Monday, May 3, 2010

Product Review: Soothies The First Years Breastflow Baby Bottles

When Andrew was first born and we were struggling getting the hang of breastfeeding, we supplemented with formula and pumped breast milk using Playtex's VentAire bottles. Aside from some leaking if the nipple wasn't sealed fully, the bottles worked well for us--until we began exclusive breastfeeding and Andrew forgot how to drink from a bottle all together!

No matter what and how often I tried, I couldn't get him to latch onto the VentAires again, even though we had the wide bottles that are designed to mimic breastfeeding. It made me nervous to think that I might not be able to leave the baby with a sitter until he started drinking from a sippy cup!

Then my mom saved my life. She gave me a Soothies The First Years Breastflow baby bottle and Andrew is taking to it like a champ! Sure, it takes him a minute to realize that he has to compress the nipple rather than bite it, but he is drinking pumped milk now when necessary--and I'm so happy!

The First Years Breastflow BPA Free Starter Set
Above: Soothies The First Years Breastlow Starter Set ($18.50 at Amazon.com)

You can see in the pictures below that the Breastflow nipple is a two-part system. The upper part is soft and compresses almost flat like breast tissue does. The bottom (darker blue) part is stiffer and the combination of the two requires the baby to suck and compress, just as he does when breastfeeding.

The First Years Breastflow Stage 1 - Slow Flow Nipple - 2 PackThe First Years Breastflow Stage 1 - Slow Flow Nipple - 2 PackThe First Years Breastflow Stage 1 - Slow Flow Nipple - 2 Pack

The nipples come in Stage 1 and Stage 2 slow-flows, to suit your new baby's needs. Just note that when baby is drinking, you will notice milk accumulating in the upper (clear) part of the nipple. This is normal for the nipple design, but you will need to account for the milk left in the nipple when determining how much your baby has eaten.

We haven't experienced any leakage with these bottles and Andrew seems to be happy with them, so I would recommend these for anyone with a bottle-finicky breastfeeder. I'm actually about to order us some more. I just wish I had used Soothies' Breastflow from the very beginning!

2 comments:

  1. Wow those look awesome! And so affordable! If I hadn't gotten Dr. Brown's at my shower, I would definitely be trying these out. Luckily, Ollie hasn't had any problems switching back and forth from breast to bottle. Glad you found some that work for you!

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