BREASTFEEDING EDUCATION SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES, RESEARCH & BREASTFEEDING RESOURCES - AUSTRALIA

CUP FEEDING NOTES 1998,
Wendy Nicholson RN RM IBCLC
Why cup feed? 
  • An alternative method of feeding a baby when the mother is unavailable:
  • Mother ill
  • Baby not latching on
  • Mother resting damaged nipples
  • Slightly preterm baby who cannot take sufficient from the breast
  • Cleft palate
  • It provides a very positive oral experience
  • It avoids the use of bottles which may cause sucking confusion 
  • (Dummies can also cause sucking confusion.)
The advantages of cup feeding
  •  The baby controls the feed - how quick, how much, rests etc.
  • It does not take much energy (Exeter experience with prems)
  • It is safe: aspiration will not occur if you do not pour the milk into the baby's mouth.
  • It stimulates tongue and jaw movement.
  • It stimulates the olfactory nerves, lingual lipases and saliva.
  • It promotes good eye contact.
The disadvantages of cup feeding
  • A little milk may be lost, because the baby has an active tongue.
How to cup feed
Babies learn to cup feed quickly, and will open their mouths in readiness for the cup. Any small cup with a smooth lip or edge will be suitable e.g. a medicine measure. The baby is held in a semi-upright position, with his hands gently restrained. Rest the cup on the baby's lower lip, and dribble the milk just into the front of the baby's mouth. The baby will soon learn to lap or sip the milk. He may push some of the milk back out with his tongue, so the cup is kept resting on the lip to ensure no milk is wasted. The baby pauses when he needs to - he `controls' the feed.

Do not pour the milk into the baby's mouth - avoid a `tidal wave' of milk into the baby's mouth, as this may cause him to cough and splutter.

Cup feeding is easy both for the mother and baby. It should be a pleasant experience.

References 

1.Lang S. Cup-feeding: an alternative method Midwives Chronicle 1994; May: 171-176. 

2. Lang S, Lawrence CJ, L'E Orme R. Cup-feeding: an alternative method of infant feeding. Arch Dis Child 1994; 71: 365-369. 

3.Woolridge MW. The "anatomy" of infant sucking. Midwifery 1986; 2: 164-171. 

4.Weber F, Woolridge MW, Baum JD. An ultrasonographic study of the organisation of sucking and swallowing by newborn infants. Dev Med Child Neurol 1986; 28:19-24. 

5.Newman J. Breastfeeding problems associated with the early introduction of bottles and pacifiers. JHum Lact 1990; 6(2): 59-63. 

6.Righard L, Alade MO. Sucking technique and its effect on success of breastfeeding. Birth 1992; 19(4): 185-189.

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