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Barb-
Hey, just saw your blog and read your post on breast feeding. I enjoyed reading it as I am a new mom and have been breastfeeding 100%. My experience wasn't peaches and cream but my son and I have discovered ways to make it more comfortable for both of us.
I did want you (and any of your readers) to know about cup feeding. I am currently living in Singapore with my husband and heard about cup feeding through a coworker. The hospital staff here will bottle feed unless you request cup feeding. It's great because it eliminates nipple confusion.
Essentially they take a medicine cup and feed them directly from the cup. If your milk is coming in they use that or formula if your milk hasn't come in yet. It's incredible to see these tiny babies just drinking away!
You have to watch so they don't choke or let it all dribble out of their mouth but it really doesn't take any longer for the nurses then if they use the bottle. My son was born 6 weeks early and his suckling reflex wasn't strong enough to breastfeed. He spent sometime in the special care nursery and they cup fed him the entire time.
It took 2 days before my milk really started coming so before that they would just mix whatever milk I could pump out with the formula. After a few days I would come and try to breast feed him and then we would supplement with the cup.
By 4 months he has tripled his weight from 4 lbs to 13.5 lbs! Anyway. I've attached some photos as I feel that explains cup feeding better than words. I don't know if any of the hospitals in the states offer this but it's an option and even if they say your child needs milk right away it DOES NOT have to be from a bottle!
I'm grateful for all the blessings of modern day healthcare (my husband is a doctor) but I do feel the medical professionals often push their opinion/experience as what you MUST do when there are other options out there and we either don't know or are too timid to say what we want.
I did want you (and any of your readers) to know about cup feeding. I am currently living in Singapore with my husband and heard about cup feeding through a coworker. The hospital staff here will bottle feed unless you request cup feeding. It's great because it eliminates nipple confusion.
Essentially they take a medicine cup and feed them directly from the cup. If your milk is coming in they use that or formula if your milk hasn't come in yet. It's incredible to see these tiny babies just drinking away!You have to watch so they don't choke or let it all dribble out of their mouth but it really doesn't take any longer for the nurses then if they use the bottle. My son was born 6 weeks early and his suckling reflex wasn't strong enough to breastfeed. He spent sometime in the special care nursery and they cup fed him the entire time.
It took 2 days before my milk really started coming so before that they would just mix whatever milk I could pump out with the formula. After a few days I would come and try to breast feed him and then we would supplement with the cup.By 4 months he has tripled his weight from 4 lbs to 13.5 lbs! Anyway. I've attached some photos as I feel that explains cup feeding better than words. I don't know if any of the hospitals in the states offer this but it's an option and even if they say your child needs milk right away it DOES NOT have to be from a bottle!
I'm grateful for all the blessings of modern day healthcare (my husband is a doctor) but I do feel the medical professionals often push their opinion/experience as what you MUST do when there are other options out there and we either don't know or are too timid to say what we want.Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any other questions.
Cheers,
Chelsea
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Thank you so much for the info Chelsea!! I'd never heard of cup feeding before and had to pass on the info. I love the pictures too - such a cute little guy, and it really does help to convey what cup feeding is.
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Thank you so much for the info Chelsea!! I'd never heard of cup feeding before and had to pass on the info. I love the pictures too - such a cute little guy, and it really does help to convey what cup feeding is.
Other posts in this series:
That baby is SO cute! It makes sense. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletethat's very interesting. i wonder if our hospital would be so accommodating.
ReplyDeleteThank you both for sharing! So important to get that out to moms...
ReplyDelete