Feeding your baby breastmilk

Some of the symptoms of GORD are similar to those of a stricture or dysmotility in OA/TOF babies, so it is important to discuss any concerns you have with your baby’s surgeon or NICU team in order to gain a clear understanding of the cause and receive appropriate treatment. If your baby does have GORD, they can still have your EBM or breastfeed, but they may require medication to help to treat it (Martin & Crabbe, 2016).

If your baby has GORD, as well as medication, the following tips may help to alleviate some of the symptoms when feeding breastmilk/breastfeeding:

• Using positions when feeding that keep your baby’s head higher than their tummy, such as having them diagonally across your chest in a cradle hold, to prevent stomach contents from travelling back out of the stomach into the oesophagus. Avoid positions where they are lying flat, such as having them lie next to you in your bed whilst feeding.
• Giving shorter, more frequent feeds (if your baby is agreeable), to reduce the amount of milk that they have in their tummy at one time
• Keeping your baby upright and avoiding too much movement for 15-20 minutes following a feed to allow milk to digest. This could be achieved by leaning back with your baby on your chest for a cuddle or whilst having skin-to-skin contact
• “Burping” your baby at the end of each feed
• Feeding your baby in the bath when they are more calm is also a great way to enjoy time having skin-to-skin contact
• Non-nutritive sucking can help to encourage the stomach to empty
• Gently rolling your baby from side to side when changing them, rather than lifting their legs up higher than their stomach, can also reduce stomach contents from moving back up into the oesophagus

(La Leche League International, 2024).