NICU preemies learn to breastfeed one step at a time with support from the SPIN program at UC San Diego Health. In step one, skin-to-skin contact helps prepare baby for breastfeeding success.

NICU preemies learn to breastfeed one step at a time with support from the SPIN program at UC San Diego Health. In step two, the baby is introduced to the breast and signs of breastfeeding readiness are observed.

NICU preemies learn to breastfeed one step at a time with support from the SPIN program at UC San Diego Health. In step three, babies start to breastfeed.

NICU preemies learn to breastfeed one step at a time with support from the SPIN program at UC San Diego Health. In step four, babies continue to get better at breastfeeding and mothers are taught how to assess breastfeeding progress.

NICU preemies learn to breastfeed one step at a time with support from the SPIN program at UC San Diego Health. In step five, mothers develop a plan to continue breastfeeding successfully at home.

Breastfeeding, also called nursing, is the process of feeding a mother's breast milk to her infant, either directly from the breast or by expressing (pumping out) the milk from the breast and bottle-feeding it to the infant. Breastfeeding and breast milk provide an infant with calories and nutrients, including macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement on Breastfeeding, women who don't have health problems should exclusively breastfeed their infants for at least the first 6 months after birth.

The AAP suggests that, if possible, a woman should try to continue breastfeeding her infant for up to 12 months, while adding other foods, because of the benefits to both the mother and the infant.

Although breastfeeding is the recommended method for feeding infants, and breast milk provides most of the nutrients an infant needs, it does not provide infants with adequate vitamin D. The current recommended daily vitamin D intake for infants and children is available on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.