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 :)

Help...You're Gonna Need It!

I was at the home of a new mommy who had just come home from the hospital with her brand new baby girl. I went to help her with breastfeeding. This is probably one of my most favorite things to do! Being a part of helping a new mother out with feeding her baby is more rewarding than anything I know.

This new mother looked tired and a bit over-whelmed. She told me that while in the hospital, the on-staff consultant that came to visit with her spent just about 10 minutes with her asking her basic questions about the baby and predominantly talking to her about how utterly important it was to get a "Boppy Pillow". When the consultant left (not without leaving a brochure for where to get a Boppy) she admited to looking at her partner and saying, "Wasn't she going to show me how to breastfeed?"

That question preceded a night of improper latch-on, sore nipples, frustrated daddy and many mommy tears. By the time I met her at her home that night she was under the impression that she was "doing it right" because she had formed a blister on her breast and "it hurts like hell". This told her IT MUST BE RIGHT!

Ok, let me first say that I am not going to bash whoever this "lactation consultant" was. I know MANY wonderful LC's who I learned from! But I must ask...how can you help someone learn how to feed a newborn baby in 10 minutes? And what does the magical Boppy Pillow do if you don't even know how to feed the baby in the first place? I was so moved by how this young new mother cradled her baby in her arms and looking down at her said, "I just want to do it right, but I just don't know how." She was under the impression, as so many new mother's do, that someone would "help" them with breastfeeding. That someone in their hospital would spend time with them. That this person would answer her questions and take time explaining how it all works and how to know she's doing it right. Not just walk in, shove their breast in the babies mouth for them and leave. But sadly, this happens A LOT.

Well here is my advice to you new moms and to you preggos out there - GET, FIND, BEG, OR HIRE a professional lactation consultant/educator to come to you! Someone who will spend the time necessary to help you learn. Someone who will come to your home and sit with you and teach you how to hold this little baby properly. Someone who KNOWS about breastfeeding and how wonderful it could be. Someone who can teach a new dad all about his role and how he can help. If you are even thinking of breastfeeding YOU ARE GOING TO NEED HELP.

Our mother's - many of them anyways - did NOT breastfeed so they may not know how to help. Your sister, or your cousin, or your best friend may have breastfed and they will be great sources of encouragement...but you are going to need someone who understands and can explain the physiology and techniques of breastfeeding.

I spent 4 hours with this new mom. I cannot imagine spending less time than that. Or if it was less than that, doing more visits until she feels secure. I can't imagine watching at least two feedings to make sure mom gets the concepts. I can't imagine not being with this new mom and her partner and talking about ways to keep her milk supply up. I spoke to her yesterday and she told me that she is successfully nursing her baby girl...no blisters....no pain....and no Boppy (lol).

Lisi Grullon, CD, CBE, LE