Exclusive breastfeeding is the best feeding option for premature babies.
This is when your baby gets all their feeds from the breast or expressed breast milk. Even if you did not plan to breastfeed, it is important to give your baby breast milk in the hospital.
If exclusive breastfeeding is not possible, you can also use:
Offer breast milk or formula milk as your baby's milk drink until they are 12 months (corrected age).
Your baby's corrected age is their actual age minus the number of weeks or months they were born early.
For example, if your baby is 14 months old and they were born 2 months early, their corrected age is 12 months.
You can continue to breastfeed your baby for as long as you wish. The longer you breastfeed the greater the protection for your baby.
If you are using formula milk, use first infant formula milk until your baby is 12 months old. You can switch to using cows milk then. Do not use follow-on formula milks.
Premature babies and development
Breast milk for premature babies
Breast milk is the best food for your baby. If your baby is born prematurely, the breast milk you produce is especially suited to your baby's needs.
If your baby cannot breastfeed yet, you can express breast milk and give it to them in a bottle. This will help maintain your milk supply.
Breast milk helps your baby by:
- providing the nutrition they need
- improving their brain development
- strengthening their immune system
- protecting them against infections
Even small amounts of breast milk benefit your baby. But try to give them breast milk for as long as possible. This will increase the health benefits for your baby.
Your nurse or midwife will help you learn how to hand express your breast milk and breastfeed in the hospital.
After you leave the hospital, you can get support from:
- your PHN
- breastfeeding support groups
- community lactation consultants
Expressing breast milk for your premature baby
Combination feeding for premature babies
If exclusive breastfeeding is not possible, you can try combination feeding. This is when you combine breastfeeding and bottle feeding.
If you're considering combination feeding, talk to the staff looking after you and your baby before you leave the hospital.
After you go home, you can talk to your public health nurse (PHN) or GP. You can also get advice and support from your local breastfeeding support group.
Formula feeding for premature babies
If you are unable to breastfeed or choose not to breastfeed, you can use formula milk.
Formula milk gives your baby the nutrients they need to grow and develop. Your nurse or midwife will help you learn how to formula feed before you leave the hospital.
If you use formula milk, reduce your baby's risk of infection by preparing their bottle feeds safely. After 12 months corrected age, you can replace formula milk with whole pasteurised cows' milk.
No formula protects your baby from infections and diseases the way breast milk does. Formula milk does not contain the antibodies and immune-protecting substances found in breast milk.
Specialised feed and nutritional supplements
Your baby may need extra nutrition to help them to catch up on growth. Your baby’s doctor or dietitian will tell you if your baby needs this.
They may recommend using a breast milk fortifier for breast milk feeds.
If you use formula, they may recommend an enriched formula. Staff at the hospital may call this a 'nutrient enriched post discharge formula'.
If your baby has a medical condition, they may need specialised nutritional products.
After you go home, your PHN or GP will continue to monitor your baby.
You'll be told when to stop using the nutritional supplements or specialised feeds at a check-up with your PHN, GP or hospital.
Vitamin D supplements
Babies need 5 micrograms of vitamin D3 as a supplement every day from birth to 12 months if they are:
- breastfed
- taking less than 300mls (10 fluid ounces) of infant formula a day
Premature babies may need more vitamin D than this. Your doctor at the hospital or GP will tell you if your baby needs more vitamin D.
Babies who have other supplements or breast milk fortifiers that contain vitamin D may not need extra vitamin D.
Vitamin D for babies 0 to 12 months
Multivitamin supplements
Your doctor or GP may recommend a multivitamin supplement for your premature baby. This may be instead of a vitamin D supplement.
Iron supplements
Your doctor or GP may recommend iron supplements for your premature baby.
Your baby may need to take iron supplements until they can eat iron-rich solid foods.
Check with the doctor or GP if they need iron or vitamin D supplements.
