*Edited 1/12/17 I am editing my review after 9 months of using the system. My opinion of the product hasn't changed, but the way I used it did a bit since the beginning. Kiinde was a life-saver for me since I ended up exclusively pumping my daughter because of latching issues that never resolved themselves. I ended up not pumping into the bags. I wanted a uniform amount in every single bag and I could never trust the measurements. So, I pumped into bottles and consolidated into a Kiinde bag for fridge storage. Also, I did not freeze any Kiinde bags. I used Lansinoh bags for freezer storage because the Kiinde ones are way too bulky. Lansinoh bags freeze flat and you can fit many more in a box. I am an expert on freezer storing. At one point, I had 5,000 ounces in my freezers! There is no way I could fit that much in the freezer if I had used the Kiinde bags. Yes, the bags are expensive. But, for me, the cost was worth it. I loved the bottles. They worked great for my daughter who had terrible reflux. I was so thankful that I didn't have 8-10 bottles a day to wash. I didn't have any trouble with the bottle warmer. Only recently has it been doing some weird things but that is after using it for 9 months. It still works but the timer gets stuck on occasion. It takes 8.5 minutes to warm up 4 ounces of frozen milk. 5 ounces of milk in the fridge takes 4.5 minutes to warm. One other thing that I feel is important to mention. Twice I had a product issue with bags/nipples. I bought the box of 80 bags and ONE of the bags had a split seam. I emailed Kiinde and they SENT ME A NEW BOX OF 80. That was way beyond my expectations. Another time, I had bought some new nipples but got old product (old style of nipple). They sent me all new nipples free of charge. When you are sleep deprived and just barely hanging on, you don't have time to deal with random issues. I appreciated their stellar customer service so much for taking care of me. Original Review: This is hands-down the best baby-related purchase that I have made. Feedings with my 6 weeks old baby have been a nightmare. Here were our issues: 1. She has a very painful latch, therefore I pump 90% of the time and nurse only a couple of times a night. 2. She is extremely gassy. Like, I'm talking man-farts. I know that the culprit is bottles because I can hear her ingesting air as she drinks. Also, (here is the major battle) a few minutes into feeding she starts crying while drinking. After a few days of scratching my head, I realized that it's because she is ingesting so much air that it hurts to eat. But, I pull the bottle away to burp her and she screams because she is hungry. It's a catch 22. I have been having to burp her 10 or so times during any one feeding. As you can imagine, I spend at least an hour feeding her each and every time. You do the math when you have to feed an infant every 2-4 hours. The dark circles under my eyes are horrible. 3. Since I spend so much time pumping and I have a limited supply, I hate, hate, hate to see that liquid gold wasted! We have been using Dr. Brown's and Joovy Boob bottles both with preemie nipples and they both leaked so much down her face that she had to wear a bib while feeding to avoid soaking her clothes. Ok...so that saves her clothes, but look at all the milk wasted! It broke my heart! 4. Lack of sleep has caused me to do some crazy things. I wore my shirt inside out to my doctor appointment last week. I put orange juice in my cereal. You get the picture. There were several times that I got confused and almost dumped the freshly pumped milk down the drain as I was transferring it to bottles. I also spilled a bottle and wasted milk. Any way that I could minimize transferring the milk was absolutely necessary to avoid further meltdowns on my part. 5. As any new mom, or even a seasoned veteran will tell you, you need to figure out where to save time! I found myself a slave to bottle cleaning. I ran the microwave 10-12 times a day. Between pumping and feeding, I was standing there for 3 minutes each time to sanitize the bottles and that doesn't count the time cleaning the bottles with soap. I couldn't keep up with pumping, feeding and cleaning bottles AND still being a human being (that requires showers). So, then I discovered the Kiinde system. I cannot even believe it. It has solved all of our problems. Pros: 1. ZERO milk dripped out down her chin while she drank. I checked. NOT A DROP. I didn't need a bib and I didn't waste ANY! I couldn't be happier about this! 2. She no longer ingests all of that air! I saw the claim about reducing air, but isn't that what all bottle manufacturers say? So, I was skeptical. But, I can't hear any air being swallowed like I could before, and even better, I no longer have to burp her in the middle of feedings! She doesn't cry during feedings due to painful gas at all anymore! And, when I finally did burp her at the end, I got one tiny burp. I so wish I had discovered this weeks ago! It also greatly reduces feeding time. It cuts it at least by 60%. 3. No need to transfer milk from container to container anymore. So, there is no chance of spilling. I pump directly into the bags, store in the fridge (or freezer), warm and feed directly from the bag. 4. I am no longer a slave to cleaning bottles! The bags are disposable so after you use them, just toss in the recycle bin and GO BACK TO SLEEP! Cons: 1. I find the measurements to be difficult to get an accurate reading. This is the case with all bags though. 2. I way overwarmed one of the bags. Likely this is directly related to Con #1. I thought that I had 3 ounces in the bag, but probably there was less. I tested the milk and it was way too hot. This might just be something that I'll get used to. 3. I admit that the storage bags are expensive. So, that is definitely a con. But, considering all of the pros it is well worth it to me. A happy baby equals a happy momma! She is way less gassy, eats in 60% of the time and doesn't drip at all. I don't spend my life in front of the sink cleaning bottles. All of this means that I can get back to sleep in a fraction of the time for night feedings. I couldn't be happier. If you have some of the same issues that I have had, please consider this and finally get some sleep! It was the best money I have spent. And, it was $20 cheaper on the Amazon site versus buying from Kiinde directly.
