The last month has been nothing shy of a whirlwind for Caitlin and Nick Smith. Their baby boy, Zaagi, was born 5 weeks early back in January of 2025. One of their big concerns was how they were going feed their son. Normally, it takes a term baby 3-7 days to figure out how to successfully breastfeed. For premature babies, it can sometimes take weeks.

“Premature babies just need a little bit more time to coordinate their breathing, sucking, swallowing and strengthen their muscles to be successful at breast. A lot of times premature babies need to do a combination of bottling and breastfeeding the first week or so, and then we usually see them weekly in the Aftercare clinic to transition them to be more successful at breast,” said Aspirus St. Luke’s lactation consultant Amelia Henderson.

It’s important to trust the medical staff when dealing with situations like these, but Caitlin says you can also trust your instincts as a mother to do what’s best for your baby.

“My advice is to listen to your instincts. Especially for first time mom’s, there’s just instinct that kick in that you don’t expect or realize is going to happen and try to advocate for what you feel is right while also listening to the professional advice as well. My biggest thing was I didn’t do anything until I was ready, even though there was some urgency. I took some time to process things, and I didn’t just jump right away,” said Caitlin.

She has been back to Aspirus St. Luke’s 4 times for Aftercare following Zaagi’s birth, and they continue to learn new things every time they come in.

“Every week is different. Babies change, especially with a preemie it feels like there’s a different thing we’re trying to tackle in breastfeeding, a different issue that’s happening in a different stage of development. Being able to meet with them so often, so frequently… that’s just been amazing,” said Caitlin.

The Smith’s preemie journey doesn’t end just yet, but they’ve been grateful for the peace of mind throughout the process so far.