About oral stimulation
Oral stimulation involves gentle touching and exploration of your baby's mouth and face. Using this as part of your routine supports your baby’s development.
Why oral stimulation matters
Oral stimulation does the following:
- Develops oral motor skills and early feeding skills
- Prevents oral aversion through positive touch around the face and mouth
- Supports the transition from tube to oral feeding
- Encourages comfort and bonding through touch and smell.
How to offer oral stimulation
Your care and love make a big difference.
Follow this advice to offer oral stimulation to your baby.
- Offer skin-to-skin care: place your baby on your bare chest. This gives comfort and supports bonding.
- Gentle touch: use calm, predictable touch around your baby’s mouth and face, especially after any procedures. You can also offer gentle kisses around the face and mouth.
- Mouth care: use colostrum, breast milk, or donor milk for gentle mouth care. If your baby is formula-fed, use sterile water.
- Offer a pacifier or finger to suck on: sucking helps your baby learn rhythm and prepare for oral feeding.
- Offer the breast or pacifier during NGT (nasogastric tube) feeding: this builds the link between sucking and feeling full.
- Dummy dips: dip a pacifier or your clean finger in breast milk or donor milk and offer it to your baby to suck. This helps with soothing, sucking practice, positive tastes, and pain relief. speak to the nursing team for support.
- Feeding time: keep feeding times calm and gentle. Hold your baby or rest your hand softly on their head or tummy during NGT feeds to build comfort and connection.
Contact information
Kingston Hospital Maternity Unit
Telephone: