We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
When you welcome your babies into this world, there are many ways they can be fed, from breastfeeding, to bottle feeding, to a combination of the two.
But when your newborns aren't able to feed from the breast or a bottle or they can't get enough calories through regular feeding methods, they may need a feeding tube in order to gain weight.
What are feeding tubes?
Feeding tubes are medically necessary devices that can help people of all ages, including premature babies who are too small or weak to get enough nutrition from their mother's breast or a bottle, who can't coordinate their sucking and swallowing functions, who have issues with their throat, esophagus, or bowel, or who breathe too hard or too quickly to eat safely.
According to the Feeding Tube Foundation, about three million people worldwide live with a feeding tube (about 100,000 are children) that helps them get the nutrition they need.
When newborns are unable to eat on their own, gavage feeding tubes help them get the calories they require to grow. Gavage tubes are often purple to denote a feeding tube that goes directly into the gastrointestinal tract.
This method of feeding can supply a baby's nutritional needs, or it can supplement bottle or breast feedings by delivering breastmilk or formula directly to your baby's stomach to help with weight gain.
The feeding tube is placed through the baby's nose or mouth and goes into their stomach.
When a tube is inserted into the nose, it's called a nasogastric (or NG) tube. When it's inserted into the mouth, it's called an orogastric (or OG) tube. You can see the difference between these two methods by dragging the slider on the photos above.
How come my babies need feeding tubes?
About 60 percent of twins are born early, and if your dynamic duo arrives in the delivery room before 37 weeks' along, there's a chance they'll spend some time in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
When you check on your babies in their NICU cribs, you may be taken aback by an array of wires that are connected to your newborns, monitoring their vital stats. Among the things that weren't attached to your babies in the delivery room, you may notice they're now sporting their own feeding tubes.
The more premature a baby is, the more complications they may face, from a low birth weight, to dips in their blood oxygen saturation, to trouble keeping their feeds down.
When they're unable to keep their feeds down or can't get enough calories on their own, feeding tubes can become integral to their care.
Feeding tube troubles
Some babies, like ours, don't care for the feeling of the tubing (who can blame them?!) and will rip the tube out of their body—repeatedly. The feeding tube then needs to be reinserted and taped back into place before the next feed happens.
Beyond the uncomfortable feeling of the tube itself, the medical tape that's used to keep feeding tubes in place can irritate a newborn's sensitive skin, causing redness and irritation where it's adhered.
Our twins dealt with red patches on their cheeks and had to have their feeding tube placement alternated from left to right to minimize their discomfort. They also had to switch from an NG to an OG tube, as needed, during their first few days in the NICU.
While you never want to see your children in discomfort, you have to be sure they're getting the nutrition they need. Feeding tubes make this possible and they can become medically necessary in some scenarios (like, the aforementioned continual ripping-out of the feeding tubes).
Tube feeding can help your little ones grow and become strong enough to eat on their own, which brings them closer to graduating from the NICU and getting to come home.
How long will my baby need a feeding tube?
This is one of those things that's hard to say, which is frustrating because navigating the unknown with your preemies can be nerve-racking.
Time spent in the NICU can be scary and stressful (you can read all about that, here).
Every newborn is different, even with twins who are born at the same gestational age. One sibling may need a feeding tube longer than their counterpart; or one may not need a feeding tube at all. It depends on their development and the progress they make individually as they grow.
One of the checkboxes for graduating from the NICU is how much milk or formula your baby is taking in. For premature babies who won't take a bottle or breast, who can't keep their feeds down, or who are just too tired to finish a feed, gavage feeding becomes part of their daily routine.
When your babies get too tired during a feeding, the remainder of their feed is given by gavage to ensure they get the correct number of calories for their size and to promote proper weight gain.
Getting ready to graduate from the NICU
No longer needing a feeding tube is an important step for your babies to graduate from the NICU. Once they can each get enough calories on their own, they no longer need their respective feeding tubes.
At that point, your babies may need to check off a few other milestone markers, but nothing beats the moment you find out your small but mighty preemies get to come home.
When you get settled in at home, be prepared; just because your babies no longer need a feeding tube doesn't mean feedings will be easy.
They'll be messy. There might be reflux issues or, if you're lucky, "just a few" spit-ups (times two babies, times eight feeds a day) as they learn to coordinate their sucking and swallowing functions.
The amount of burp cloths you'll burn through over the first few months with your twins is incredible. It's worth investing in some high-quality, super-absorbent ones that'll serve you well. We loved these ones from Keababies. They're soft, amazingly absorbent, and have unbelievably cute patterns.
They also have these fantastic organic baby bandana drool bibs that can soak up milk, formula, and drool to help prevent rashes that can irritate your babies' sensitive skin.
They come in an array of cute colors that work with any ensemble, even if your babies are rockin' jammies all day. You can read more about why we love these bibs, here.
Full tummies, full hearts
At the end of the day (or in the middle of the night), no matter how messy at-home feedings might be, or how much laundry you have to do to make sure you've got a steady supply of burp cloths at-the-ready, there's nothing better than having both of your babies at home together.
Knowing they no longer need feeding tubes and are able to eat on their own, and witnessing how strong and mighty your little ones are, is truly incredible.
When it mattered most, feeding tubes kept their tummies full. And being reunited at home as a family keeps your hearts full.
Did your babies need feeding tubes when they were born? How long did they need them for? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
Read more
This Portable Mini Lab Can Detect Food Allergens on Your Plate in Minutes
If you have allergies, you know how difficult it can be to navigate life without accidentally ending up in the emergency room. If you have children with allergies, the fear of encountering allergens unexpectedly is compounded because your little ones may not be able to communicate to you that something is wrong. And, if you find yourself with a set of twins who happen to be allergic...
Double the Bottles, Half the Wait: These 3 Dual Bottle Warmers are Great
If you've ever suddenly been hit by a pang of hunger and then realized you need food NOW, you're familiar with how your newborn twins are feeling when they're trying to communicate to you that they're ready for their next feeding. Except that they can't talk yet, so they communicate in the only way they know how—by screaming at their caregivers at the top of their lungs until they get...
What is a Feeding Tube & Why Does My Baby Need It?
If your babies were born prematurely, chances are good they'll need to spend some time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). As a parent, it can be difficult to walk into the NICU, make your way to your newborns' cribs, and see there are various wires connected to them to monitor their vital stats. Among the accoutrements that weren't adhered to your babies mere moments ago when...
This Sterilizer Can Handle All the Bottles That Come With Having Twins
When you have potentially premature newborn babies who are still building up their immunity for the first few months of their lives, ensuring their bottles are sterile for every single feed is incredibly important for their protection. But finding a sterilizer that can stand up to the sheer amount of bottles and the accompanying parts needed to feed twins around the clock can be a tall...