Should my breastfed baby be cup fed when i leave her at home?

"There are 2 broad reasons why I have decided to donate breastmilk:

Firstly as a doctor working in the NICU I have seen how our babies benefit from receiving breastmilk only. How often we have seen disastrous consequences when an immature gut has been exposed to formula.

Secondly, as a mom I was blessed with 2 healthy babies who I have managed to exclusively breastfeed. I realise how challenging it can be to breastfeed, even in my ideal circumstances, and hope that by providing milk for other babies I can improve not only their survival, but their quality of life."

Candice - doctor in a neonatal ICU & breastmilk donor - Mowbray

"It cost me nothing and took just a bit of my time. More importantly, I was saving a life, a little baby's life."

Helen P (breastmilk donor) - Cape Town

"I was blessed with an abundance of milk and a healthy, chubby baby girl who was happy to share her milk with the babies in need. I’m so grateful that I discovered the opportunity to donate my milk– donating really made me feel good about myself, knowing that the recipient babies would be given a boost in life.

I hope that this project keeps going for years to come- it is truly a fantastic initiative. What a great way to make a huge difference in the lives of those special little people…"

Megan (breastmilk donor) Blue Downs, Cape Town

"I never knew the babies I donated to, but I am very happy in the knowledge that my body was able to provide for sickly newborns whose mothers were unable to breastfeed."

Nwabisa (breastmilk donor) - Pinelands

Milk Matters

Should my breastfed baby be cup fed when i leave her at home?

Yes, it certainly is recommended that your baby is fed by cup rather than with a bottle and teat, when you are not present. This would be relevant whether your baby is getting expressed breastmilk or formula in the cup.

The reason for the recommendation is that feeding with a teat can cause 'nipple confusion'. Some young babies may have nipple confusion where as older babies probably learn very quickly that the milk flow from a teat is instantaneous and that she does not have to wait for her mother's let-down reflex when drinking form a teat.

Teats and dummies must be avoided in particular when babies have difficulty in latching. The sucking action on a dummy or teat is very different from suckling at the breast.

Should you prefer to teat-feed your breastfed baby, when for instance going back to work, it would be preferable that someone other than yourself does it. Some babies then learn to associate their mothers with breastfeeding and accept teat-feeding from others.

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