Nurture Development & Lactation, LLC

01/13/2026

The NICU is not just for preemies.

Nearly 60% of NICU admissions are term infants.

Full-term babies are admitted for many reasons, including respiratory distress, medical or genetic diagnoses, neurologic concerns, infection, and yes, feeding difficulties.

And feeding challenges in the NICU are not limited to immaturity.

Many term infants struggle with feeding because they are balancing feeding skill with activity tolerance.
Their ability to coordinate suck, swallow, and breathe is often shaped by why they were admitted in the first place.

Respiratory support, illness, neurologic stress, pain, separation, and medical interventions all influence how well a baby can feed, even when they were born at term age.

And here’s the part that often gets missed.

The same feeding principles apply to every baby in the NICU.

Cue-based feeding is not just for preemies.
Meeting infants where they are is not about gestational age.
It’s about physiology.

Just because a baby is born at term does not mean they should be expected to feed at a certain level or be pushed to perform.

Some term infants need the same pacing, support, and respect for limits that we offer preterm infants

Slowing down, honoring cues, and stopping when a baby says “I’m done” protects safety, supports regulation, and preserves the feeding relationship.

The NICU isn’t just about finishing feeds.
It’s about building trust, endurance, and long-term feeding success.

Preterm or term, we meet them where they are at, even if that means an ultra preemie ni**le.

Was your nicu baby term? Let’s talk about it ⬇️ 🤍

01/13/2026

01/11/2026

Yes, feeding can activate the gastrocolic reflex.
For many infants, eating leads to pooping.

But here is the nuance we cannot ignore.

In preterm infants, medically fragile infants, or babies who are already anticipating or experiencing stress during feeding, signs such as straining, pushing, grunting down, bearing down, and passing gas are not always just digestion.

These can be signs of visceral stress.
The body responding to being pushed past its early stress cues.

What may look like working out gas may actually be an infant communicating that this is too much right now.

Other visceral stress cues include
•respiratory changes
•skin color change
•hiccups
•coughing
•sneezing
•yawning
•vomiting/spitting up
•gagging
•grunting/straining/bowel movements

Feeding cues are not only oral.
They are whole body communication.

nicubabies

09/04/2025

✨ This mama saw me in her home at 4 days postpartum.

Baby had lost >7% of birth weight, milk was just beginning to come in, and latch was painful. Baby’s diapers showed mostly dark stools that were beginibg to transition.

Here’s what we worked on together:
✅ Achieved a deeper, more comfortable latch
✅ Discussed strategies to support milk transfer
✅ Completed pre- and post-feed weights to see how much baby transferred
✅ Initiated hand expression/manual pumping and gave expressed milk after breastfeeding to support intake and protect supply
✅ Encouraged family to share our plan with the pediatrician at their follow-up right after our visit
✅ Scheduled a follow-up to keep tracking progress

Supporting families through these early days is about balancing baby’s intake, protecting supply, and helping feeding feel more comfortable for mom. 💛

What was your postpartum journey!!

08/24/2025

Coming September as a 4 week series!
Sep 13th
Sept 20
Sept 27
Oct 4th

A mommy & me class that targets one of the most common issues I see as a pediatric occupational therapist!

Flat Head Syndrome!

This 4 week series class is designed with moms and babies in mind.

I’ll teach you the same tips and tricks to fix flat spots, that I teach my clients, and have personally used as a mom of 4.

Not ready to commit? 1 Drop in class: $35

Ready to round? Full 4 week series $160 + Free FDA cleared head shape positioning hat. A 50 dollar value!!! (Tortle)

* Optional add on!! $45 1 PediaMetrix SoftSpot head scan & consult: (Digital scan of your baby’s head to assess degree of flatness and 15 minute consult with the OT)

Spots are limited! Drop a comment or send a DM, or text register!