Home Forums Induced Lactation aka Adoptive Breastfeeding Medical Interventions to Induce Lactation/Increase Milk Supply Lact-Aid / SNS

Good morning all! First of all, for those of you that may remember, I posted a question earlier regarding pumps. I am happy to report that a dear friend offered the use of her pump in style, so I am all set.

My questions today are in regard to the Lact-Aid and SNS. First of all, what is a SNS and how is it different from a Lact-Aid? Do I need to go ahead and purchase these before the baby arrives? Or should I wait until I at least start pumping to see how my supply is going to be? Are there any recommended brands?

Thanks so much!
Leasa

The SNS is a plastic bottle that has two tubes coming out of it. The bottle hangs upside down from a string around your neck and basically works on gravity. There are three different sizes of tubing for different thicknesses of formula or for baby's special needs. The Lact-Aid looks more like an iv bag, has one tube and works by baby sucking...not by gravity (it doesn't hang upside down, you just clip the neck strap onto either side of the bag). I've found that the Lact-Aid produces better results...baby has to suck "deeper" to get the milk. The Lact-Aid also works on the bag system, like a Playtex disposable bottle...baby gets a clean bag every feeding, no need to sterilize the container. The SNS has to be cleaned after every feeding. With the Lact-Aid, you can prepare several bags at one time and just put the top on and go. If you go for the Lact-Aid, you need to have several "units"...that's the part that has the tubing. The SNS is probably more cost effective, but in my opinion, the Lact-Aid is best!

Hope this helps!

I use both and recommend both, although there is definitely a preference for the Lact-Aid among the women on this message board. Sometimes I feel like a black sheep using the SNS. Both supplementers have more detailed info on its respective company's website.

My son prefers the SNS because he gets double straws ( an idea of a local LC I saw).

I only used the lact-aid. I didn't know about the SNS till much later. From what I understand the lact-aid makes the baby work harder to get the milk which means more stimuli for you and that will help build your supply. I also heard the lact-aid has more supple tubing and the SNS is stiffer like a drink straw but that may not be anymore.

I bought the lact-aid. My thinking was if the top comes off or comes loose do I want something hanging upside down if that happens. I actually used my lact-aid for the first time yesterday. I was making alot of milk before my daughter was born but she is not gaining so I am now supplementing with frozen breast milk. The lact-aid is very easy to use. I was VERY intimadated by it at first. I still am about using it in public. But it is very easy. My daughter took to it very easily. She is 3 weeks old and she had no problem.

Thanks guys for your help. I am so ready to start pumping and see what happens!!

Christina: I noticed that you sign some of your posts with "Aloha." Are you from Hawaii? My dh and I lived on Oahu in Kailua for 3 years. LOVED IT. Hoping to go back sometime in the future.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Well, I'm Hawaiian at heart and lived in Hawaii for four years, which is also when I met my husband who is part Hawaiian. Hope you can make it back to the islands!

Let us know how the pumping goes!

Aloha,

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