On Overcoming Feeding Challenges in the NICU and Beyond with Mason Bottle
"You go into parenthood, and you have a plan in your mind, of how everything, you want it to go. And you know, we knew that we were going to use the Mason Bottle and we were going to breastfeed, and the fact that he wasn’t latching on was a big downer, but when we saw him latch onto the Mason Bottle and he was eating and he wasn’t choking, that to us was everything."
One thing I absolutely love about Paola's story--other than the fact that Max was able to get a perfect latch on the bottle--is how well she adapted to the situation.
As she so wisely points out, we all have a plan in our mind of how we want parenting to go, and of course, things rarely work out that way.
But as we filmed this video together, with Max cuddled up and sleeping peacefully on her lap-- happy and healthy as can be--we both saw how, in the end, no matter what you planned, things have a beautiful way of working out.
On Mason Bottle: Easy Cleaning, Low Cost
"I remember with [my first baby] we had normal bottles, and I’m not kidding, I would throw them out, because I did not want to clean them. And I would just spend money like crazy on bottles..."
If you're a first time mom, or you've never used plastic bottles before, it's difficult to articulate how gross--and how frustrating it is--to deal with that sour milk smell that never seems to come off plastic baby bottles and milk storage containers. Paola's story so perfectly, and hilariously sums how much easier glass can be.
On Saving Money with Mason Bottle
"So we had a bunch of [mason jars] anyways at home. So that’s why it was so easy to just get the nipples, and the sleeves, and the tops. And it was so awesome to put together."
Paola just purchased Mason Bottle's DIY Kits to get everything needed to convert her jars into bottles. If you have jars at home, no need to purchase milk storage bags, because your jars will be perfect for this.
A Final Note on Preemie Feeding and Latch Issues
For baby Max, Mason Bottle's Slow Flow Silicone Nipple worked perfectly. The wide breast-like nipple shape makes it easy to get a natural latch, and the flow is slow enough for newborns and even preemies.
But, occasionally preemies and full term babies alike will refuse virtually all nipples a parent tries. In these tough cases, we recommend Mason Bottle's Extra-Soft Slow Flow Nipple.
This nipple is incredible thin and flexible to give babies the most natural feel possible. Preemies and picky babies are able to use this nipple for the first few months of life, and then graduate up to our regular Slow Flow or Medium Flow Nipple once they've gotten the hang of things.
On Listening to Your Body
Paola’s little boy, Max, was born almost two months early. She sat down to talk to us about everything from how Mason Bottle helped with Max’s latch issues, to cleaning, saving money, and the mother’s intuition that saved her baby’s life at 32 weeks.
“I told my husband, Miguel, I have to go in. And he was like, “Why?” And again, I couldn’t describe it to him, it was just something that I was feeling.”
I’m particularly excited to have had the chance to share Paola’s story because 10 years ago, she was my student. And now she’s grown up to be a successful young woman, with a beautiful family, and has even become—of all things—our customer!
She always advocated for herself in the classroom, and listening to her tell the story of how she stood up for her intuition and went to the ER at 32 weeks, makes me so proud.
Even though she couldn't articulate what was wrong, and she thought the doctors might tell her she was overreacting, she wasn't afraid to go in and stand up for what she was feeling.
I hope that sharing her story will inspire other moms to stay tuned into their bodies during pregnancy and to be more confident in themselves and their intuition.
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