NONNUTRITIVE SUCKING
AT THE BREAST
Nonnutritive sucking at the breast should be initiated once an infant has been extubated.
The mother should be instructed to use an electric pump to empty her breast just
prior to the infant’s gavage feeding time. Theinfant should be positioned skin-to-skin at the
breast and the mother should manually expres drops of milk onto the infant’s lips. This allows the infant to taste the breast milk andbecome acquainted with the breast while receiving the gavage feed. Nonnutritive sucking at the breast improves transition to breastfeedingfor nutritive purposes and is associated with longer breastfeeding duration.