Breastfeeding is usually less stressful for a high-risk infant, because the baby sets the pace both for an individual feeding and for the process of learning to feed effectively. A baby s heart and respiratory rates, oxygen saturation level, and body temperature tend to remain more stable, and often improve, during breastfeeding. This stability of physical systems means breastfeeding takes less energy and it is less work for the high-risk baby. Of course, a baby must actually latch-on and actively suck to get milk during breastfeeding, and this may take time for a baby to learn. When bottle-feeding, milk drips in the baby s mouth and a baby must swallow it, ready or not.
Progress varies among high-risk babies.
A baby might move quickly from one stage to another, or skip a stage altogether. On the other hand, a baby may sometimes seem to get stuck at one stage for a few days or weeks. During the early stages of learning to breastfeed, your high-risk baby may not take much, if any, milk during breastfeeding. The baby is only practicing the motions. Neither you nor your baby should ever feel any pressure to perform.