Cup feed newborn baby
Cup Feeding - La Leche League International
Categories: News From LLLI
We are delighted to co-publish this new poster about cup feeding.
The poster is intended to help healthcare professionals and organizations working in emergencies and families themselves.
It is also intended to be a useful resource for anyone who needs to feed their own expressed milk or a supplement to a baby.
The poster can be downloaded and printed for use in your communities, or shared on social media.
We are in the process of translating the poster into multiple languages.
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COLOR POSTERS TO DOWNLOAD
BLACK AND WHITE POSTERS TO DOWNLOAD
COLOR POSTERS FOR USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
BLACK AND WHITE POSTERS FOR USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Cup feeding can be used from birth. It is suitable for both expressed breastmilk and infant formula. You can use any clean, open cup with a smooth surface.
Cup feeding has no notable difference to bottles for average time per feed.
Cups are safer than bottles. Bottle teats and screw tops trap germs that can get into the milk and make babies ill. Cups are easily cleaned with washing in hot soapy water, and do not need sterilizing like bottles.
In emergencies, use disposable cups.
Feeding time is bonding time – lots of cuddles, eye-contact, talking, smiling, humming and singing.
CUP FEEDING IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3!
color posters to downloadEnglish pdf
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Swahili pdf
Traditional Chinese pdf
Simplified Chinese pdf
Arabic pdf
Vietnamese pdf
Romanian pdf
Polish pdf
Ukranian pdf
English pdf
Spanish pdf
German pdf
Greek pdf
Lithuanian pdf
Turkish pdf
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Swahili pdf
Simplified Chinese pdf
Traditional Chinese pdf
Arabic pdf
Vietnamese pdf
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Ukranian pdf
Right click on a desktop, or hold and tap on a mobile device to bring up your options to copy or save the image.
English
Spanish
German
Greek
Lithuanian
Turkish
French
Swahili
Russian
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Arabic
Vietnamese
Romanian
Polish
Ukrainian
Right click on a desktop, or hold and tap on a mobile device to bring up your options to copy or save the image.
English
Spanish
German
Greek
Lithuanian
Turkish
French
Swahili
Russian
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Arabic
Vietnamese
Polish
Ukrainian
Adapted from The World Health Organization – Infant Feeding in Emergencies: A Guide for Mothers and UNICEF/WHO 20-hour Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Course by Magdalena Whoolery (PhD Health Studies, BSc Nursing, Dip HE Nursing) and Julie Fogarty (BFA, GradDipTchg), January 2020 (updated April 2020).
Poster endorsed by the following: International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN, defending breastfeeding), Safely Fed Canada, Breastfeeding Advocacy Australia, La Leche League International (LLLI).
Cup Feeding a Newborn - Breastfeeding Support
Breastfeeding SupportCreated with Sketch.Evidence-based breastfeeding tips and resources
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Cup feeding is an alternative to bottle feeding if a baby can’t latch to the breast and needs to be given some milk. It can also be used for supplementing a baby who is not getting enough milk or for a baby who is separated from his mother for a while. It is thought to be a useful short-term alternative to using a bottle teat as it avoids a baby getting confused by the different sucking action required on an artificial bottle nipple (nipple preference/confusion). However, there are disadvantages as well as advantages to cup feeding. This article looks at the pros and cons of cup feeding and how to cup feed a newborn baby.
Baby must be awake and alert to cup feedPros and cons of cup feeding
Advantages of cup feeding
- Better oxygen saturation and heart rate. A premature baby can feed at his own pace which may improve his oxygen saturation and heart rate making him more physiologically stable123
- Cup feeding may help preserve breastfeeding by avoiding bottles. Studies show cup feeding premature babies instead of using bottles can increase the number of babies who breastfeed and increase the length of time they breastfeed45
- Cup feeding can prepare a baby for breastfeeding. Feeding technique (use of muscles) while cup feeding is thought to be closer to breastfeeding than using a bottle6 and may help prepare a baby for breastfeeding by encouraging the tongue to come forward for lapping/sipping
- Open cups are easily available, inexpensive and very easy to clean in resource poor areas or emergencies compared with teats, bottles or feeding tubes
- Suitable for very young babies. Cup feeding can begin from as early as 29 weeks gestational age.7
Disadvantages of cup feeding
- There is a risk of aspiration or choking if cup feeding is not done correctly
- Feeds can take a long time
- There can be a lot of spilled and wasted milk compared with bottle feeding or tube feeding 8
- Long term cup feeding can dampen the sucking reflex or create a preference for the cup
- Not suitable for sleepy babies as there is a risk of choking.
