Julianne Gardner knows the stress that bottle-feeding can bring to new parents. The 35 year old Phoenixville native has invented a revolutionary new technique to an existing method.

A mother of two and former clinical research professional found herself stuck between a bottle and a hard place. After many failed attempts at feeding her newborn son through a traditional baby bottle, Gardner used her degree in Biology and 13 years as a clinical trial operations professional come up with Bottimals, (a portmanteau of bottle and animal), attached with a stuffed animal called bottle-lovey® indulged with mom’s scent.

Research suggests about 60% of breastfed babies struggle with bottle acceptance. This new invention bridges the gap between the caregiver and the mother, comforting the baby and designed to encourage feeding by using mom’s scent and a cuddly animal companion. Bottimals is leading the charge with compassion and empathy with a life mission to help other families.

The product works simply: the mother wears a pad inside her bra to absorb the scent of her mammary glands. The bottle-lovey® is then placed on the bottle for the baby to be fed with, providing comfort and familiarity to the baby.

Over the next six to 12 months Bottimals’ plans on expanding its product line, with new stuffed animals coming this spring. This would make a great gift item for any baby shower or someone that’s becoming a new parent. The bottle-lovey® attachment retails for $29.99 which you can find at at www.bottimals.com or select retailers.

The Penn State grad cites her mother and father as influencers, with her mother being a nurse and her father being a businessman. It’s clear to see Julianne Gardner has both maternal instinct and entrepreneurial spirit running through her bloodline. With Bottimals, Gardner brings together science, empathy, and innovation, offering parents a new sense of confidence during feeding time.

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