>there are NO teats that are anything like
>the mother's nipples that I see.  If there were one that was soft, floppy,
>large, rather flat, malleable, slow flowing, and long, then I would have no
>problem recommending it as in interim device. I won't hold my breath...

I once bought a plaster cast kit at the drug store, made a cast of my
breast, painted the resulting mold with latex, and had a soft, floppy, flat
model.  It could have been made into a very soft, floppy water balloon off
which the baby could be tube fed, with the amount of water in the balloon
gradually increased to increase the firmness of the "breast".  Once it
reached the firmness of the mother's own breast, you might well have a baby
who had learned how to handle the real thing.  But the latex wasn't
food-grade, and I didn't have any way to seal and unseal the balloon aspect
of it.  Anyone want to take this a step further?  Think of it!  A teat that
exactly mimics the version that particular baby was born to use!

Your other points were all good ones, Pat G, to which I don't have good
answers. Sigh.

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC, LLLL  Ithaca, NY  USA