Transitioning from breast to bottle feeding could be one of the most common problems that mothers may encounter with their newborns. This concern is what prompted manufacturers to come up with something like orthodontic nipples.
The arrival of a newborn in the family entails a huge responsibility. To this effect, things are now geared towards making life as easy as possible. In nursing them, for instance, there would be some period of adjustment from feeding them directly through the mother’s breast and using artificial nipples. Orthodontic nipples have been devised to mimic the natural breastfeeding pattern in consideration of several instances.
Much as they would want to stay with their babies for the most part of the day, mothers can’t do this. Breastfeeding might compel them to take their much needed rest and could be the perfect justification for not doing the laundry. However, they also have their own needs to attend to, and it’s not like they’re going to take a shower while cradling their child.
This reason vindicates the orthodontic nipples coming into play. Apart from the fact that moms can’t be there to nurse them through their breasts 24/7, there would come a time that they would have to go back to their regular lives – and that is, back to an 8 to 5 job, helping out with the older kids’ homeworks and having some quality time with their partners.
There is no question as to the importance of breastfeeding – it still is the topmost nursing option for the newborns. However, given the above mentioned situation, that moment of separation is a crucial turning point for both the mother and child.
This transition stage becomes a platform for the baby to experiment with something new. Despite their lack of reasoning, only babies can spot the exact difference between the mother’s nipples and artificial ones. That difference could equate to resistance. They wouldn’t dare feed on something that is rather new to their perceptions.
With orthodontic nipples, the shift from breast to bottle becomes somewhat easier. For one, these are designed to mimic the natural breastfeeding process. Its form follows the anatomy of a normal nipple with principal consideration on the form of the baby’s oral cavity.
To emulate the process as closely as possible, the main factor that one should consider in purchasing their orthodontic nipples for newborns is the flow speed.
For the newborns, slow flow nipples are recommended. This is especially important for newborns. Nipples should facilitate a steady and reduced speed because the stream of milk flows just as slow without the worry of choking.
The choice of material is also important. Orthodontic nipples may be manufactured using rubber, silicone or plastic. Based on customer reviews, tons of followers adhere to the silicone nipples more because most are slow flowing.
A newborn’s manner in which he sucks milk is still not as fast as older babies, which is why the slow flowing orthodontic nipples are deemed best for them. However, this shall change as the baby grows. Older babies already know how to control milk flow and a slow flowing nipple might render them impatient.
It would seem that the shape of orthodontic nipples is the chief important factor. Perhaps, in a dental perspective, it is, primarily because it is the closest way to simulate the natural breastfeeding routine.
However, on a medical hindsight, the flow size should be given more consideration. In newborn speak, choking is fatal. Even if the shape of your chosen nipple is close to perfect, if milk gushes out like a floodway, the baby will definitely have a hard time coping up. Their ability to breathe and suck milk simultaneously may be purely based on instinct, but if the milk blocks off their breathing pathway, they would surely have a hard time gasping for air.
Just because orthodontic nipples have come into existence does not mean that mothers may shy away from breastfeeding. The latter is still the best option. Use the bottles for newborns only when necessary and do not substitute your breastfeeding time with bottle feeding if you have the time. Breastfeeding forms a silent, unexplainable bond between mother and child that the bottle can never compensate for.
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