it’s calming them during bath time or supporting their sleep routines, meeting these additional needs becomes an important part of their overall well-being.
As parents gear up to return to work toward the end of this phase, other important steps come into play—like introducing a bottle for breastfed babies, safely storing breast milk, and experimenting with different teats to find what works best. Supporting both their feeding and overall care during this period ensures your baby is nourished, comfortable, and thriving.
Whether your baby is baby-led, puree, or combination-fed, the transition to solids is a thrilling new chapter that’s quite different from their pre-solids phase. The solids phase is exciting, messy, and full of discoveries, offering endless opportunities to explore new tastes, textures, and feeding tools.
While some babies dive right into solids, others may need a little more encouragement to embrace this new journey. For example, your dreams of baby-led weaning might be met with some resistance when your little one refuses to pick up a broccoli stem. In those moments, tools like fresh food feeders can help introduce the idea of self-feeding. Or perhaps purees will be the best starting point for your baby—and that’s perfectly okay!
At this stage, feeding and sleep patterns make a lot more sense. A well-fed baby is more likely to sleep soundly, and good sleep often leads to better eating. Establishing a healthy routine that balances mealtime and sleep is, as it was in pre-solids, key to your baby’s development and overall contentment.
This is also one of the messiest times of your baby’s life. With food splatters and spills being part of the daily routine, clean-up becomes a priority. Establishing a consistent bath time and skincare routine not only helps with the post-meal clean-up but also supports your baby’s skin health, ensuring they remain comfortable through all the feeding adventures.
No matter your baby’s approach to solids, we’re here to provide all the tools, utensils, and support you need to navigate this fun (and sometimes chaotic!) stage. Because at the end of the day, no matter how they fall asleep or even which skincare you choose, fed is best and helping you create a healthy, balanced routine for your baby is what we’re here for.
proudly providing baby feeding solutions for parents across the spectrum.
The advice on this site has been approved by Nicoletta Hay of Kids Med.
proudly providing baby feeding solutions for parents across the spectrum.
The advice on this site has been approved by Nicoletta Hay of Kids Med.
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