When my first child was born, I was adamant that I was going to be one of those breastfeeding goddesses who had ample milk supply to keep my tubby bubby nourished until the toddler years. Well, sometimes life just doesn’t go according to plan and when breastfeeding didn’t work out, I was completely unprepared.

We went through about 5 different bottle brands, trying out different teat sizes and bottle shapes. We had no idea how to warm the milk or sterilise the bottles. We were literally thrown into the deep end and flailed around desperately for ages before a friend threw us a lifeline.

They delivered a brand new all-in-one NUK Nature Sense Starter Set, which pretty much included everything we needed for successful bottle feeding. The pack included an assortment of bottle sizes and teats, a bottle warmer, a steam steriliser as well as a dummy and a bottle brush. This seriously was the best gift we ever got and it turned feeding from a nightmare to joy overnight.

But don’t take only my word for it! We asked five Mouths of Mums readers to try out the NUK Nature Sense Starter Set and tell us what they thought.

Here are the Results:

Let’s Talk About The Teat

What was your overall experience using the NUK Nature Sense Teat and how did your baby respond to feeding with the teat?

Marilyn –  (Has 3 children on bottles under 2.5yrs old plus a newborn on the way)
I found some teats from other brands weren’t soft enough and my baby found it hard to latch on properly. He would play around with the bottle with his tongue. NUK brand was awesome my son took to the bottle straight away and drank all his formula.

Ashley – (Has a 2-month-old and two older kids)
She seemed to adjust better (after breasfeeding) to the shape of the NUK teats than other brands.

Kelly  –  (Has an 11-month-old daughter)
My daughter liked it, she’s come from breastfeeding so I think the shape and softness of the teat made for an easy transition. For us, it was just getting the right teat being the S flow as at first she was a little shocked at the speed of the M teat. It was very easy for her to latch to the teat and we didn’t experience any colic symptoms.

Anna – (Has a one-month-old and a 19-month-old)
We have tried a number of different brands with my newborn including mam baby and Tomee Tippee. He seemed to prefer the NUK nature sense. He latched onto the teat easily and began feeding straight away.

Caitlin – (Has a 4-month-old son)
My baby is used to slim neck bottles and teats so he was not quite sure how to use it. I have tried other wide neck bottles in the past however and these have leaked out of his mouth. This bottle did not leak and he was able to create a good seal!

Let’s Talk Bottles

The NUK Nature Sense Bottle is made of high-quality plastic (PP), is BPA-free and designed to be hard-wearing. What were your impressions of the Nuk Nature Sense Bottles?

Marilyn – I loved the bottles. My son was able to hold his own bottle at times (with my supervision, of course). They weren’t big and bulky and I loved their size.

Kelly – I was very impressed with the quality of the bottle. Straight away you could see and feel the strength and durability of the bottle. There was also no plastic smell which I’ve noticed on some others and it is very sturdy to hold onto.

Anna – Simple and easy to see gradient lines to measure. Although the design is simple, it is still a very nice bottle and has a quality feel to it.

The NUK Nature Sense Bottle has an extra-wide neck so it can be filled and cleaned easily and the protective cap closes all the tiny openings to prevent leakage when mixing formula or when out and about. What did you think of the design of the NUK Nature Sense Bottles and how did this contribute to your feeding experience?

Kelly – I found the right fitting of the bottle lid to be good so far as preventing leaks, however at times I did struggle to remove the lid. However, overall it definitely made the out and about feeding experience stress-free. The size of the bottles was also great for transport and fitting into a nappy bag etc. Overall, coming from breastfeeding where you have very little fuss about, it was an easy transition and a positive feeding experience for us.

Anna – It was definitely easier to clean. I used the cleaning brush which made cleaning so easy. Even with a normal sponge, the bottle was easy to clean with the wide neck.

Caitlin – The bottles were very easy to put together and clean. It made the experience much quicker when making a bottle for bub.

Let’s Talk Bottle Warmers

What did you think about the NUK Thermo Express Bottle Warmer?

Ashley – I love how fast it warms bottles, especially at ungodly hours! I don’t have to worry about zapping in the microwave, only to have the bottle too hot!

Caitlin – The bottle warmer is fantastic! I love that it is automated and gets the bottle to the perfect temperature without having to stand there and keep an eye on it. It heats up quickly and is very simple to use.

Let’s Talk Sterilisers

Please tell us what you thought about the NUK Vario Steam Steriliser?

Marilyn – I loved this steriliser it was so easy to use

Kelly – This product I loved! It was so much easier for me than the microwave ones. It was fast and didn’t leave a burning plastic smell I’ve noticed with my microwave steriliser. The only critique would be it leaked a little water over the kitchen bench when you removed the lid. Overall, very happy with this product.

Caitlin – The steriliser is fantastic! There is plenty of room for bottles and the basket is the perfect size for teats, bottle rings and lids. It is so easy to use and clean and the overall shape and look of the steriliser is appealing.

Please can you tell us your overall impressions using the NUK Nature Sense Starter Pack

Marilyn – I absolutely loved this review. My son loved using the bottles and I really liked the steam steriliser. I was able to sterilise and forget. So when I needed a bottle I just got it straight out of the steriliser knowing it’s clean and ready to go

Ashley – I think it’s a fantastic pack for any new mum. We trialled all products in the starter pack and overall are very satisfied.

Kelly – The pack really took the stress out of it for me, very easy to use without complicated instructions. I liked that the instructions were laid out in pictures on the boxes, meaning you didn’t have to read a huge manual. Overall, it was a convenient high quality product that I would recommend.

Anna – I was very impressed with this pack. The designs on the bottles and dummies are lovely. The bottle warmer has a sleek design and is easy to use.

Caitlin – The pack had everything you would need to start your bottle feeding journey. The items were functional, easy to use and look great!

After this trial would you buy NUK Nature Sense products again and please tell us why?

Marilyn – Most definitely will be buying more bottles to add to this collection for my soon to be newborn baby.  I’ve never purchased NUK before. They have marketed themselves as being of an exceptional quality and also simple design making it easy for first time mums or busy mums. The starter pack made a transition from breast to bottle very easy and stress free for me. Thank you

Anna – Yes. This starter pack has assured me that NUK is a trustworthy brand that has products that are attuned to the needs of mothers and babies. The products have great attention to detail.

Caitlin – Absolutely! They look great and function even better. I am impressed with the overall quality

And the final question:

Would You Recommend NUK Nature Sense products to other mums?

A resounding 100% of our mums said YES!

The NUK Nature Sense Starter Set Includes:

• NUK THERMO EXPRESS BOTTLE WARMER
• NUK VARIO STEAM STERILISER
• NATURE SENSE 150ML 0-6M BOTTLES
• NATURE SENSE 260ML 0-6M BOTTLES
• NUK GENIUS SOOTHER SIL 0-2M 2PK
• NUK ULTRA DRY COMFORT PADS 2PK
• NATURE SENSE TEATS 0-6M SMALL
• NUK DELUXE BRUSH

The set retails for $259.00.

To purchase the NUK Nature Sense range from Baby Bunting visit www.babybunting.com.au/nuk-nature-sense-range.html