Lact-aid vs. Medela SNS

[khanni]

Hi,

I'm preparing for baby #2. I had low milk supply, I believe due to insufficient glandular tissue. Last time, I used the Medela SNS. It drove me crazy, but sometimes I also loved it. Anyway, I'm definitely planning on using one again, should the need arise, and I believe it will.

Anyway, I remember hearing that the Lact-Aid was easier than the SNS, so I am considering getting one, though I still have the SNS. Does anybody have experience with the lact-aid, and in particular, does anybody have experience with both who can tell me which they prefer and why?

Thanks!
Karin
Mama to Tara (11/25/05) and baby boy due 03/16/08

[SleepyMamaBear]

i havent used the sns but i LOVE my lactaid.
seriously,
its the only way i can nurse my baby and feed her the donor milk she needs while keeping my supply up.
you might want to start taking goats rue now to increase your glandular tissue. its been known to help alot and safe for pregnancy.
also have you been to the low supply website/forums?

[khanni]

Originally Posted by AddysMama

i havent used the sns but i LOVE my lactaid.
seriously,
its the only way i can nurse my baby and feed her the donor milk she needs while keeping my supply up.
you might want to start taking goats rue now to increase your glandular tissue. its been known to help alot and safe for pregnancy.
also have you been to the low supply website/forums?

I actually have found mixed indications on Goat's Rue being safe in pregnancy. I have seen it contraindicated in a few places, but couldn't find out why. Aviva Jill Romm says it's not safe during pregnancy. Motherlove says it's only safe in the last month of pregnancy. Kellymom says not for use during pregnancy. Other sites say nothing been found to contraindicate during pregnancy.

I did find that Shatavari is supposed to be safe for pregnancy and also supposed to help build breast tissue, so I was going to try that. Have you tried it?

I didn't really have much luck with Goat's Rue the last time on it's own (I mean in a separate tincture--I was still taking all the other stuff, too). I noticed better resultes when I used Motherlove More Milk Special Blend, which does have Goat's Rue in it, so I think the combo helped somewhat, because More Milk Special blend definitely worked better than More Milk or More Milk Plus.

[SleepyMamaBear]

for herbs i use the lactaion blend from vitanica. its amazing. i get best results for my supply when i take 6-9 capsules of those combined with 14-16 DPD a day. then i make about 50% of her needs as opposed to only a quarter.
my IBCLC had suggested taking goats rue in the last month or two of pregnancy to help build glandular tissue. of course, me being super lazy and stupid i didnt, cause it was hard to find JUST goats rue without ordering online. and DH has a hard time getting past online buying. :

the low supply site has GREAT info. Diane West is awesome.

just remember, you CAN do it. and even if you have a very hard time doing it, you still CAN do it. you are mama hear you roar!

[Martha_2sons]

I've used both, SNS with DS1 and the lact-aid with DS2. Although I cannot quantify why, I greatly preferred the lact-aid.

[midwestmom]

I have experience mostly with lact-aid (with my twins) and a tiny bit of experience with an SNS and much preferred my lact-aid. I can't even remember all of the differences now, but if you need to use a system long term (I needed it for 6 mo), lact-aid is the way to go. I researched it a TON at some point and that was the conclusion I came to.....I was exhausted with 4 kids ages 3 and under, so can't remember the details. Good luck to you. I didn't ever have to use bottles b/c of the lact-aid and my twins are still nursing at 19 mo.

[JJJJBlue3333]

I've got to go make diner but I've used both. The lact-aid is far better in my opinion and it actually allowed my son to learn to breastfeed without instead of the sns which just provides milk at the breast. The lact-aid is incredible.

[Michelle Renee]

Did you take it when pregnant?

[ColwynsMommy]

One thing I didn't see mentioned here is that you can lay the Lact-Aid lower than your baby, which you can't do with the SNS. That way the baby actually has to suck vigorously to get anything from the supplementer--with the SNS up high, gravity helps the baby out.

We used both and I liked the Lact-Aid a lot better. This time I'll probably buy two sets so I don't have to do a full cleaning after every single nursing session. The Lact-Aid did come with a really nice bulb syringe for cleaning the tubing out, too. That helped tremendously.

[khanni]

Hi all,

Thank you for all your replies. I just had another question for you.

I saw my LC a couple of weeks ago and mentioned maybe getting the Lact-aid this time around (she had given me the SNS the last time around), and she said she had just tried it with a mother and they both hated it.

She admitted it was her first time using it, so it could just be lack of experience, but she said that it was so much harder to clean because of the tubes? She said she did say it was probably better for long term.

So, my question is this:

1) Is it actually that much harder to clean?
2) I understand people like it better because the baby has to work harder (my LC said the same thing), but is that the only reason?
3) Is it because you can actually hold more with it so if you use it long-term it's better. I know the Medela SNS doesn't hold very much.

If it really is harder to clean, I might stick with the Medela SNS for immediate post-partum when he's still not taking much and switch to the lact-aid if I decide to/need to supplement that way long term.

