You have a premature infant who cannot yet breastfeed Your baby is unable to latch on to your breast You need to be separated from your breastfed child for a short period of time Your baby is not able to breastfeed or bottle-feed due to neurological issues Your baby decides to go on a nursing strike and refuses to take the breast You are weaning your baby and she refuses to take the bottle
Cup feeding is not a new technique. It has been used around the world for centuries, and it’s considered a safe way to feed young infants, even when they’re premature. By choosing to use a cup to supplement your baby instead of a bottle, you may be able to prevent your child from developing a preference for the bottle or artificial nipples. This may make it easier to transition to breastfeeding once your baby is able to latch on and nurse.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cup feeding can provide feeding without the use of a bottle. This may help to avoid nipple confusion and the development of a bottle preference. Cup feeding is also more sanitary than finger feeding and it doesn’t take as long to do. Cup feeding can lead to more successful breastfeeding and the continuation of breastfeeding for a longer period of time.
Cons
Unlike a nursing supplementer device, cup feeding does not provide any stimulation to the breasts to build and maintain a breast milk supply. It also doesn’t provide the suck training that finger feeding or a nursing supplementer device encourage. Since it takes some skill to learn, it is not as easy, or as convenient, as bottle feeding. Cup feeding should only be used as a short-term feeding method.
How to Use an Infant Cup
Small cups that have soft, round rims and open tops are used for cup feedings. The one-ounce medicine cups that are found in hospitals can be used for premature infants who are taking small amounts of breast milk at each feeding. For older babies, a larger cup will be needed. However, cups with tops and spouts are not recommended since they are more like bottles. Cup feeding is not difficult to do, but it is still a skill. As a parent or a caregiver, you must learn how to safely cup feed your baby, and your child must learn how to drink from the cup. It’s important that the contents of the cup are not poured into the baby’s mouth. Instead, the baby can learn to use his tongue to slowly take the supplement into his mouth and then swallow it. You should not try to cup feed your baby without first talking to your healthcare provider and learning the proper technique.
