I have read that Gerber Comfort Latch, Evenflo Ultra & Elite, and Playtex Naturalatch (choosing slow flow of any of these) have nipples that more closely resemble Mom. The nipple on these is shorter than on Avent.

http://www.bfar.org/nipples.shtml

Question: My baby seems to be getting frustrated on the Avent slow flow one-hole nipple. Am I doing damage by switching to the Avent two-hole as long as I stay with the slow flow?

Hi Ladies,

NONE of the nipples currently on the market resemble anything close to what the nipple does in the baby's mouth. When the baby latches effectively, your nipple and surrounding tissue is drawn in to form a "teat" that goes as far back to where the hard and soft palates of the roof of the mouth meet.

Those short stubby nipples that are often seen in advertisements are meant to persuade you into thinking they are more breastlike but they're not. They are often made by the same companies that produce artificial infant milk and their goal is to sell more of their product. What better way to do that than to get your baby onto those short stubby nipples and off the breast!

To get baby from bottle to breast we tend to use the nipple baby is used to over the mother's own nipple with supplementary feeding tube threaded through. Then gradually over several days we exchange that nipple for a nipple shield such as the Medela Newborn Small with the tubing threaded through and continue until the baby is on the breast with the tubing and eventually just on the breast.

It helps to contact a board certified lactation consultant to assist you with this process. You can find one here: www.ilca.org Just click on the "Find a Lactation Consultant" button at the top of the page.

Best,

Lenore,
So are you saying that it doesn't matter what bottle the baby is used to? I posted a similar question on an ABF listserv... We should be getting a referral soon from our adoption agency (Guatemala) and I was thinking I would send down some bottles (Avent? Nuk?). Is this unnecessary? Down there they usually use just the standard Gerber bottles.
Also---when you are transitioning/using a bottle nipple threaded with the Lact-aid, do you just use the latex or silicone nipple or do you also use the screw-on cap part with it?
Lou in Albuquerque
Mom to many including Estuardo, 9 mos, adopted from Guatemala and paperchasing for a baby girl!

Lenore is right.. none actually work like moms nipple. But I used the playtex disposable bottle with the slow flow. When I stopped nursing my oldest daughter and wanted to get her back to the breast I went from the normal nipple to the playtex..and then to my nipple. I nursed her bare breasted with the playtex.. Then would switch her over to my breast. It worked well.

What I'm saying is that when the baby transitions from their current caregiver to their new parents, there will be a period of adjustment with many overwhelming differences. It is important to maintain the status quo regarding the bottle nipple the baby is used to. If the caregiver will agree to provide the AVENT bottle and nipple to your baby, then that would help. Otherwise, try not to introduce too many changes too quickly. Integrating baby into your life and onto your breast is best done gently with love, compassion, and patience.

best,