My breastfeeding journey with E was very short-lived. We didn't continue for very long at all because I could feel myself beginning to hate feeding her and I genuinely felt like I was teetering on the edge of postnatal depression. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I really wish I'd sought advice rather than sending Chris out to buy a tub of formula but what's done is done.
As I made the transition from breast to bottle, I was a bit worried that E may not take to the teat of the bottle easily as she was so used to nipple. Haberman sent us out one of their Suckle Feeders to try out.
The Suckle Feeder is a baby bottle that is designed for those who aren't breastfeeding or those who want to introduce combination feeding.
The first thing I noticed about the bottle was that the teat is off-centre. This is because the baby's jaw applies pressure to the full teat just like it does to the breast milk ducts. The baby's tongue makes a wave, pressing the 'nipple' against the roof of the baby's mouth. The tongue rolls the milk backwards then lowers which renews the negative pressure to let more milk through. It's the perfect teat mimic a breast and make the transition easier for your baby.
E suffers with colic and the Suckle Feeder helps with that too. The green filter, well, filters out bubbles and froth so your baby isn't swallowing air. The teat also stays full at any angle so similarly to breastfeeding, any position is feasible. The valve system helps your baby to feed at their own pace by shutting between each suckle. This was my favourite aspect as lots of milk would flow through freely and E couldn't handle it. I found that E took to the bottle very well, surprisingly! I remember when C was little, all Hell broke loose when I tried to introduce a bottle that he wasn't used to.
I would definitely recommend the Suckle Feeder to any breastfeeding mum who is worried about expressing for having to leave their baby and getting them used to a bottle. It is also a great first bottle for babies who aren't being breastfed at all.
The Suckle Feeders are BPA-free, hold 260ml and are suitable from birth. They retail at £7.50 and you can find a list of stockists here.
As I stopped breastfeeding cold turkey, it was very hard when my milk came in. I would constantly wake up soaking and I had really painful and engorged breasts. Haberman also sent me out a box of their breast pads.
Over the course of my two pregnancies, I have had the pleasure of trying out lots of different breast pad brands and I have to admit that Haberman rank quite highly.
They're really absorbent and suitable for both day and night but I did find that during the night they didn't quite absorb all of the milk that was leaking. The inner layer of the pads turn moisture into gel so I found that I didn't feel as "dirty" wearing them compared to other breast pads. The pads are actually a lot bigger than regular ones which definitely helps with absorption.
With all the breast pads that I've used in the past, they only had a tiny circle to stick the pad to the inside of your bra but the Haberman ones have a full strip meaning that they stay in place for longer. They are also all indivually wrapped which is great if you're out and about. You can just pop a few in the changing bag.
(Disclaimer: We received these items free of charge in exchange for an open and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)
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