Custom-made artificial nipple

In an elastomeric artificial nipple structure utilized as a substitute nipple for presentation to a child, the improvement comprising:

• the artificial nipple structure being custom-made to provide a portion reproducing an actual nipple in an active state of active lactation that is normally presented to the child in a natural state when nursing,
• the artificial nipple structure being produced by a process of placing a nipple region of a breast using physical stimulus into an active state of lactation made ready for the expression of milk to a child when nursing,
• the active state of lactation being characterized by morphological changes to the actual nipple that naturally occur due to the accumulation of milk in interior ducts proximate an areola associated with the actual nipple;
• imaging the nipple region of the breast in the active state devoid of the physical stimulus to obtain 3D image data representing the nipple region;
• processing the 3D image data to provide a print data file;
• and
• accessing the 3D print image data to print an artificial nipple structure utilizing an elastomer based upon the print data file to provide an artificial nipple structure with a portion thereof reproducing the nipple region.