Wording on Medela "breastmilk bottle"

[MG01]

You know those 5 oz bottles medela sells, marked as "breastmilk bottles," which can be used to both pump directly into and freeze, and also as a feeding bottle? On the back of the package, it states this:

"Make sure breastfeeding is well established before introducing a nipple."

I imagine it would be pretty difficult to establish breastfeeding without the introduction of a nipple. Lol.

Not sure whether to find this humorous or to be pissed off that a company like Medela, whose purpose is providing products for nursing moms, would write something like that, normalizing an artificial nipple over the real one (although, given that their products are intended for pumping and bottle feeding, perhaps that's just the mindset they are in..)

[spughy]

Medela is a Swiss company, I believe... it sounds like a classic translation error - it is possible that the translator didn't know that English uses the term "nipple" to refer to a part of the breast AND a part of a bottle. I don't speak German at all nor enough French to know for sure, but that's what it sounds like to me.

[Claire and Boys]

Originally Posted by spughy

Medela is a Swiss company, I believe... it sounds like a classic translation error - it is possible that the translator didn't know that English uses the term "nipple" to refer to a part of the breast AND a part of a bottle. I don't speak German at all nor enough French to know for sure, but that's what it sounds like to me.

Here in the UK, "nipples" refers to body parts only, the bottle parts are called teats. So that wording is doubly strange to me.

[betsyj]

Nipple can mean a breast or the the bottle depending so probably simply a translation error rather then a plot to undermine breastfeeding.

[kriket]

Originally Posted by spughy

Medela is a Swiss company, I believe... it sounds like a classic translation error.

we call it 'engrish' at work! i work w/ video games and frequently the japanese to english translation can become quite humorous!

nak

[jeliphish]

I call a bottle nipple a nipple....I personally don't see the big deal. Normalizing or not...the wording on the medela bottle is not going to have an effect on whether or not a mom breastfeeds.

[MG01]

Originally Posted by jeliphish

I call a bottle nipple a nipple....I personally don't see the big deal. Normalizing or not...the wording on the medela bottle is not going to have an effect on whether or not a mom breastfeeds.

I realize a bottle nipple is a also nipple. However, to me, a baby feeding from a nipple would first call to mind the nipple on the breast, and I would tend to call a bottle nipple an artificial nipple or substitute nipple to differentiate in said context. Thus, I found it odd and ironic and quite humorous as well that they stated one should "wait until breastfeeding is well established to introduce a nipple." (Implying that breastfeeding does not involve a nipple, or that the typical nipple for feeding would be that of a bottle) Maybe others have different connotations with the word, but since both breast and bottle are "nipples," it would require a nipple one way or the other to feed your child (unless you cup feed or syringe feed or gavage tube in nicu, but that's irrelevant) And I now understand it may have been a translation issue as well.

However, while I do agree that such wording is not going to "stop moms from breastfeeding," I would disagree that it is irrelevant or "not a big deal". Any wording has an impact on public perception and social norms, and to me this is in the category of normalizing bottle feeding over nursing at the breast (which is/should be the norm). And I have nothing against bottles- I purchased the bottle and package in reference to pump, and my son has taken several bottles of ebm although this is usually not needed in our situation, it is not a problem if and when it is needed.

Just my opinion. It's not a hill to die on but I found the wording ironic and do feel it is an example of bigger issues, although as pointed out, this may have been due to language.

[Equuskia]

It could be an engrish problem. In Spanish there are two different words for nipples, pezón for breast nipple, and biberón for bottle nipple.

[St. Margaret]

Probably a language issue more than anything. I'm just totally impressed that they make the statement on there at all. Go, Medela!

[teale]

Originally Posted by St. Margaret

Probably a language issue more than anything. I'm just totally impressed that they make the statement on there at all. Go, Medela!

That was my thought too. Medela strikes me as a pro-breastfeeding company, so I assume that they just lost it in translation.

[Rivka5]

I just pulled out the Medela bottles I use for pumping. Molded in plastic, right on each bottle, is a pro-breastfeeding slogan. I've got:

Breastfeeding best feeding
Mother's milk is #1
Breastfeeding is baby's best start
Breastfeeding: nature's perfect food

...I think Medela is okay.

