Bringing a baby home always comes with a degree of uncertainty, including around feeding. This page provides several feeding tips to help make the transition from the hospital to the home environment as smooth as possible.
Feeding
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Home support
After returning home with the baby, it is recommended to contact a healthcare provider for a home visit (such as a midwife, lactation consultant, speech therapist, or a Kind & Gezin nurse) who can continue to support feeding at home.
Find a midwife in the local area:
Find a lactation consultant in the local area:
Find a speech therapist in the local area:
Schedule an appointment with Kind & Gezin:
TIPS
- It is possible that the baby is not yet fully breastfeeding at the time of discharge. Supplementing, preferably with expressed breast milk, may still be necessary. The transition to exclusive breastfeeding can take days to weeks. Support from a home‑based healthcare provider (midwife, lactation consultant, physician, nurse, etc.) is strongly recommended.
- Feelings of uncertainty and/or fatigue may temporarily reduce milk production. In many cases, feeding more frequently or adding extra pumping sessions for several days is sufficient. Adequate rest also plays an important role. A decline in milk production should always be discussed with the midwife.
- Try to follow the baby’s natural rhythm as much as possible. At home, feeding no longer takes place at strict intervals but on demand. If the baby does not clearly show hunger cues, a midwife can advise on the maximum interval between feedings, usually two to three hours.
- In the hospital, intake, urine output, and exact volumes are monitored closely. At home, precise measurement is no longer necessary. The main indicators to observe are steady weight gain and at least five to six wet diapers per day.
- For families choosing formula feeding, it is helpful to test their own bottles while still in the hospital. This allows them to determine which bottle suits the baby best, and it helps the baby become familiar with that bottle before going home.
Going home with tube feeding
In some cases, a baby may go home with tube feeding, in agreement with the physician. This is considered when independent drinking is not yet sufficient but the baby’s medical condition is stable and well controlled.
During the hospital stay, parents receive step‑by‑step instruction, guided by nurses or midwives, on how to administer tube feeding. An informational brochure is also provided, explaining all steps clearly.
The social services team assists parents in arranging delivery of the necessary materials at home (such as feeding tubes, syringes, pumps, and formula). This is often organized through a medical supply company. Guidance is also provided in completing the paperwork required to request reimbursement from the health insurance fund. These documents must be submitted by the parents directly to their insurance provider.
For additional questions or further information about tube feeding, the hospital can be contacted day and night. A healthcare professional is always available in case of concerns, questions, or problems.