Can cup feeding help preserve breastfeeding?
One review found cup feeding had no significant benefit in maintaining breastfeeding after discharge from hospital and that the length of hospital stay was likely to be a lot longer with cup feeding in some settings. 9 However more recent studies have found the opposite —more cup fed babies were exclusively breastfeeding at discharge, and beyond, with no apparent increase in hospital stay for term10, late preterm11 and premature babies (Penny et al. 2018). The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine12 states cup feeding may help preserve breastfeeding and the World Health Organisation13 recommends cups or spoons rather than bottles and teats for premature babies.
How to cup feed a baby
Cup feeding is best taught by a demonstration from your experienced health care professional if possible. They will advise you whether the technique is suitable for your baby. To cup feed a baby needs to be awake and alert, and in an upright position. Never cup feed a sleepy baby or a baby who is lying flat and never pour milk into a baby’s mouth as these all increase the risk of your baby choking.
Cup feeding videos
Global Health Media has a lovely series of videos about breastfeeding, the first clip below (9 minutes long) discusses how to safely cup feed a small baby who isn’t breastfeeding yet and includes spoon feeding, using a paladai (see below) and using a nifty cup:
Cup feeding description
The following description is summarised from the video above. Use a small cup with a smooth edge such as a medicine cup, sherry glass or shot glass—your maternity hospital may give you one. You can also buy little plastic cups specially for the purpose which can be shaped slightly during feeding. You may need a cloth under baby’s chin in case any milk spills.
- Half fill or two thirds fill a small cup with slightly warmed breast milk or infant formula
- Ensure your baby is fully awake, alert and interested in feeding. Never cup feed a sleepy baby
- If needed, wrap your baby to prevent him knocking the cup out of your hands
- Sit your baby in a comfortable, upright position on your lap. Never cup feed a baby who is lying flat on their back
- Rest the rim of the cup lightly on your baby’s lower lip or their lower gum ridge
- Tip the cup just enough so that milk reaches the rim of the cup, don’t put the cup too far into baby’s mouth
- Your baby will quickly learn to sip or lap milk from the rim of the cup with his tongue
- DO NOT pour the milk into his mouth, go slowly always keeping the milk just at the rim of the cup
- Leave the cup in position when baby pauses to rest between swallows and is not drinking, avoid putting pressure on the lower lip
- Continue to tip the cup enough to keep the milk at the rim of cup resting lightly on baby’s lower lip
- Burp baby if needed during the feed.
Short film clips of cup feeding
In the following short clip from Global Health Media, a premature baby is cup feeding. Notice how the baby’s tongue extends to lap the milk.
Jack Newman is a Canadian paediatrician and breastfeeding expert. Here is a clip of cup feeding from his International Breastfeeding Centre:
Using a paladai
Mothers in India have used a small spouted cup called a paladai for centuries. One study compared the use of a bottle, cup and a paladai in 100 newborn babies. Infants took the most milk in the least time and stayed calmest with the paladai 14. However a more recent pilot study comparing the paladai with bottle feeding in preterm infants found increased spillage, longer feed times and more stress cues 15.
Traditional paladai (left) as part of a baby setAlternatives to cup feeding
Alternatives to cup feeding for the breastfed baby who needs supplementing include:
- Supplementing at the breast. A breastfed baby who is latching well to the breast but who needs additional milk can be supplemented while they are breastfeeding by way of a small feeding tube alongside the nipple. The free end of the feeding tube is placed in a container of milk and provides milk when baby suckles with a good seal around breast and tube. For much more information about the pros and cons of this system see Supplementing at the Breast.
- Finger feeding. Finger feeding is another method of providing supplemental milk to a breastfed baby by way of a feeding tube (above). In this case the feeding tube provides additional milk while the baby suckles on a clean finger. For more information on the pros and cons of finger feeding see What is Finger Feeding?
- Bottle feeding. A traditional way to provide supplemental milk is by bottle and teat. Feeding from an artificial teat has a number of differences to breastfeeding which could cause nipple preference or confusion in some babies. However there are several ways to reduce the differences to help preserve breastfeeding, see Tips to Bottle Feed a Breastfed Baby and Best Bottle for a Breastfed Baby?
Summary
Used correctly, cup feeding can be a useful way to give a newborn baby supplementary milk for short term feeding. Other options for supplementary feeds include using a supplemental nursing system at the breast, or a bottle using our tips to minimise nipple confusion. Your breastfeeding specialist or health professional can help you decide which option is best for you and your baby.
