It’s not uncommon for new parents to encounter feeding hurdles like sore nipples, difficulty latching or keeping the baby latched in the early days of parenthood. Some of the challenges may require that a family look into an alternative means of milk transfer to provide their infant with nourishment.

Spoon-feeding is a feeding method that is similar to cup feeding, but the focus relies on much smaller quantities of milk to be transferred.

Here’s the how, when, and why you might choose spoon-feeding for your infant:

How is spoon-feeding done?

Most hospitals have hand expression kits that come with a spoon in them to collect the expressed milk. This spoon is sterilized and ready to use. Fill the tip of the spoon with a small amount of expressed milk or infant formula and drip it into the baby’s mouth. Babies are born with the ability to root and suck. When they are presented with a food source near their mouths they will do things like, stick out their tongue, and smack their lips, in an attempt to eat. This analogy may seem silly, but imagine a tiny newborn animal sticking out their tongue to lap up the milk. 

When is spoon-feeding done?

A parent may be concerned about nipple confusion and decide to introduce a spoon for feeding instead of a bottle. In some cases, a baby may have difficulties latching and this feeding option helps supplement the baby. 

Why spoon-feeding and not other feeding methods?

Feeding an infant is personal and so are the decisions made around feeding. With the support of lactation staff, getting the baby fed (because that’s the number one rule) and back to breast if that’s the parents goal is a big reason why people may choose spoon-feeding.

When choosing spoon-feeding as your alternative feeding option please consider the following benefits, risks, and alternatives—

Benefits: Helps minimize the risk of nipple confusion. Allows a baby to pace their feed. This technique encourages the baby to move their tongue forward to drink milk. This mimics what the tongue does at the breast. 

Risks: This is a time-consuming process. Possibility of waste. If not done properly it can lead to choking.

Alternatives: Parents can use a bottle, nipple shield, cup, or an SNS.

Society paints the image of feeding a new baby as seamless, easy, and natural. And, yes feeding your child is a natural act, BUT we also know feeding isn’t one size fits all and we can’t express (no pun intended) enough; feeding is nuanced and we understand that however you decide to feed your baby is a decision that should be respected. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to alternatively feed your baby confidently in those earlier days.