Expert Advice

Breastmilk In the NICU Helps Baby and Parents

Breastmilk is chock full of goodness for babies, and even more so for those who need some NICU time. If you wrote in your birth plan that you will be breastfeeding, the NICU team may already know and want to help you. Feeding breastmilk in the NICU is one way to give baby your love.

During pregnancy, when you’re writing your birth plan, it’s hard to think about planning for a NICU situation. But thinking about it ahead allows you to state in your birth plan that should a NICU situation arise, you want your baby to get breastmilk. And touring the NICU during pregnancy helps you know what to expect.

Having that statement on your birth plan means hospital staff will know how to support your desire. Remember to put that completed birth plan on your hospital bag checklist!

For many mothers, the newness of breastfeeding is complicated by this NICU situation.

And you may have a ton of emotions surrounding the reason your baby is in NICU. It’s good to acknowledge that you could feel overwhelm, fear, sadness, confusion, or even guilt.

You are a brand new mother flooded with hormones and your brand new baby is not at home with you. It’s normal to feel every emotion under the sun.

Yet committing to breastfeed, especially in the NICU, is an act overflowing with love and protection for your child. According to UNICEF, “Breast milk is particularly important for preterm infants and the small proportion of term infants with very low birth weight…”[1]

Your new baby may not be ready for breastmilk immediately. So until then, safely store your milk.

But when she’s ready, breastfeeding helps regulate baby’s heartbeat, improve oxygen levels, and reassures her with your scent, sounds, and warmth. Since the oxytocin created when you and baby are together helps calm fear, it increases her trust and security. And breastmilk helps build her still-developing immune system, brain, vision, and digestive tract.

Your commitment to breastfeeding in NICU also means committing to yourself

At a time when you’re still healing, dealing with rampant hormones, and figuring out how to manage life until baby comes home, your health is also #1 on the to-do list.

Stress and exhaustion can affect breastfeeding and milk production. Just as your fierce love of baby makes you commit to the breastfeeding challenge, commit also to getting enough of what you need to recover well from birth:

To learn more about breastfeeding tips, download our free Birth Plan eBook now. After three years of research, collaboration with more than 100 childbirth experts and resource centers from Healthy Child Healthy World to the American Association of Neonatal Nurses, the Best Ever Baby Birth Plan Guide is available for a free download.

This new resource for pregnant families is a compilation of top tips and advice from more than 20 nationally-recognized experts in the field including renowned pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene and GraceFull Birthing founder, midwife Elizabeth Bachner. These trusted experts offer thoughtful guidance for whatever type of birthing experience parents want, in whichever setting they choose.