SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
Has anyone else noticed a difference in their baby's latch/sucking intensity?
Edited to say that I've found what works best for us is a combo of L-A and bottle w/preemie nipple, it keeps his suck strong and my milk up, what little of it there is. Best scenario would be if L-A had tube size choices.
Last edited by mcthom on Sun Apr 25, 2010 8:26 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : new info)
mcthom- Posts : 40
Join date : 2010-02-17
Location : Triangle, NC
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
meghanmcbee- Posts : 17
Join date : 2010-01-04
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
(I'm new to this website and really appreciate all the info I'm getting!!) I need to order one soon for my baby arriving in two months.
Can someone tell me, is it possible to lay down and nurse at night with the Medela? If not, that might be a problem in the long run.
I know the Lact-aid system is supposed to work better for nights, but since I'm also trying to improve my own supply while nursing, I think the smaller size tubing on the Medela might work better, or?
I'm also wondering, can you put the bags/ and bottle from either system into a bottle warmer? Again, especially worried about those night
time feedings. How are you all managing this? I'm trying to avoid bottles at first, because of the "nipple confusion" problem.
Thank you so much!
betina- Posts : 5
Join date : 2010-03-01
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
Any medical supply should have them.
(Heck, if you're desperate, a pet store would probably have them too in the fish section. lol)
Squeaky McMurdo- Posts : 16
Join date : 2010-03-04
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
I prefer the LA because you don't have to worry about keeping the bag the same way - it is nice for nursing while lying down because with the SNS I always had to make sure the bottle was the right direction.
I never worried much about warming the supplement except when my daughter was really fussy. When I warmed, I used the Avent bottle warmer and warmed the supplement right in the bag. I didn't let it go the full cycle of the warming, just felt it with my hand when I thought it was warm enough and would then test the milk. I know the packaging says not to warm it in the bag but I think that's for precautions because they don't want the bag to get too warm or the milk to get too warm. For me, it was a nuisance to try and warm the supplement in a bottle or something and then transfer it to the bag. Also, I never took the air out of the bag like they say either - when the milk was gone, I just stopped so my daughter didn't get any air. I also re-used the bags a few times, but I used donor milk always and not formula which could clog the tubes or go bad in the bags.
I strongly recommend using one of the systems rather than bottles - my daughter is 9 months old and I still use the LA because it has saved our nursing relationship. She will nurse in the morning and one feed after that without the LA because I have enough milk - but on the feeds when I don't have enough milk, I start her nursing bare and then slip in the LA after she's "done."
So, long story short - yes, you CAN nurse lying down with the SNS, but I think the LA is easier and YES, you can warm the supplement in the bags using a bottle warmer. Good luck!
jburth7- Posts : 29
Join date : 2010-01-06
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
I think the best solution for me is to purchase both of them, since I will
be using a combination of doner milk and formula, (homemade formula -
recipe from the Weston A Price foundation), which is thicker than breast
milk and will clog the smaller tubes.(But the bigger tubes doesn't do much for stimulating your own supply.
The home made formula by Sally Fallen is a very good substitute to human
milk, if you ever run out of doner milk! It is designed to resemble human
milk as closely as possible, and is a live food - unlike powdered formula!
betina- Posts : 5
Join date : 2010-03-01
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
The Lact-aid is nice because you can make the bags beforehand. Unless you have several Medelas, this is not possible. I find that if I put the LA on, my body warms it up enough. I do prefer the smaller tubing option of the Medela, that is my only gripe about the LA.
Also, if you are concerned about phthalates, the Medela bottle is better. Personally, I wouldn't heat the milk in the LA bags, and there really is no reason to. If needed, you can run it under slightly warm water to take the chill off.
My two cents but it really is a personal thing, you just have to find the right fit.
mcthom- Posts : 40
Join date : 2010-02-17
Location : Triangle, NC
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
tcarman- Posts : 11
Join date : 2010-03-25
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
1). Have baby latch and then slip the tubing in after latching in the corner of the mouth
2). Work on varying positions of how far to extend the tubing past your nipple - my daughter likes it well past the nipple so she's sucking more on the middle of the tube, some babies like the very tip of the tube so they don't know that they're sucking on anything but bare breast.
3). Try placing the tube underneath your nipple and threading in up to it's beneath the babies latch
It will work eventually - just keep trying. Some mom's like to tape the tubing to their skin so it doesn't move as much, I found this annoying as my daughter is a constant pop on/off the breast kind of baby and she would rip the tube out of the tape and then rip the tape off - not fun for mom! So, I just use one finger to hold the tube in place until she latches, then we're off and running. You can also use a band-aid to hold the tube in place, the tube slides nicely through the band-aid and the adhesive on the band-aid doesn't tear up your skin like tape does.
Happy LA'ing!
jburth7- Posts : 29
Join date : 2010-01-06
Re: SNS/Lact-aid vs bottles
mcthom- Posts : 40
Join date : 2010-02-17
Location : Triangle, NC
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