Babies who are born small, premature or sick are cared for in our Neonatal Unit at Fiona Stanley Hospital.

We encourage mothers of neonatal babies to start expressing breastmilk as soon as possible after giving birth (ideally within the first hour after birth). Although these babies may initially be unable to breastfeed, they can be fed their mother’s expressed breastmilk (EBM) through other feeding techniques.

Breastfeeding offers many benefits to newborn babies, including:

• meeting all their nutritional needs
• increasing their ability to fight infection and disease
• helping them build a close and loving bond with their mother.

Expressed breastmilk is gained when a mother releases breastmilk by using her hands or a pump. For premature or sick babies who cannot breastfeed, this expressed breastmilk is then fed to the baby through either of the following methods:

• A nasogastric tube (NGT) is a thin, flexible tube which is gently inserted through a baby's nose and down into their stomach. This tube is used to give your baby food and medicine, or to remove air or fluid from their stomach.
• An orogastric tube (OGT) is a thin, flexible tube which is gently inserted through a baby's mouth and down into the stomach.

Both tubes help ensure your baby gets the nutrition and care they need while they are in the neonatal unit.

Please be assured our neonatal staff will show you how to feed your expressed breastmilk to your baby and offer you the support you need.

Mothers who start expressing within the first 1 to 2 hours after birth are more likely to achieve adequate milk production. Studies show early expression can lead to a 50 per cent increase in milk volume compared to those who start later.