With the SNS, my frustration was mainly just that my daughter would latch on, pull off, latch on, pull of, and it was so difficult to get that darn tube in her mouth just right everytime. When she would stay latched on, I would love it. But, I don't think the Lact-Aid really helps with this issue, does it?

[VijayOwens]

Definitely definitely definitely Lact-Aid over the SNS from Medela. I used the SNS with my first and the Lact-Aid with my second and I MUCH prefer the Lact-Aid. Here's why:

The medela one is hard plastic, and the venting system infuses the milk with bubbles which causes more gas in the baby. The lact-aid is soft plastic and can be hidden under clothing for nursing in public.

It collapses as baby sucks so there's no air. Also it is easier to clean, and you don't need to tape the tubing to your breast. You can even nurse side-lying with it. The tubing is less bulky so it's less noticeable to baby. Your body heat warms the formula to the right temperature.

-Vijay
Mom to Charlotte, 4, and Violet, 2

[larastheme]

Originally Posted by VijayOwens

Definitely definitely definitely Lact-Aid over the SNS from Medela. I used the SNS with my first and the Lact-Aid with my second and I MUCH prefer the Lact-Aid. Here's why:

The medela one is hard plastic, and the venting system infuses the milk with bubbles which causes more gas in the baby. The lact-aid is soft plastic and can be hidden under clothing for nursing in public.

It collapses as baby sucks so there's no air. Also it is easier to clean, and you don't need to tape the tubing to your breast. You can even nurse side-lying with it. The tubing is less bulky so it's less noticeable to baby. Your body heat warms the formula to the right temperature.

-Vijay
Mom to Charlotte, 4, and Violet, 2

:

[tiffani]

thanks so much for the info! I think I'll get two lact-aids!

so, just to add another layer of mama worry to this topic, what type of plastic are the lact-aid bags made of? I know I can't worry about this too much, but wouldn't it be such a great surprise if the bags were bisphenol-free? or whatever nasty stuff is in plastic that shouldn't be eaten? I'm hoping it's perhaps qualified as "food-safe plastic"??

anyone know?

thanks again!

[boheime]

Lact-Aids definitely! Also, the more units you can get, the better. I make up a bunch all at once and keep them in the fridge, ready to go. You get the routine down pretty quickly and learn things to make it go even faster. I've been using LAs for years. I wouldn't have a nursing relationship with my kids if it weren't for LAs.

[Elsaraw]

wow, I guess I'm the only one who prefers the sns! the l.a. is just too much for me- the cleaning, etc. the sns is so bulky but i've gotten used to it. i think it also depends on what you put in it- it seems like what we feed our son was too thick for the lact-aid

[khanni]

Elsaraw,

You are not the only one. My LC hated it, her client hated it, and a few woman on a yahoo group I belong to did not like the Lact-Aid either.

[jesslovesellie]

For those of you with experience with the Lact-aid-- I have thought off and on about trying it with my daughter (now one year old). I have had to supplement almost since the beginning and have tried everything to try and bring up my supply with little success. My concern is that if I only use the lact-aid sometimes (right now she is only taking a supplement at bedtime and occasionally before nap), that this will discourage her from nursing when the supplement isn't present because she won't be getting as much from just the breast. Do you think it would be safe to try/ worthwhile trying with an older infant, or might it sabotage our nursing relationship?

[tiffani]

I thought some of you might be interested in knowing the response I got from lact-aid about their product:

Thank you for your inquiry. You will be pleased, I am sure, to know that Lact-Aid components contain no bisphenol, no DHP ( dihexyl phthalate) and no latex. The LA Bags are LDPE (low density polyethylene). Rigid plastic components are HDPE (high density polyethylene). Tubing is silicone. All materials used are FDA approved for food, and medical use.

We have gone to great effort and expense to assure that materials selected for our product meet the highest safety standards established by the F.D.A. for use in medical, food containers, and child care products.

I don't know how this compares to the SNS, as I haven't asked them about the plastic used in their product, as I'm currently leaning toward the lact-aid.

How is the SNS easier to clean than the lact-aid?

thanks!

[Steph1]

I have a LA, but never used it b/c I like (if one can "like" a supplementer) the SNS (I had 2). Anyway, I still have the LA if anyone wants it. DS stopped using the SNS at 3.5 mos, and recently stopped nursing at 9 mos. I also have an open bottle of Shatavari (took it for a week then went back on domperidone). Please email me if anyone wants either.

[khanni]

Originally Posted by Steph1

I have a LA, but never used it b/c I like (if one can "like" a supplementer) the SNS (I had 2). Anyway, I still have the LA if anyone wants it. DS stopped using the SNS at 3.5 mos, and recently stopped nursing at 9 mos. I also have an open bottle of Shatavari (took it for a week then went back on domperidone). Please email me if anyone wants either.

I would LOVE both!! More than happy to pay for shipping. I'll PM you.