A couple of people have asked about the Starter SNS.  I like it in certain
situation where it looks like it will not be needed long term.  Since it is
about 1/3 the cost of a full size SNS it is often a good option.  I have
seen it last up to 10 days (when mom/baby did not need it any more.)  It is
harder to clean, the flow does not vary well like a full size SNS and the
tubes break easier.

Use it the tube attachment on the breast is the same as a full size SNS.  To
make the starter work well it first needs to be "primed."  To prime it, you
need to hold it with the bottle below the rounded tip and the tubing pinched
in the little yellow piece that stops flow.  With the SNS in this position,
pinch the rounded top between your thumb and forefinger.  While you hold the
pinch, turn the bottle upside down and release the pinch.  This will draw
milk into the rounded top.  Once there is milk in the top, as baby drinks
the milk from the tubing it reduces the amount of milk in the rounded area
causing vacuum.  This vacuum will pull more milk into the rounded area
providing more milk for the tubing.

Leaking can be an issue with the starter SNS. If it does begin to leak there
are two possible reasons.

The first reason is that it was not completely dry around the threads.  It
can be wet when not dried well between uses OR if there is milk in the
rounded part and that rounded part is pinched hard enough to drive the milk
up into the threads.  Once those threads get wet, the surface tension is
broken and it will leak pretty bad.  If it leaks due to being wet, the best
solution is to dry it.

The second reason it may leak is from heat during sterilization.  With the
heat, the threaded area on the top will sometimes get warped.  I do not
believe Medela intended this product to be used long enough to need
sterilization so it does not stand up to sterilizing as well as I would
like.  If this is the reason for leaking you can take a little gob of
Lansinoh and smear the threads of the bottle with the Lansinoh.  This works
kind of like gear grease.  It stops the leaking and is not a problem if a
little were to leak into the milk like petroleum jelly might be.

I have tried the finger feeder but it is more expensive than the Starter SNS
and seems to be easier to squish hard enough to spill the milk.  I tend to
use the starter SNS as a finger feeder occasionally though.

Anyway, that is my experience.

Linda Pohl, IBCLC
[log in to unmask]
www.eBESTFed.com

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