> For several years, I have described this to my clients as nipple preference.
> The reasons described are right on target with my thoughts.  Flow rate and ease
> of obtaining milk seem to be the deciding factors for many babies!  Thanks for
> confirming my thoughts on this!

This is why, if I have a mom come to a monthly meeting who is using
bottles, who refuses to use anything else (or says she "can't", i.e.
she's working and the babysitter "won't give the milk any other way",
etc.), I suggest trying to find a bottle teat that will mimick the
breast flow as much as possible.  If the mom has a forceful letdown, I
say get one which has a fast flow.  If the milk then flows a lot more
slowly after the MER is over, I say "feed on the fast flow teat for 2-3
minutes, maybe 2-4 oz or whatever, and then take it away to burp, and
while doing that, change for a tiny hole, i.e. slow-flow teat".  To my
mind, this makes the bottle flow "as displeasurable" as the breast
flow...but with the added displeasure (one hopes) of not being in mom's
arms always (i.e. with babysitter), or not having the skin-to-skin
contact that the breast-nipple-in-mouth provides.  If the mom doesn't
have a forceful MER, and milk seems to flow fairly evenly and slowly, I
say to stay with a fairly slow-flow teat.  I know sometimes it's a bit
harder to gauge, but obviously the mom with the baby who chokes, who
feels the MER quite strongly, and who sprays half across the room if the
baby pulls off during the MER is going to know who she is.  ;-)

Fio
ressource person with Allaitement Québec
Mama to Sandrine, 26 mos and #2, 11/2002

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