Special Needs

Can I still breastfeed?Breastfeeding your baby with Down syndrome is beneficialTips for breastfeeding your baby with Down syndromeResources

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. How wonderful that you want to give your special baby the gift of your milk. Babies born with Down syndrome, cleft lip or palate, cardiac problems, cystic fibrosis, a neurological impairment or other special needs benefit from human milk and the breastfeeding relationship. Human milk boosts your baby’s immune system, and is easily digestible. It offers the perfect nutrition to keep your baby as healthy as possible, and to be strong for any surgeries or treatments needed. The special bond and breastfeeding hormones produced will help you to be calm and in touch with your baby.

You may struggle with conflicting feelings. Like most parents, you are joyful and excited to meet your new baby. At the same time, you may have feelings of disappointment, anger, helplessness, even guilt. Allow yourself time to process these feelings. Remember that your baby is a baby first and a baby with special needs second. Breastfeeding can help you through this time.

Often a baby with special needs is reluctant to take the breast.  You and your baby may need extra support while nursing. Let your medical team know that you are determined to breastfeed. Your partner, other family members and friends, your lactation consultant and your LLL Leader can back you up.

Try to breastfeed immediately after birth, if possible. Be prepared to be patient. It may take a few weeks for your baby to learn how to properly latch on. If you are not able to start breastfeeding soon after birth, start pumping as soon as possible. Try to pump as often as a baby would typically breastfeed, every two to three hours during each 24-hour period. Setting an alarm may help keep you on schedule. Pumped milk can be given by many alternative feeding methods. It is best to avoid bottles and pacifiers if possible. Sucking on a bottle is different than suckling at the breast. Giving a bottle may confuse your baby.

An at-breast supplementer may be helpful. These systems hold your milk in a small bottle or bag with a thin tube attached to carry the milk to your baby. The tube may be taped to your breast, so your baby can get extra milk while learning to breastfeed. Or you may tape the tube to a finger and let the baby suck on your finger to get milk. (Your finger is more similar to your nipple than a bottle nipple.) Some health care providers may be unfamiliar with this method. Keep trying to breastfeed, if at all possible.

Sometimes your doctor will want you to supplement a slow-gaining baby. See if your doctor will agree to have you use your own expressed breastmilk – you can pump or hand express your milk and give it by another feeding method if your baby is not sucking effectively.

In some cases, your baby with special needs may not become exclusively breastfed. Any amount of your milk received, by breast, expressed and given by bottle, or provided by another method (at-breast supplementer, syringe, spoon, g-tube, Habermann Feeder) will greatly benefit your baby’s health and development. And it’s something you alone can provide!

Extra patience and reasonable expectations are critical when breastfeeding a baby with Down syndrome. Low muscle tone, tongue thrusts, and a weak suck can affect the baby’s ability to breastfeed.

Here is an exercise you can try to promote cupping of the tongue;

Find an LLL Leader or Group Near YouFeeding Breastmilk From A BottleHow to Protect Breastfeeding While SupplementingPumping Hand ExpressingWorking With Your Child’s DoctorPositioning and LatchingGlobal Health Media: ‘Positions For Breastfeeding’ videoLLL Canada: ‘Breastfeeding Your Baby with Down Syndrome’Sabrina Woosaree-Hazlett’s Story – Resiliency Comes in All Sizes: Breastfeeding a Baby with Down SyndromeChris Newlon’s Story – Joys and Challenges of Parenting a Daughter with Down SyndromeArticle about Julia’s Way (an organisation offering support for breastfeeding babies with Down syndrome)

Published January 2018, revised October 2020, March 2025