During this Free Webinar You Will Learn:
Breastfeeding in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) requires more than a good latch. It depends on supporting the infant’s overall physiologic and autonomic stability. Premature and medically fragile infants often face challenges with muscle tone, endurance, and the suck-swallow-breathe sequence, while also managing medical interventions such as oxygen support, NG tubes, or IV access. This presentation explores evidence-based strategies for promoting stability during breastfeeding in the NICU, reviewing how positioning impacts autonomic function, oxygenation, and energy expenditure. Practical adaptations will be highlighted alongside the role of containment and flexion in supporting immature nervous and respiratory systems, with a validated bedside tool for turning positioning principles into documented practice.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe two physiologic, autonomic, and motor signs of stability and instability in NICU infants during breastfeeding attempts.
- Explain how three positioning and transfer strategies like containment, swaddling, and skin-to-skin influence cardiorespiratory stability and suck-swallow-breathe coordination.
- Describe two evidence-based positioning principles, including validated assessment tools, to support safe, efficient, and developmentally appropriate breastfeeding in the NICU.
Register to watch the live event or to receive the recording 24 hours after the live webinar.
Our Speaker:
Emily Spaeth, PT, DPT, IBCLC, CNT, TIP, CIMT II, RPYT, BRM® Pro, EBB® Instructor
Dr. Emily Spaeth is a doctor of physical therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and the founder & CEO of Be Well Baby, a multidisciplinary in-home perinatal and infant care practice in Portland, Oregon. Emily’s time as a Certified Neonatal Therapist in a level IV NICU served as the foundation for her career. She now specializes in the NICU-to-home transition, infant feeding, and infant massage. She is adjunct faculty at Pacific University’s DPT program, a consultant for Dandle•LION Medical and Babylist Health, and host of The Be Well Baby Podcast.
