Feeding Plan For Infants Born Before 38 Weeks printable pdf download

Feeding Plan For Infants Born Before 38 Weeks

Feeding Plan for Infants

Born Before 38 weeks

Late Preterm infants are born between 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks gestation.

These infants are immature, and may be sleepier and have more difficulty with

latch, suck, and swallow than a full-term infant. Many infants born at this

gestation are not able to consistently feed well until they reach full-term age

between 38 to 40 weeks gestation.

Early Term infants are born between 37 0/7 to 37 6/7. While some of these

infants are able to demonstrate signs of effective feeding (deep latch, strong

suck and audible swallows), others demonstrate feeding behaviors similar to

late preterm infants. Your lactation consultant or nurse will assess a feeding to

determine if this plan is appropriate for your infant.

How do I know if my infant is breastfeeding enough?

Signs of adequate intake that let you know your infant is breastfeeding

effectively are:

Age

Urine and Stool

Weight loss

Birth-24 hours

1 urine and 1 stool

Less than 3 %

24-48 hours

2 urine and 2 stools

Less than 7%

48 -72 hours

3 urine and 3 stools

Less than 7 %

The following recommendations will help you and your Late Preterm/

Early Term infant get off to a good start with breastfeeding:

• Practice skin to skin contact with your infant as soon as possible after

birth, and as much as possible thereafter

• Attempt breastfeeding within your infant’s first hour of life.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

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Feeding Plan For Infants Born Before 38 Weeks