@in.good.hands.collective: Many of these feeding concerns are subtle cues that a trained professional is actively looking for during a NICU baby’s feeding. But parents need to know this too! The primary concern is this baby’s disengagement. If they aren’t showing eagerness to feed and appropriate alertness, we should NOT be offering an oral feeding. Every baby has a sucking reflex. Don’t let that fool you. Sucking does NOT alone equal: Hunger. Safe swallow. Alertness. Coordination. Eagerness. Desire. Babies will suck reflexively when you apply pressure to the roof of their mouth, whether that be a finger, pacifier, or bottle. This is not the sole indicator you should be using to determine if your baby is ready to feed. For babies that WANT to feed and are regulated enough to do so, you’ll see strong rooting signs, eyes open or calm and “quiet alert” demeanor. They’ll latch eagerly and independently THEN start sucking. It should always be their idea to open their mouth to latch. A crying and frantic baby that’s rooting excessively may be showing signs they want to feed but are not regulated (calm) enough to do so safely. A calm and alert baby who doesn’t root or open their mouth to latch may be regulated but not showing they WANT to feed. You need BOTH hunger cues and calm for a safe feeding. Another concern I see often (and hear getting dismissed too casually) is spilling. “All babies spill a little”, “they spilled a little but it’s fine because they took the whole bottle”, “their only issue was spilling, I think they’re ready to go home soon”. This one’s for the people in the back: SPILLING 👏🏻 IS 👏🏻 NOT 👏🏻 NORMAL 👏🏻 Spilling is regularly preceded by other stress signs that go unnoticed (as seen in this video). This baby has shorter, weaker sucks trying to prevent from taking in too much milk - this can be from lack of engagement to stay coordinated or the flow could be too fast. This increases stress and fatigue and does not support a safe swallow. It also increases poor feeding behaviors and can lead to bottle refusal later. He also has rapid eye movements/blinks showing stress or panic as his mouth overfills. If your baby is spilling any mount during a feeding, they are not coordinated, they are not safe, they are not calm, and they certainly aren’t able to effectively protect their airway. If you’re a NICU provider who’s ignored this in the past, this is your sign to start taking it more seriously. What else did you notice about this feeding? #nicubaby #bottlefeeding #safefeeding #preemie

Sydney OT✨IBCLC✨In Good Hands

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Friday 09 January 2026 04:49:34 GMT