If your baby is premature then you will need to be patient and expect your nights to be disturbed. Her stomach is absolutely tiny and she will need to feed little and often in the early days. The fact of the matter is, you cannot expect to inflict any kind of routine on a baby who has made an early arrival, as she needs to feed and sleep as much as she needs in order to ensure her good health.

Swaddling her may help to mimic the close comfort of the womb and she will probably sleep better if she is wrapped in this way. Check out our video guide to swaddling. The reality is that she will need to sleep for most of the time, but will wake often to feed. Once she becomes older you can start to worry about routines but for now, you must go with what she wants and needs.

Having a baby earlier than planned can be an enormous shock and caring for your newborn in the first few months will probably be very different from how you imagined especially if they are admitted to a neonatal unit. The good news is that you can still do many of the things you originally planned – including breastfeeding, even if your baby has been born very early.

Breastmilk is great for your baby, offering protection against germs through your own antibodies. It is also easier for babies to tolerate than formula milk and provides all the nutrients and nourishment they need to grow and develop. A mother’s milk is especially valuable to premature babies because their immune system is weaker so it can boost their defences against illness, while the growth hormones encourage them to develop in those vital first few months.

If your baby has been born very early they may not be ready to feed directly from your breast straight away. They might have to be fed through a drip to start with, particularly if they have breathing complications. From there they can progress to breast milk, which most likely will be fed to them through a tiny tube that will go through their nose and into their stomach. With supervision from the nurses it may be possible for you to help with tube feeding your baby. This can help you bond and see how much your baby is benefiting from your milk. For more information on breastfeeding your premature baby, read our feature.


Why not chat to other mums with premature babies by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternatively, if you want to meet other mums in your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your area. If you have any unanswered questions, use our questions page to gain wisdom from other mums or our resident experts for all those pregnancy or baby-related niggles.

Last Modified: 20/06/2007