[Sagesgirl]

Implying that breastfeeding does not involve a nipple, or that the typical nipple for feeding would be that of a bottle

It really doesn't imply that at all, unless you're actively looking for offense. Quite obviously they're referring to an artificial nipple, because as you yourself said, breastfeeding cannot be established without a nipple.

There's nothing to read into the statement except for the fact that Medela is trying to make sure women know that nipple confusion exists.

[jessjgh1]

OP, I totally find it ironic/funny too.... lol.
My g-pa called pacifiers nipples too, and that always made me (want to) giggle.

And FWIW, if I were the company, I'd want to correct that. It just sounds silly and since it is a translation error isn't really professional.

Jessica

[MovingMomma]

Originally Posted by teale

Medela strikes me as a pro-breastfeeding company

But they are WHO Code violators. I don't know that you can assume good intent here.

[Romana]

I love Medela. They make a fantastic breast pump. My two babies, both exclusively breastfed to 6 months and for whom I pumped for 12 months each, would have been on formula at 2 months of age without the pump.

It is great to be able to buy the bottles alone. The horns last much longer than the bottles, and I need more bottles than horns. Plenty of times I've needed bottles but not more horns. I've never once used a Medela bottle to feed my baby - we use Avent for that (actually, I think dh tried and the baby refused the Medela nipple). What I'm getting from the WHO code violation is that the bottles should only be sold in packages that include horns. Or is there some other solution I'm missing here?

I'm not a Medela critic - they will need to do worse then selling me conveniently-packaged supplies I need before I get upset with them for not being sufficiently breastfeeding-friendly. Seriously, how HARD do you want it to be for working, pumping mothers??

[jocelynr]

It is great to be able to buy the bottles alone. The horns last much longer than the bottles, and I need more bottles than horns. Plenty of times I've needed bottles but not more horns. I've never once used a Medela bottle to feed my baby - we use Avent for that (actually, I think dh tried and the baby refused the Medela nipple). What I'm getting from the WHO code violation is that the bottles should only be sold in packages that include horns. Or is there some other solution I'm missing here?

It's not that they're sold separately--that's not a violation. The violation is that they are MARKETED separately. It's fine to sell artificial nipples and bottles, but the marketing is what undermines breastfeeding. I'm a working mother, and I have to pump and dd gets bottles while we're apart. I don't need to be marketed to buy bottles/nipples for her. If I ever have to pump for another child, I'll get an Ameda pump unless Medela corrects their violations. There was an entire thread on here a couple of months ago if you want to read it.

[hparsh]

Originally Posted by kriket

we call it 'engrish' at work! i work w/ video games and frequently the japanese to english translation can become quite humorous!

nak

What does "engrish" mean? Is it making fun of their accent?

[teale]

Originally Posted by MovingMomma

But they are WHO Code violators. I don't know that you can assume good intent here.

Well, as far as companies trying to make money of feeding your child, I think they fall into the lesser evil companies, in my eyes.

[Sasharna]

Originally Posted by hparsh

What does "engrish" mean? Is it making fun of their accent?

It has come to mean poor translations on signs, packages, etc that sometimes end up being quite humorous. For more, see here: What is Engrish?

[Sijae]

Originally Posted by Sagesgirl

It really doesn't imply that at all, unless you're actively looking for offense. Quite obviously they're referring to an artificial nipple, because as you yourself said, breastfeeding cannot be established without a nipple.

There's nothing to read into the statement except for the fact that Medela is trying to make sure women know that nipple confusion exists.

:

I don't see anything wrong with it. I've always called bottle nipples "nipples." It may make more sense to you if they substituted the word "bottle" for "nipple" but "nipple confusion" is a common problem and a well known term. I think it makes sense for them to bring it up and word it that way. I think since it's printed on a plastic bottle and is a warning, that it's obvious they are referring to bottle nipples.

Amongst all the gross violations and immoral acts of anti-breastfeeding companies (like nestle) I really think it's silly to get so upset about this. It seems like you're looking for something to be offended by.