focus BOTTLES/STERILISERS
Bottled up
Image courtesy NUK
With a variety of baby bottles and teats available, what are common anxieties by mums? We spoke to those in the know to find out more. Breastfeeding may be stated as best for baby, but there are many who may experience difficulties or where, for a variety of reasons, will choose to bottle feed using either expressed milk or formula and will research options and look for advice online - for example seeking teats which mimic the breast enabling mum to switch easily from breast to bottle feeding without creating ‘nipple confusion’. This is also a great opportunity for dads who want to get involved with feeding their little one to create a level of closeness and bonding, or to simply assist with night time feeds. However, there are so many anxieties when it comes to bottle feeding. “We all know that breastfeeding baby is nature’s way, however the reality is that it is not always possible for mum to breastfeed their baby for a number of reasons. Sometimes the stigma around bottle feeding and pressures to breast feed can lead to anxieties around bottle feeding. Am I doing the best for my baby? Will bottle feeding harm my baby’s development? Should I feed expressed Breastmilk or formula? Then comes bottle acceptance. Whilst babies are ‘hardwired’ to suckle, not every baby is compatible with every bottle, so parents are then faced with the challenge of finding the right bottle for their baby with just trial and error to help them.” Said Vital Baby’s CEO, Dean Tollman. Helen Bloxham, NUK’s Marketing Manager would agree commenting “I think when you leave hospital there is an expectation to breastfeed, whilst NUK fully supports this message I think it’s 16
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important to make mum feel as comfortable as possible with her decision, where possible offering her as much choice as you can to ensure her baby is feeding healthily, whether that be breastfed, combination or just bottle fed. Finding the best way for the baby to latch on and feed will ultimately reduce anxiety.” With information readily available at the touch of a button online, we asked Dean whether he felt parents were turning to the internet to research products? “While word of mouth and recommendations from friends and family are hugely important to parents (particularly new parents), the baby market moves very quickly and there is every possibility that there are newer or even better products when they’re shopping compared to when their friends did. Because of this, teamed with the growing blogger and influencer base, parents are increasingly moving towards the internet for product details, recommendations, and honest reviews.” What about brand names, do these have a pivotal role when it comes to this particular product category? Dean feels it’s all about finding a brand they trust commenting: “It’s important for parents to find a brand they trust for quality products, and that they feel they can go to when they’re in need or unsure of something. While there are some big brands out there that have been around for a long time, there is an increasing amount of smaller, family-run businesses that are growing in the market. Many of these smaller businesses have built their brands and products based on their own experiences with their children, and in some cases the products they’ve
developed can actually be better than the products bigger brands have to offer. We would urge retailers and parents to do their research behind the smaller brands before making their choices.” An area of concern for many parents who opt to bottle feed is of course colic - are parents aware of anti reflux bottles and teats - is this an area where brands excel with regard to innovation? We asked Helen for her thoughts. “Parents are aware of colic and understand how unpleasant it is, so therefore look for the “anti-colic” statement on packaging.” she said, adding “NUK Teats have an anti colic valve allowing air to circulate whilst baby is drinking helping to prevent colic. Also the feed hole is on the top of the teat allowing milk to go to the top of the mouth, then circulating in the mouth and mixing with saliva before being swallowed, preventing the baby gulping and causing colic.” With the new generation of parents, eco-credentials on many products are high on the list of wants prior to purchase. Is this also an area where this is of importance? “Products with eco-credentials are a hot topic.” Comments Dean. “There are some great, innovative eco-friendly products on the market at the moment, from sterilising all the way through to furniture. With time, innovation and development, we’re sure more eco-friendly solutions will come through to the market as it’s becoming increasingly more important to consumers.” When parents look at bottle feeding, bottle and teat cleaning is something that goes alongside bottle feeding, therefore what are parents looking for as a cleaning solution? Dean told us: “Sterilising is just as
important to parents now as it ever has been, but of course the pandemic has made everyone more aware over the past 18 months. There’s a big offering when it comes to sterilising in the baby market – whether it be sterilising on the go, cold water sterilising, UV sterilisation or appliances that sterilise and dry for you, all of which have the same fundamental ‘sterilising’ function. This means that when choosing, parents can make the decision based on which is most efficient and convenient for their lives, all the while being able to trust that their items will be sterilised properly no matter what they opt for.” As Vital Baby have a UV Steriliser within their range, we also asked Dean if they had seen an increase in demand for UV Sterilisers? “More than we could ever have imagined! As the first brand to place a UV steriliser on to the UK baby market, launching a new and unknown product that was so important to baby’s health was a risk for us. Fortunately it’s a risk that paid off, and lead to the development and launch of our latest NURTURE advanced pro UV steriliser & dryer. Packed with enhanced features and improved performance, our 2nd generation model is set to lead the market just like we did the first time around.” Finally we asked Helen what are the retailer benefits for those who stock products that fall within the bottles/ sterilisers category? “Consumers return again once they have purchased the bottles for replacement teats, soothers etc, it will increase footfall over all as there is a consumer need for these products. Whilst birth rates are not increasing, the need for these products will always be there.”
