When leaving the hospital with tube feeding, going home can be a time of mixed emotions. You may feel a sense of relief because your child is leaving the hospital, and you won't need to split your time between hospital and your other family commitments. You may also feel nervous about how to look after your child at home and manage their tube feeding day-to-day.

It will take time to get used to this new way of life for you and your family. Even with all your healthcare team's help and guidance, there will be quite a bit of learning along the way. You will gain the knowledge over time, begin to feel more secure, and understand how to best fit tube feeding into your child's daily life. For example, you will discover the easiest clothing to wear when your child is feeding and how to involve your child in food-centered celebrations.

Leaving the hospital might feel like you're leaving round-the-clock care and support. But even at home, from the start of your child's transition to years ahead, there will be plenty of long-term care and support for you and your family. 

As with any big change, you're going to go through a period of change. Eventually the aim is for you, your child and family to get used to tube feeding, and begin to enjoy all the pros that tube feeding can provide for your child.