A pump delivers J-tube feedings
- Pump feeding is the method used to deliver formula into the small intestine
- Formula is placed in a feeding container and pumped through the J-tube into the body
- The pump delivers slow, continuous feeding because the small intestine cannot hold as much formula as the stomach
-
Prepare
- Prepare the formula
- Check the tube position (ask your healthcare provider how often)
- Flush the feeding tube with prescribed amount of water
-
Begin feeding
- Hang the filled feeding container or place it in an ambulatory carrier
- Connect the feeding set to the pump
- Remove the cap from the end of the feeding set
- If your feeding set has a clamp, open it completely
- Prime the feeding set
- Choose a safe, comfortable position (eg, sitting up in a chair, propped up in a bed or on a couch)
- Insert the tip of the feeding set into the feeding tube
- Turn on the pump and set the flow rate (refer to manufacturer’s instructions)
- Start the pump
- After feeding container is empty or the dose has been fed, stop the pump and flush the tube
- If your healthcare provider has told you to take extra water after feedings:
- Pour the prescribed amount into the feeding container
- Start the pump
- When the water is gone, stop the pump
-
Check tube placement
- If the J-tube is kept in place with a skin disk, make sure it is not tight against the skin
- Check its position using the markings on the tube
- If the J-tube is sutured in place, make sure the sutures are intact
- If the tube has moved or has come out, do not use it–go to the emergency room and take the tube with you
-
Call your child’s doctor or nurse for the following:
- Vomiting
- Blood in or around the feeding tube
- Formula or stomach contents leaking around the tube site
- Red, sore, or swollen tube site
- Tube clog that you can’t flush out with warm water
- Unusual, excessive, or foul-smelling drainage from the tube site (stoma)
