Cup feeding your newborn
Sometimes a breastfed baby cannot be fed directly at the breast. This might be part of a plan to overcome breastfeeding problems or during a short separation of mother and baby. If a breastfed baby needs to be regularly supplemented with expressed breastmilk (EBM), donor breastmilk or infant formula cup feeding can help reduce nipple confusion.
With bottle feeding influencing modern society so much in the past century, even health professionals can be sceptical about cup feeding being a viable alternative. However cups have been around a lot longer than bottles and are easier to clean and most households will have a suitable utensil already in the kitchen. Cup feeding allows responsive feeding, doesn’t take longer and can be done during emergencies if needed.
Like anything new, it can feel awkward but you will soon find the baby works out what is happening and you will be following their lead. The goal is for the baby to sip from the cup: you are not pouring the milk into their mouth. By keeping the cup close to their mouth they will pause and feed as they need.
