Your baby can get breast milk that you've pumped through this tube. Often after surgery your baby will remain sleepy and may not seem very interested in eating. The more time you can spend at the hospital holding your baby and offering the breast, the sooner your baby will learn to breast-feed. You may need to watch for feeding cues. These are signs that your baby is ready to eat, such as body and mouth movements, eyes opening and bringing hands to the mouth.
Babies feed best when they're awake but before they're crying.
Some babies need to be unwrapped and stimulated by gently massaging their feet or back to awaken them for feedings. To increase your supply, nurse your baby more often. If your baby is too weak to suck or isn't interested in nursing, you can continue to pump after offering the breast and give your baby expressed milk by bottle or tube. Your baby will be able to receive all the benefits of breast milk even if he or she isn't breast-feeding. Your baby is probably getting enough milk if you're nursing 8-12 times a day, the baby is latching on well and you can hear the baby gulping and swallowing.