Further Reading
- ABM Clinical Protocol #3: Supplementary Feedings in the Healthy Term Breastfed NeonateAcademy of Breastfeeding Medicine, 2017
- Cup Feeding Versus Other Forms of Supplemental FeedingCochrane Database, 2010
- Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding in Facilities Providing Maternity and Newborn ServicesWHO, 2017
- What is Finger Feeding?Breastfeeding Support 2018
- Finger and Cup feedingJack Newman, 2009
Important
This article should not be construed as medical advice. Information found online should always be discussed with your own IBCLC lactation consultant and doctor to ensure it is appropriate for you and your baby’s situation. Contact your doctor, paediatrician or health care provider with any concerns about your baby’s health and welfare.
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CUP FEEDING - La Leche Liga Russia
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A baby who does not breastfeed can be fed from a cup
Cup feeding can be used from birth. This method is suitable for both breast milk and formula. You can use any clean cup with a smooth surface. nine0003
Cup feeding does not have a noticeable difference with bottles in average feeding time.
Cups are safer than bottles. Bottle nipples and screw caps keep germs out that can get into milk and cause illness in babies. The cups are easy to clean with soapy water and do not need to be sterilized like bottles.
Use disposable cups in case of emergency.
Feeding time is a time of togetherness: lots of hugs, eye contact, talking, smiling, humming and singing. nine0003
1-2-3 Cup Feeding
- Place your baby on your knees and support their back and neck. With young children, loose swaddling can help to keep their hands from rattling on the cup.
- Take a small cup of milk and press the rim lightly against the child's lower lip. Then tilt the cup so that the milk stays on the edge of the cup, but so that it reaches the baby's lips. The baby must be awake in order to be able to open its mouth on its own. nine0020
- Continue slowly. DO NOT pour milk into baby's mouth. Always let your baby lead the pace of sips and pauses. Continue to keep milk only on the edge of the cup. When the baby is full, he will close his mouth and will no longer continue feeding
Babies will suck or drink milk, or may use their tongue to lap it, as in the picture.
Cup feeding gives babies the freedom to move their tongue in a way that is closer to the “sucking” reflex used in breastfeeding. nine0003
Did you know that you can restore breastfeeding through a process called relactation?
Breastfeeding saves lives, especially in emergencies.
Contact a La Leche League Volunteer Consultant for more information.
Adapted from the World Health Organization - Infant Feeding in Emergencies: A Guide for Mothers and a 20 Hour Hospital Course for the UNICEF/WHO Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative by Magdalena Woolery (PhD Health Studies, BSc Nursing, Dip HE Nursing) and Julie Fogarty (BFA, GradDipTchg), January 2020 (updated April 2020). The poster is endorsed by the following organizations: International Infant Food Surveillance Network (IBFAN, breastfeeding advocacy), Safe Feeding Canada, Breastfeeding Advocacy Australia, La Leche League International (LLLI). nine0035Poster also available in PDF format:
Cup feeding
Cup feeding b/w
Cup feeding versus other forms of supplemental enteral feeding in neonates who cannot be fully breastfed
Review question:
We set out to determine the best method of supplementation for both term and preterm infants, and whether cup feeding is the best way to feed newborn infants who cannot be fully breastfed than bottle or using a probe. nine0045
Actuality:
Most babies born at or slightly before term can breastfeed immediately after birth. However, for a variety of reasons, some full-term and many preterm infants cannot be fully breastfed and require supplemental feeding using alternative feeding methods such as a cup, syringe, bottle, or feeding tube until infants are able to switch to full breastfeeding. nine0003
Study profile:
Our search for relevant studies conducted on 31 January 2016 identified 5 studies comparing cup and bottle feeding to newborn infants that we were able to include in this review. These studies were conducted in neonatal and maternity hospitals in Australia, the UK, Brazil and Turkey. The mean gestational age of infants in most of the studies at study entry was the same. In four studies, the intervention (cup or bottle feeding) began at study entry, when infants first needed supplemental feeding, at 30 weeks gestational age. In the Turkish study, supplementary feeding was not started at study entry and at the time of the first supplementary feeding, but was delayed until the infants were 35 weeks old. nine0003
Main results:
For some of the outcomes, results from different studies cannot be pooled. These included not breastfeeding at hospital discharge; non-exclusive breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months; the average time it takes to feed; and the number of days spent in the hospital. For each of these outcomes, some studies favor cup feeding, while others favor bottle feeding. nine0003
For some outcomes, results from different studies can be pooled: there was no difference in weight gain or gestational age at discharge for infants who were supplemented with a cup compared with those who were bottle-fed.