Nipple confusion: my experience, and that of others when it has been discussed here, is that it is less likely to happen when bf has been going well. More likely to happen if bf has been going badly. The babies who prefer the bottle could be making an informed choice, based on their unhappy experience of breastfeeding. There is some published stuff on this, from Chloe Fisher, and others. I don't feel it is always right to avoid bottles in all circumstances, though, even when bf *has* been going badly. Sometimes, it is just not as black and white as this. Alternative 'non-bottle' ways of feeding when a baby is unable (for whatever reason) to breastfeed effectively may not be any 'better' than bottles, and may be unsatisfying for mother and baby - they make it more difficult to cuddle the baby, and to relax and enjoy the feed. Deciding on how to get milk into a baby who can't breastfeed is quite a subtle art, and the same answers may not be applicable in every circumstance. It is, however, an important decision, and not to be taken casually. Heather Welford Neil NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html