Late in Hearing...but the news is still sad

 

 As a major supporter of breastfeeding we are VERY careful...EXTREMELY careful about supporting or endorsing bottle feeding products.

We are realistic however, and know that some moms choose not to breastfeed. And just as we all have a right of choice of how to birth our babies we should have the right of choice of how to feed our babies. Yes, of course we know what the "better" options are, but "better" means different things to different people. As doulas, educators, and moms our job is to provide support and education so newer moms can make informed decisions.

For the most part, at least in our experience, these moms felt an aversion to putting their baby directly to their breast. In other instances we have met mothers who are returning to a very busy work schedule and need a bottle that makes for easy transitioning from exclusive breastfeeding. And yes, their are still those moms who just don't want to nurse no matter how much "education" one might throw at them. So in these cases we have worked hard to educate them on the benefits of human milk and the idea of pumping their breast milk. Many, if not all find this to be a suitable alternative.

But as any bottle feeding mother would know finding the RIGHT bottle for their baby can present its challenges. Enter the Adiri Breast-Bottle Nurser. The bottle that was to revolutionize the way bottle-feeders received their milk! We were astonished with its shape and its claims of how it worked. So we ordered a sample. Back in 2000 when they first started marketing and developing the bottle it looked much different than the one many mom's have seen in their local baby store. It LITERALLY looked like a miniature boob! LOL But it worked AMAZINGLY! And while we found that moms loved its design and how it worked, dad's main complaint was, "So like if I'm in public, what, I'm gonna whip out that boob?" LOL. None the less it was an amazing bottle. Even our dedicated breastfeeders loved it because it proved to be the bottle that provided (according to the moms we knew who were using it) the least likelihood of the dreaded "nipple confusion".

So we were very happy to support our bottle-feeding moms in giving them a product that they would feel good about. Over time, and we are assuming after research, the company changed the bottle design and the "softness" of the nipple. This sent the bottle into its own stratosphere in terms of its sales. We saw and heard about it everywhere! Even one of our own Childbirth Educators and Lactation Educators was quoted and included in the company website as a supporter of the bottle for moms who could pump and feed their babies.

But now...today actually...doing some research for this very blog, we came across the information that Adiri, the company that makes the "breast bottle" has gone out of business! As a company we know how hard this must have been for the owners and creators to close their doors...we sympathize with them.

So we heard about it late....and it stinks that its true! Just yesterday we had a conversation with a mother who was returning to full-time work and was looking for a bottle to help begin the process of transitioning her from breast to bottle and we suggested this bottle! Ugh...

We guess its back to the drawing board to find another "alternative". The breastfeeders of the world are cheering and the bottle feeders are left wondering if their baby will ever take to a bottle. So we did find a product that for those of you who are pumping your breastmilk can feel good about!

Enter the "Playtex Natural Nipple" with Drop-In bags. The concept is this...babies need their neuro-facial muscles stimulated for proper speech and brain development. Breastfeeding accomplishes this in many ways but mainly in the way the breast touches the upper and lower lip of the infant along with some of his/her cheeks. This stimulation helps the baby's sucking reflex and makes the baby "work" at the breast. So the wider the nipple/areola/breast area, the more "stimulation". That's why mother's like the Adiri bottles. The Playtex Nipples are the "widest" we have found and with their retractable nipple feature aide in the baby "working" to extract the milk.

Yes, we know that it would just be easier to put your baby on your breast and that way you know FOR SURE your baby is getting all the benefits towards development he/she needs...but we go back to the initial argument...not all women choose to breastfeed exclusively...and its their right to do so.

So there you have it...a bottle for the bottle-feeders that you can work with. We are not going to touch the "gas" factor of using bottles in this blog...lol...it would be longer than it already is! So we'll just give you one more piece of advice...

BURP YOUR BABY PROPERLY :)