The NICU nurse is providing care to a 35-week-old infant who has been in the neonatal intensive care unit for the past 3 weeks

Question

His mother wants to breastfeed her son naturally but is currently pumping her breasts to obtain milk. His mother is concerned that she is only producing about 1 ounce of milk every 3 hours. The nurse's best response to the patient's mother would be:
a. "Pumping is hard work and you are doing very well. It is good to get about 1 ounce of milk every 3 hours."
b. "Natural breastfeeding will be a challenging goal for your baby. Beginning today, you will need to begin to pump your breasts more often."
c. "Your baby will not be ready to go home for at least another week. You can begin to pump more often in the next few days in preparation for taking your child home."
d. "You have been working hard to give your son your breast milk. We can map out a schedule to help you begin today to pump more often to prepare to take your baby home."

Answer 1

ANS: d
Feedback
a. This is correct information but does not assist the women in producing more milk.
b. This does not provide her with a plan to increase her milk.
c. This does not provide her with a plan.
d. The mother should be praised for her efforts to breastfeed and encouraged to continue to pump her milk. A determined schedule for pumping the milk will help the mother keep her milk flow steady and provide enough nutrients for the infant after discharge.