# Cast Your Nipple



## futureCPM

I'm a doula in training and I've been reading Dr Jack Newman's Ultimate BFing. Of course it talks a lot about the problems with bottle feeding and other artificial means of feeding. It also talks about nipple confusion.

I had a bit of a "revelation" while reading it. If a mother must use (after exhausting other means) a bottle for her milk or formula, wouldn't it be best to use her own nipple for the bottle? I was thinking what if we could make a cast of the nipple to create a replica? We have the technology ($6MDM)







Just poke some holes in the replica and wha-la.

I did some research and it would be a little expensive ($85) but wouldn't it be worth it? Obviously this is a non-existant part of the market right now. However, there are already breast, nipple, and penis casting kits in silicone (not plaster).

Hmm, maybe this can be a side service to being a doula?


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## wombat

You know, I think this is a GREAT idea. Most bottle nipples have very long nipples. I have heard that babies of mothers who have the 'classic bottle shaped long nipples' get less nipple confusion. So if 'cast your nipple' was available, it might help reduce nipple confusion when baby needs to get bottles. I think any mother who has a baby who is not taking a bottle when the baby needs to would hand over $85 pretty easily! I know I would have. It's hell when baby won't eat.

I've seen ads for those penis casting kits, LOL. It shouldn't be too much work for them to make nipple casting kits.

Maybe you should start this as a business!


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## babygrant

I think that's an awesome idea!!!

Quote:

I've seen ads for those penis casting kits
Are you serious?!?!! Why would anyone ever want to cast their penis????


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## Kathryn

I don't see how it would work. Rubber or anything like that isn't like skin. Our nipples stretch really long inside the infants mouth. I can't see a rubber nipple casted from a non-stretched nipple working.


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## Mommy Piadosa

My question if I were to buy this product would be is there a way to apply suction while making the cast?- my nipple shape changes drastically when it is in dc's mouths. (Which is why those long squared off playtex nipples always worked so well for us)
Dana


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## Mommy Piadosa

K- we posted the same thing at the same time LOL


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## wombat

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kathryn*
I don't see how it would work. Rubber or anything like that isn't like skin. Our nipples stretch really long inside the infants mouth. I can't see a rubber nipple casted from a non-stretched nipple working.

Have you seen the Gerber Gentle Flex pacifiers?
http://www.gerber.com/prodcat?catid=579

They're designed to flex in and out like the nipple does. I don't know if they could get this action to work on a bottle nipple though.


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## futureCPM

Of course, actual BFing is best but if it's not working . . .
Real nipples are best, but if not possible . . .
Wouldn't this be better than store-bought nipples?

You can't use rubber. Rubber has to be manufactured and is not good with detail or, at least, it would be prohibitively expensive to use.

Silicone is the current only option, but I think it's a good one. Silicone will flex and it's better when it's thinner.

It is possible to cast the "suctioned" nipple (which may be better and more accurate) and I can elaborate if need be.


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## Kathryn

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wombat*
Have you seen the Gerber Gentle Flex pacifiers?
http://www.gerber.com/prodcat?catid=579

They're designed to flex in and out like the nipple does. I don't know if they could get this action to work on a bottle nipple though.

I've still never seen a non-flex'd nipple that long though.


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## wombat

I would have found it much preferable to store bought ones in my case. My dd had a high palate and one of my nipples was rather flattish, so she had trouble drawing the nipple far enough back into her mouth to nurse efficiently. The flattish nipple that didn't extend well made this even worse. We finger fed with syringe for a couple of weeks but she was such a slow feeder that there were not enough hours in the day to pump, nurse then supplement so in order to get in enough feeds per 24 hours we ended up going to bottles. She got bad nipple confusion and after the high palate issues resolved, we had trouble weaning her off the bottles. A bottle with my own shape nipple would have been invaluable I think.

I'm very curious just how many women do have those long bottle shaped nipples.

LOL Kathryn, me either!


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## wombat

Actually one problem I can foresee is the cost - it'd be good to have at least 2 nipples and they only last a few months at most. But then again, these things are usually just a stop gap measure until baby is back on the breast.


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## tash11

I think thats a neat idea. finger feeding is still prolly cheaper (especilly if you use a lact-aid or sns anyway like I do). but in cases like wombat's it would be great. and silicone is boilable to sterilize it.

I think the penis replica thing is neat. its kinda like the bottle thing, you know, like if hes at work or something...


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