Nipple that Mimics Breastfeeding Now Available at National Retail Chains

MCHENRY, Ill., Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Calma breastmilk feeding system from Medela, Inc.—which helps emulate the breastfeeding experience for babies—is now available in major national retail stores and with an 8-oz bottle, as well as the 5-oz size. Calma is a research-based nipple used with a BPA-free breastmilk bottle, designed to help babies maintain their natural feeding behavior and transition from bottle back to breast with ease.

"The same Calma nipple can be used throughout the entire feeding experience since baby controls the flow," said Carolin Archibald president of Medela. "With Calma more conveniently available, it's easier for moms to take advantage of this latest advancement in breastmilk feeding."

Calma is now available in three retail chains around the country—Babies R Us, Buy Buy Baby and Target—in addition to numerous juvenile specialty stores and online retailers. Mothers, friends and family, will be able to purchase Calma at the same locations they purchase other Medela breastfeeding support products, such as the Pump In Style Advanced and the new Quick Clean Breastmilk Removal Soap.

Calma is based on breastfeeding science of milk removal from the breast. Research published in the journal, Early Human Development, by world-renowned scientists and lactation researchers from the University of Western Australia, demonstrated that babies create a vacuum when extracting milk from the breast.[i]

Calma was developed through the work of lead researcher Dr. Donna Geddes, assistant professor, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences at the University of Western Australia, with Medela's support. With Calma, breastmilk flows when babies create a vacuum so they can feed, pause and breathe — which mimics their feeding behavior at the breast. As a result, Calma's unique vacuum technology allows mothers to provide pumped breastmilk to their babies, and easily transition babies back to feeding at the breast.

The vacuum technology in the Calma nipple is vastly different from a conventional bottle nipple, which may disrupt normal feeding behavior and contribute to a difficult transition from bottle to breast. Milk flows freely from a standard bottle nipple even if the baby is not actively sucking — a feature unlike that of the breast. Calma's technology allows babies to continue their natural feeding behavior as if they were at the breast, making it easier for babies to transition back to breastfeeding.

Calma is a part of Medela's complete breastfeeding support system of pump, store and feed products. Calma's one size/shape nipple is used for all stages of breastmilk feeding and also helps to reduce gassiness. Breastfeeding should be well established before introducing Calma. Visit www.medela.com for more information.

About Medela
Medela provides the most technologically advanced, superior-quality breastpumps and breastfeeding accessories to nursing mothers around the world. A longtime champion of breastfeeding, Medela is the only company to develop products based on research by the world's leading lactation experts. As a result, Medela's breastpumps are the number one choice of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities worldwide, including more than 80 percent of U.S. hospitals.

Medela has developed an extensive line of products to meet the diverse needs of nursing mothers. These products include hospital-grade, double and single electric and manual breastpumps; breastfeeding accessories such as pump cleaning products, breast care products and specialty feeding devices; and maternity and nursing intimate apparel. 

Founded in 1961 by Olle Larsson in Zug, Switzerland, Medela continues to grow under the ownership of the Larsson family. Medela serves customers through a worldwide network of distribution partners in more than 90 countries and its 15 subsidiaries in the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Germany, Sweden, France, Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, Poland and Spain. The company entered the United States more than 30 years ago; its U.S. headquarters are located in McHenry, Illinois. www.medela.com

[i] Geddes, D.T., Sakalidis, V.S., Hepworth, A.R., et al. (Early Human Development, 2011). Tongue movement and intra-oral vacuum of term infants during breastfeeding from an experimental teat that released milk under vacuum only.

Media Contact:
Claudette Yasell
815-578-2452
[email protected]

SOURCE Medela, Inc.

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