Before I had my baby there was one thing I knew for certain: I was going to breastfeed. I knew all of the benefits, from increased immunity to better jaw development, not to mention being 100 percent in control of what goes into my baby's body. I had studied every technique, combed mommy forums for potential pitfalls and assembled a team of chefs (my mom and husband) to cook galactogenic foods from around the world.
Well, apparently Mother Nature didn't like me trying to outsmart her—she made sure that I wouldn't see an ounce of milk for more than three weeks, despite trying everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) to get my supply up.
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I immediately sprung into action, systematically interrogating my friends about which bottles they'd used for their babies and scouring online. I happily dropped over $100 on Dr. Brown's bottles, which everyone recommended. At first, they worked like a charm, but the longer I used them, the looser my baby's latch became. He was clearly suffering from nipple confusion.
I'd researched how bottle feeding impacts jaw development, but other solutions like the supplemental nursing system or the mini cups used in Canada were way too much trouble. With so many new orthodontic nipples on the market there had to be a decent solution, right?
Ultimately, I found that everyone loves every kind of bottle there is—unless, of course, they hated them
Turns out, there were about 100! When I stopped by my local Babies R Us and was immediately overwhelmed with all of the choices available. I hopped on my phone to compare reviews, and ultimately, I found that everyone loves every kind of bottle there is—unless, of course, they hated them. My baby wasn't the only one with nipple confusion!
My first instinct was to buy one of each, give them all a try and then to give away the ones I didn't like. If only I was made out of money!
I was about to leave the store when I had an epiphany. After taking a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure the coast was clear, I slipped my left hand into my blouse and gave myself a quick squeeze. Then I squeezed the first nipple on the shelf. It felt nothing like mine.
I walked up and down the aisle taking turns squeezing my nipples and then their nipples. An elderly sales associate walked up and asked if I needed help. She couldn't wait for me to finish saying, "Nah, I got this!" before she hastily rushed to help customers who weren't acting like teenage boys.
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After a couple of rounds of comparison, I found the perfect bottle for my baby: the NUK orthodontic. I'll spare you the details of comparison, but their shape and texture were perfect for my little one, and within a few short days he was latching like a pro and pinching less due to nipple confusion. Within a week, my supply shot up as he was finally emptying the breast properly.
The only downside was that my LO went from nursing sloth to human piranha, and misses no chance to latch on for a quick snack every time he crawls by. Mother Nature, and the proper bottle, have turned me into a human drinking fountain, but that's a problem I am happy to have.
