QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Why was the Breastbottle® nurser developed?
The Breastbottle nurser was designed to provide bottle-fed infants a far more comforting sensory experience. The Breastbottle nurser is a significant step forward from any infant feeding bottle previously available.
In addition to improved tactile quality, the Breastbottle nurser has many other advantages over conventional bottles. Its patented adjustable-flow nipple simulates a babys natural sucking reflex and tongue position, reducing nipple confusion in babies who both breastfed and use a bottle. This offers infants who are bottle-fed a chance to experience feeding more as nature intended. The valve minimizes air ingestiona common cause of colic. Safety features include a child-proof closure system and a nipple too large to swallow. The wide base is more stable and easy to fill and clean.
Adiri recognizes that breastfeeding is the optimum choice for nurturing a baby. Since most mothers use a bottle at some time during their child's early development, the Breastbottle nurser provides the optimum alternative for dispensing formula or breast milk.
What comes with the Breastbottle® nurser? Do I need anything else?
The Breastbottle nurser comes with a special cover (which supports the dome when being filled and also doubles an aid for tightening the lid), the dome, valve disc, lid, white ring, and instructions. No liners are required and no replacement nipples will be needed for growing babies, as the flow rate is incrementally adjustable.
What materials are used in the Breastbottle® nurser?
The Breastbottle nursers dome is made from soft, medical grade silicone. Plastic parts are polypropylene and polycarbonate. All these materials meet or exceed the United States Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) requirements for use in contact with milk. Adiri does not use PVC or latex in any parts of our product.
Is the Breastbottle® nurser easy to use?
Yes, it is. Since the Breastbottle nurser is quite different from conventional bottles, there is a learning curve involved at first use. People who have had problems with the bottle generally have not read the instructions before using it. Because the bottle is unique, a little education regarding the Breastbottle nurser can play an important role in customer satisfaction and functionality. Consequently, its important for the retailer to understand the bottle's many features, and also to encourage their purchasers to read the instructions before using the Breastbottle nurser. Feel free to look over our web site's section on "Instructions" and "Introducing Bottle" which provides more detailed information on these subjects. Once the person becomes familiar with the Breastbottle nurser, it is easier to use than conventional bottles in many respects, because the opening is much wider and easier to fill, and it is very easy to clean.
What makes the Breastbottle® nurser unique over other feeding bottles?
Our bottle simulates the form, feel, and function of breastfeeding. Unlike hard plastic bottles, the soft, comforting feeding system has a breast-like shape and an interactive response that babies love and accept more readily. It is ideal for bottle-fed babies, moms who switch between breast and bottle, and mothers who supplement with breast milk. The life-like nipple enhances latch-on for jaw and oral development and has a variable flow rate.
Our bottle has twenty special qualities while most conventional bottles have only a few (see our Comparison Chart below). For instance, unlike conventional rigid bottles, our bottles container (the dome) is soft to the babys nose, cheeks, and chin. It is also interactive to the babys touch allowing the baby to increase flow by kneading the dome. As well, the bottle can imitate Letdown when the dome is squeezed firmly. Be very careful not to overdo it, as the baby can choke.
A special valve equalizes the pressure inside the bottle allowing the nipple flow-rate to be similar to that of a lactating mother's. Therefore, it is normal for the nipple to drip approximately a drop per second when the bottle is inverted. Our bottle has a unique patented variable flow nipple that can be increased as the baby grows. Its wide base design is easy to clean. The Breastbottle nursers cover is designed to be an aid to ensure that the lid is tightened securely. It protects the bottle during transportation, and conveniently holds the dome while filling. The capacity of the bottle is 7 oz. (200 ml), which is a more natural feeding portion recommended by medical professionals.
What is Letdown?
A breastfeeding mother can experience what is termed letdown. With letdown, the milk ducts in the breast contract, pushing milk toward the front of the breast. The milk may not leak at all, may start leaking, or may even spray out. Letdown can happen in response to thoughts of the baby, hearing the baby cry, or from intense emotions of all kinds. Nature designed letdown, in part to help stimulate the infant to feed. Often the mother knows it is happening when they hear the baby start to gulp the milk. The Breastbottle nurser can imitate letdown when the dome is squeezed firmly. Be very careful not to overdo it, as the baby can choke.
Why does the Breastbottle® nurser have a 3-port nipple?
The Breastbottle nurser's patented three-port nipple enables the user to increase flow incrementally as a baby matures. The Adiri nipple has three small (.010") ports, with only one port open on first introduction. Breast sucking is important for a babys proper oral development which may later affect appearance, speech and dental formation. As the infant matures, the breast milk flow typically increases to meet the childs growing nutritional needs. The Breastbottle nurser has two additional pre-formed ports which are normally closed to simulate the naturally evolving flow rate. To increase flow, just open an additional port by removing the nub(s) with a clean fingernail clipper, and the flow is permanently doubled or tripled.
It is worth mentioning again that because our nipple flow is more life-like, and the inside pressure equalized by our special valve, it is normal for the Breastbottle nurser to drip approximately one drop per second when inverted nipple-side-down.
Other bottles require the purchase of multiple nipples with different flow rates as a baby develops. The one size fits all, fast-flow, fast food nipples of the past are not recommended by many lactation consultants. Breastbottle nurser domes (with the nipple) are made from high grade silicone and, with proper care, should last for the full term of a baby's bottle feeding needs.
How does the Breastbottle® nursers nipple compare to other artificial nipples?
