I am leaving a review, for any other struggling moms out there.
First of all this is a great product, I was impressed with the quality and attention to detail. It came with a manual that tells you exactly how to set it up, use it, and clean it. The bottle itself is nice quality, and the system is the best I know if. BUT, it is definitely stressful to use and needs to be cleaned a lot, and it has a lot of parts that can just feel chaotic.
Some things I did to make it easier were using my bra to help hold onto the bottle, using blue painter's tape instead of the medical tape, and tucking a little blankie around my baby's arms so he wouldn't yank anything out of place. It was hard to get him to latch quite right, but he has trouble with that anyway.
I was actually impressed with the ease of use compared to some of the things I've tried before.
But this was my last resort, the last thing I was going to try, and even as nice as it was it is just too much hassle for my situation.
My son spent his first 2 weeks in the nicu. He was born at home (great birth!), but started having apnea and would simply stop breathing, so we took him in. We had already started breastfeeding at this point (we took him in the 3rd day) and we were doing great. I honestly think if it had been possible to keep on, we would have done fine. But they didn't let me breastfeed him at a for 2 weeks, and I pumped faithfully but never got more than a couple ounces per day. (Still only get 4 a day)
Basically my milk never really came in. He was able to use my milk for the first several days (feeding tube) but eventually the hospital started supplementing with formula. By the time I started trying to breastfeed him he already needed more than I had, and I've never caught up. And just a couple weeks ago we discovered he's had a severe tongue and lip tie this whole time. We fixed it, but he hardly nurses 5 minutes on either side. I have tried everything: ordered a double electric pump, pumped manually, power pumped, took every supplement and lactation aid I could get, I constantly try to nurse him, and nothing has worked and it's just been too stressful for one person to try to do. Trying to do all that and also just care for him, is just unrealistic for me and stresses me, my husband, and my baby. I tried this ad a last resort but it is just too much. I was really sad but I decided I just need to let it go.
If we hadn't had to go to the hospital for 2 weeks, and if we had corrected my baby's tongue and lip tie right away, I think everything would have been fine.
I even think if I had been able to start using this SNS system as soon as they let me start feeding him again it might have worked!
I have been reading and reading, and I found this article about it: https://fedisbest.org/2020/03/relactation-a-science-based-how-to-guide/
TLDR; my takeaway was that basically if you want to relactate, you need another family member to help care for both you and the baby and you need to basically dedicate your life to relactation for at least a month. And even then you might not get a full supply. There is no way I can do this, and at this point I honestly agree that this kind of "program" is what it would take to really see much progress in increasing milk supply!
Also, most stories that are going to be on the internet are going to be those 10% that are the success stories, because who wants to share the "failures"?
And Moms, you are not a "failure" if it won't/doesn't work when you try to relactate or increase your supply! You are a wonderful mom, and your baby loves you. ❤️
My plan going forward, is to just let my baby latch or nurse if he wants to, then give him a bottle afterwards. That's it. 🙂 we all just have to do the best we can and roll with the punches!
| Product Dimensions | 8.58 x 8.58 x 1.34 inches |
|---|---|
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Material Type | BPA Free, Phthalate Free, Latex Free, Lead Free |
| Number Of Items | 1 |
| Batteries required | No |
| Item Weight | 5.6 ounces |
