Jessica writes:

Has  anyone done any testing (or have any experience) with the First Years  
Breastflow nipple? The name, of course, got my attention at Target and it  
appears to have a similar design of flow control as the Calma, but it's  
actually very soft and the nipple part is shorter. Has anyone seen it in  
action?
And Cathy responded:"I've used the Breast Flow nipple sometimes for babies  
who needed to learn to increase their suction. It is a relatively 
'difficult'  bottle, and many babies with feeding difficulties can't get milk from 
it. Using  it as a stepping stone to breastfeeding has worked for several kids 
with  significant feeding problems in my practice."
 
~~~ That's been my experience as well. Most of the babies I've offered it  
to weren't able to move milk effectively, as Cathy says it's  a difficult  
system, and for these babies that was too hard. For babies without feeding  
issues, I don't know, since I don't work with them. Many babies seem to clamp 
 down really hard on it, rather than be more relaxed, which seems  
counterproductive to normal feeding at breast .Each time one of these "new  
research-based" assistive feeding device systems comes out, there is always  
something that just doesn't come close to matching actual breastfeeding, as in  
this case, no bottle, no fingerfeeder, no cup has the elasticity and need to be 
 drawn in and held gently with negative suction pressure, like mom's  
breast.  I agree with Cathy, that the questions a research study fails to  ask 
can be just as important, or even more so, than the ones they do think to  
ask. It's good for us to know which systems offer which 
advantages/disadvantages  combination for each individual mother/baby dyad.
 
Peace,
Judy 

Judy LeVan  Fram, PT, IBCLC, LLLL
Brooklyn, NY,  USA
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