The average nursing infant repeats a sucking action 2,000 to 3,000 times per 24 hour period. Therefore, the way the infant latches on to the breast or our bottle is very important. An important design feature of the Breastbottle nurser is the seamless curve of the nipple as it attaches to the full breast dome. Ultrasound photos of breastfeeding babies show much of the areola drawn into the infant's mouth. This is believed to be the ideal relationship for optimum infant oral development. Even the largest artificial nipples on ordinary bottles do not permit this to the extent that is possible with the Breastbottle nurser. As in breastfeeding, an infant can draw the soft breast-like container into its mouth, requiring the mouth to open wide. Furthermore, an infant can work the "areola" of the Breastbottle nurser and knead the dome which will produce a flow response.
Can I safely leave my baby alone with a Breastbottle® nurser?
While the Breastbottle nurser offers safety features not found in other bottles, it is not a good idea to leave a baby alone with any bottle no matter what type of bottle it might be. Tooth decay, ear inflammation or infections, and choking have been associated with leaving a bottle with a baby unsupervised.
Can we sterilize the Breastbottle® nurser in an autoclave?
Yes. We recommend you use the "plastics" settings, but Breastbottle nursers also can withstand autoclaving at stainless steel settings. We have subjected Breastbottle nursers to normal boiling, freezing, microwaving, autoclaving, dishwashing, dropping, and child wear-and-tear, and the bottle has survived very well.
Is the Breastbottle® nurser microwavable?
Medical professionals have applauded the fact that the Breastbottle nurser's hemispherical shape microwaves to a more even temperature than tubular bottles. The Breastbottle nursers generally do not have serious hot spots common in cylindrical bottles, nor do they melt down like some disposable liners. Although our bottles microwave more evenly, we do not recommend microwave use. If you must use a microwave, remove the cover and warm the contents gradually, and gently stir the warmed contents before serving.
Do you foresee any societal changes coming from this innovation?
Some people are offended by seeing a mother breastfeed in public and some may also object to seeing a breast-shaped bottle used openly in public. We encourage the use of the Breastbottle nurser in public. We believe that once they become a common sight in airports, shopping centers and parks, people will become less judgmental about breastfeeding, better understand the health and developmental gains breastfeeding offers, and how the Breastbottle nurser is the optimal substitute. Breastfeeding is a natural act, and we do not feel it should be necessary for mothers to go to extremes to breast-feed in private. One of our lactation consultants recently said, This is an honest baby bottle...it reminds us that the mothers breast is the best source of nourishment for the infant.
Are you concerned that the Breastbottle® nurser will compete with breastfeeding?
No. Medical professionals inform us of a variety of reasons why some mothers do not breastfeed. In some cases, a mother is unable to breast-feed due to surgery, serious illness, severe pain or contraindicated medications. For some mothers there may be a personal, cultural, cosmetic, or work-related reason they may choose not to breast-feed. And there are situations where a husband, partner or grandparent needs to take over the infants primary care. Sometimes, because of adoption or multiple births, a breastfeeding mother is on certain medications, or for social reasons, a bottle is needed. Adiri supports breastfeeding in spirit and fact. No feeding bottle substitute will ever be equal to breastfeeding, though the Breastbottle nurser is undoubtedly the best bottle-type alternative. Breastfeeding support, including how to use a breast pump to express and store milk, is available through health and medical sources, including private and volunteer lactation consultants.
Can it be used to feed premature babies?
While we have limited experience with pre-term babies, the Breastbottle nurser has performed well because the caregiver can control flow, gradually letting the infant take over as it gains strength.
Is cup feeding best when breastfeeding is not an option?
Cup feeding is recommended primarily for use with hospitalized infants and others who have serious medical anomalies that inhibit them from suckling. Researchers believe that sucking is important for facial and jaw muscle development. Suckling in breastfeeding, and the Breastbottle nursers small aperture, encourages muscle development that later affects proper dental development and speech characteristics. Long-term cup feeding for a baby who can suck deprives the infant of sucking that is important for correct development. A breastfeeding infant uses the muscles involved in suckling up to 2,500 times each day! Leading breastfeeding experts feel that bottle feeding may be an appropriate substitute when mothers have to be away from their infants long enough that the baby must be artificially fed. As well, dads, and other caregivers, love our bottle as it gives them a chance to participate in the feeding experience.
What about transitioning the baby to the Breastbottle® nurser?
While the Breastbottle nurser has an exceptionally high acceptance rate, not all babies will accept a bottle. Our web site, www.breastbottle.com has a special web page devoted to this topic under Introducing bottle, giving many helpful hints to help facilitate the Breastbottle nursers introduction.
What about fussy babies?
We have had a very high acceptance rate with so-called fussy babies -- babies who absolutely refuse other bottles. Adiri regularly receives feedback from parents and medical professionals saying the infant wouldnt accept any other bottles, but did accept our Breastbottle nurser. One toddler was recently heard saying its like mommy. Yet, there are a small percentage of babies who prefer only their mother and nothing else will do.
Can you justify the price as compared to other bottles?
Our bottle in not like any other bottle on the market. We have found that once a customer understands the many features and the inherent value of our bottle, the cost is not an issue. In fact, the cost is minimal when compared to disposable liner systems that generally cost over $100 per baby (our bottle needs no liners), and when formula can cost as much as $3,000 as well.
Made in the U.S.A. with high quality materials that are precision made, we established a price that enables us to continue to provide a quality product and service, while keeping it affordable. Since a nursing bottle is perhaps the most important item in the nursery, it is not worth spending less money on a breast-feeding alternative that has no resemblance to breast-feeding.
Adiri, Inc. believes we have the best and most natural feeding bottle on the market and medical professionals and customers agree, its the next breast thing.
