Nikki, you wrote: "Not all bottle nipples collapse, especially when they are brand new." I have never seen a bottle nipple that did not compress when pressure was applied. Maybe some are firmer and do not collapse as easily as others but they all collapse when negative pressure is applied. The finger never collapses. I think you bring up some very good thoughts about the need for research on alternative feeding methods but here is the problem. The health care society, at least in the USA, is a bottle feeding society. This is not based on sound research and we all know there are significant issues with bottle feeding. If a LC is not comfortable with some alternative feeding devises then they should not try to use them until they are comfortable and therefore should seek some help from others who can assist them with the problem. I also feel that any time an alternative feeding method is needed that this mother and baby should be closely followed to monitor their progress with this method, are they able to be weaned from this devise and get to the breast, or do they need to be seen by another specialist. I would encourage all LC's to attend conferences or workshops to learn techniques before applying them in their practices. Ann Perry, RN IBCLC Boston, MA *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html