MAM Supports UK Hospitals with their Premature Soother Range

When a parent finds themself at the start of a journey with a premature infant, it can often feel very daunting, as most commonly, a full-term birth has been prepared for. Yet, weeks ahead of schedule, they find themselves in the unexpected world of the neonatal unit. When we add into the mix the complex care needed for preemie infants and the mother’s own physical and emotional recovery, it is little wonder that parents can feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to begin. A great place to start is by supporting the infant with the natural and instinctive urge to suck. Interestingly, a premature infant will suck for both nutritional and non-nutritive purposes. However, when looking at feeding, many premature infants cannot immediately feed at the breast or bottle. Therefore, they will need alternative feeding methods, such as a feeding tube, until they have developed the skills necessary for oral feeding. So, where does non-nutritive sucking fit in? The ability to suck and swallow is present by about 28 weeks gestation. However, the ability to coordinate the suck-swallow-breathe cycle required for feeding isn’t present until approximately 32 to 34 weeks gestation. Therefore, premature infants can lack the coordinated sucking skills to effectively feed at the breast or bottle. However, studies show that introducing a soother to premature infants to facilitate non-nutritive sucking speeds up the development of this sucking technique, which in turn helps them to progress onto oral feeds quicker.

In addition, further evidence suggests that non-nutritive sucking provides psychological comfort and reduces the infant’s pain perception during uncomfortable procedures. Soothers are also beneficial for infants who need help breathing using CPAP, as they can help keep the mouth closed and maintain pressure in the airways, making breathing easier for the baby.

The small shield size of the MAM preemie soothers leaves more space for breathing masks and other medical devices, and the lightweight design means the lip and tongue muscles are not overworked.

The MAM Preemie & Comfort soother range is available in 3 sizes:

• Size 1 & 2 (Class 1 Medical Device) – for hospital use only

• Size 3 Comfort – available for hospital and home use MAM products are developed in cooperation with medical experts and research institutes such as ICMRS, paediatricians, child development experts, dentists, and midwives. Only after approval by medical experts is a MAM innovation ready for baby life. For all enquiries: email hcp@mamuk.com

Overview of soother benefits

• develops sucking coordination

• supports more rapid progression onto oral feeds

• psychological comfort

• naturally reduces the perception of pain

• supports breathing during CPAP

January and February is the peak trading period for the baby industry, and it has been a busy new year at Online4baby.

Sales continue to be strong, despite increased competition from the high street and online retailers. Across the industry there appears to be a greater reliance on promotions as brands and retailers compete in a tough macroeconomic environment. And with less disposable income, customers have doubled down on finding the best value for their pound.

To ensure we continue to best serve our customers and grow the business, we have started the new year by reflecting on what customers really want in a recessionary environment.

We know customers value choice, but we know they also want curation and recommendations. To better serve our customers, we are rationalizing our range by doubling down on products we know our customers love. To help navigate our site, we are also making it easier for customers to identify top products and ranges.

We are also working closely with our manufacturers and suppliers to ensure we keep prices low for our customers. In 2023 we are expecting costs to go up even more which will bring rough times ahead for the baby industry, but we continue to be guided by our mission to offer the best prices.

We believe that offering the right product at the best price with exceptional service is key to winning in this market, and so Online4baby continues to focus on our winning customer proposition.

We also have a few exciting developments to announce. Firstly, we are delighted to announce Christy Foster our CEO has been shortlisted for the 2023 Northern Power WomenOutstanding Entrepreneur Award. We have also made several key hires across the business to help Online4baby continue to grow. Toby Gavin joined us in the new year as Chief Marketing Officer. Toby joins us from Manchesterbased LOOKFANTASTIC, part of e-commerce group THG, where he led marketing for Europe. We’re excited about the performance-marketing expertise Toby is bringing to the business, particularly as we embark on our exciting three-year growth journey.

We also have some exciting changes within our customer service department, which are going to bring a new dynamic to the team, Jody Burton, who started her career at Online4baby as a Senior Customer Service Agent in May 2018 has, after years of dedication and hard work been appointed to the role of Customer Service Manager. Jody has amazing product and industry knowledge meaning our customers are receiving the highest level of care and information.

We have also brought Nicola Crook into the team as Customer Service and Sales Senior Supervisor. Nicola looks at our overall customer journey and ensures that they have the top level of care from start to finish, and even after! She is great at guiding parents through the buying process with an unbiased opinion. Our customer service department is at the forefront of the company, and we are proud of the feedback we receive and our Trustpilot score reflects that. Afterall the key to every good business in troubling times is an amazing customer service team.

We are looking forward to the future and we have lots of new and exciting plans for the business.