Behavior and Brain Development:
- Encourage complete sleep cycles, at least one unstopped hour per sleep time
- Get to know your infants and their cues for needs
- Decrease stress and over stimulation 1
As a general rule, if your baby is fussy they are most likely hungry if they haven't eaten in a few hours. Your baby's stomach is small and is unable to hold very much at once so it is important to feed often, usually every 2-3 hours for breastfeeding and every 3-4 hours for bottle feeding. Late preterm infants may need to feed a little more often, be patient, they may become tired while feeding or have difficulties with feeding. Ask for assistance if needed. The picture below shows the size of the stomach as your baby grows.1
Here are some ideas of how to encourage your infants development:
References:
1. Your Late Preterm Infant: A Parent's Guide. (2011). Ohio: Abbott Laboratories.
1. Your Late Preterm Infant: A Parent's Guide. (2011). Ohio: Abbott Laboratories.