Written by: Mishaela Horler
06.05.2022
The arrival of a new baby is often surrounded with excitement, joy and the idea of taking home a little chubby-cheeked newborn. But for some parents, that just isn't the case. Sometimes these little humans are brought into the world much earlier than expected, either with or without warning. The needs of a premature baby often relate to how early their arrival is, and many babies will need a stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Some of the more common issues surrounding premature babies centre around feeding and their inability or difficulty to latch on during breastfeeding (or even bottle feeding), which can end up being stressful when these babies require more nutrients and more frequent feeds than those born full term.
Breastfeeding your newborn baby is incredibly beneficial to their earlier start in life, whether this is through supplemented expressed feeds or assisted breastfeeding. The nutrients in breastmilk are more digestible and give your little one's immune system a boost in the right direction, as well as helping their gut to mature. Haakaa has several incredibly helpful products for parents of newborns and in particular, preemies that can help you to tackle common issues such as latching problems, low milk supply, or little ones that need a little extra nourishment or help to learn how to feed.
Oral Feeding Syringe
Traditional syringes are made of hard plastic, which can be fiddly to use and rough on your little one's soft, delicate mouth. Haakaa's Oral Feeding Syringe is a handy little essential that makes giving liquid medication, milk, or liquid diets to your bub so much easier! The dual-angled ports on either side of the syringe's nipple mean that liquid is dispensed to the sides of your wee one's mouth rather than straight to the back of their throat – greatly reducing the risk of them choking and spluttering! In addition, the super-soft silicone nipple is gentle on your baby's mouth and gives your baby something to suck on while they feed. It should be noted that this syringe measures liquid in 5ml increments, so it may not be suitable for smaller doses.
Newborn Silicone Dummy
Designed for little ones who have just entered the world, our Newborn Silicone Dummy is made of a single piece of soft, 100% food-grade silicone. Its unique nipple shape is specially designed to be more readily accepted by newborns and is suitable for babies aged 0-3 months. It provides a gentle, lightweight and comfortable fit for your littlest one without interfering with breastfeeding - you can even pop a finger in the open-nipple design to encourage your baby to suck. The U-shaped shield allows for natural breathing through the nose and contours to little faces without causing nasty rashes, while the soft handle allows you to gently remove the dummy or add a dummy holder. It’s durable enough to be placed in microwave sterilisers and dishwashers, and the one-piece design means there’s no joints, cracks or edges for bacteria to harbour.
Silicone Feeding Tube Set
The Silicone Feeding Tube Set is designed for mums and babies who are experiencing feeding issues - including latching problems, low milk supply, or if you have a little one that needs extra nourishment or help with learning how to feed. This set helps you to overcome some of these common issues by connecting a bottle of supplemented milk (breast milk or formula) to your breast via a soft silicone tube, delivering a constant and controllable flow of milk to your baby at the breast. Through the use of the Silicone Feeding Tube Set, both mother and baby can experience the natural physical sensation of breastfeeding while encouraging mum's supply and ensuring that bubs receives adequate nutrition. Assemble the tube set by passing the end of the inlet tube down through the teat and into the bottle and taping the outlet tube next to your nipple.
This set is available on its own or with our Gen. 3 Baby Bottle, seen in our Supplemental Feeding Combo. While our Gen. 3 Baby Bottle is the most recommended bottle to pair with this set, you may find that other bottles that have a variable flow, large cross-cut teat will work as well, but just take care when inserting the larger end of the silicone tube into the bottle teat, as smaller teats may tear. The bottle needs to be placed at a height that is above the end of the tube that is taped to your breast, so that gravity can do the work for you as your milk flows through the tube. Once assembled, there are a couple of ways to control the flow of milk:
- Gently adjust the strength of your grip on the Gen. 3 Baby Bottle (or whatever bottle you are using). This method gives a less consistent flow of milk but can help at the beginning of a feed to get things started. Increase pressure on the bottle to increase the speed that milk flows or reduce pressure to slow it down.
- Use the wheel on the flow controller to deliver a more consistent rate of milk to your baby at the breast, adjusting to suit your child.
Please be aware that this set is just for temporary use and should only be used while you address the issues associated with breastfeeding.
Silicone Colostrum Collector
The Haakaa Silicone Colostrum Collector is a world-first design that gives women the option to express colostrum antenatally and postnatally in a safe, easy-to-use storage solution. Colostrum is traditionally collected in single-use syringes, often made from harmful plastics. Our collector is made of 100% medical-grade silicone, which means it won't leach nasty toxins and can be safely stored in the fridge or freezer and is also dishwasher and microwave steriliser safe. It's easy to use and reuse, making it the ideal option for mums both before and after birth! You can even repurpose this little essential later on for things like watercolour play (see our blog on sensory play for ideas) or as a handy dropper tool.
There are two ways you can collect your colostrum with the Haakaa Silicone Colostrum Collector:
- Gently squeeze the collector body to suction colostrum drops straight from your nipple, using the nib.
- Alternatively, remove the nip and express your colostrum directly into the collector body.
There is no need to transfer your colostrum between containers, as our Colostrum Collector's nib enables you to drop-feed your baby into the corner of their mouth.
Please note, always obtain clearance from your lead maternity carer (LMC) prior to antenatal expressing, as there may be a risk of early labour with nipple stimulation. Always follow your country's guidelines on expressing and storing breast milk safely, ensuring you have labelled your collector with your name, date and time of expressing for easy identification.