When it comes to bottle-feeding your baby, chances are you’re overwhelmed by the baby bottle options. So many materials, shapes, and sizes. How on earth do you choose?
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There’s no expert-approved, gold standard baby bottle. In the end, it comes down to which ones work well for your baby (and you!). That said, you have to start somewhere. So settle in and read on; here are the baby bottle basics.
Highlights:With so many options, it can be difficult to choose baby bottles. Here are a few baby-bottle basics to help you
narrow down a choice.
Avoid stocking up on one type of bottle. You never know if your baby will give it the thumbs-down! Start out with a few and maybe try two different types.
Bottles are made of plastic, silicone, glass, or stainless steel. They each range in price and durability and have their own pros and cons. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your bottle of choice is BPA-free.
Bottle shapes are generally standard (tall and straight), angled (bent at the neck), and wide (designed to hold wide, short nipples that mimic a breast).
Bottles come in small (4 oz) or large (8 oz). Small sizes can be convenient for newborns, but babies quickly grow out of them.
Remember to keep an eye on bottle nipples and replace them if they show signs of wear and tear, such as thinning, or becoming sticky, discolored, cracked or torn.
While we do recommend you stock up on certain things before your baby arrives, bottles isn’t one of them. That’s because even though some bottles are marketed as magical feeding unicorns, the ultimate decision-making factor will be which ones get the thumbs-up from your baby. So, start out with just a few (maybe even two different types). That way you’re not stuck with a full stock of bottles that may get the thumbs-down from your little one.
Now let’s get to those bottle basics.
Bottles can be made of plastic, silicone, glass, or stainless steel.
Plastic – Pros of plastic bottles are that they’re lightweight and won’t break if dropped. A downside is that they deteriorate over time and need to be replaced periodically (signs of deterioration include scratches, cracks, leaks, discoloration, and bad odor). If you decide to go the plastic bottle route, be sure they’re new. Older plastic bottles may contain BPA (or bisphenol A – a potentially harmful substance no longer allowed in baby products).
While new plastic baby bottles are generally considered safe, it’s worth noting that the American Academy of Pediatrics recently came out with a statement on food-additives that raises questions about mixing plastic and food (including infant formula and pumped human milk).
Silicone – Bottles made from food-grade silicone are BPA-free, flexible, and lightweight. Not only will they not break if dropped, they’ll probably bounce!
Glass – Glass bottles are naturally BPA-free and durable, but heavy and breakable. Some glass bottles come with silicone sleeves to protect from breakage.
Stainless Steel – Stainless steel bottles are BPA-free, lightweight AND durable. But you’ll pay for it, literally speaking; they’re the priciest on the shelf. Another thing to keep in mind is that unlike other bottle materials, you can’t see how much liquid is in them from the outside.
Disposable Plastic Liners – These are convenient, but they’re costly and can only be used once. To use, you fill them, pop in a dedicated bottle, and toss at the end of the feeding.
In general, bottles come in the following shapes:
Standard – Tall and straight, and easy to fill and clean.
Angled – Bent at the neck so milk collects at the bottom, which may prevent your baby from swallowing air. The downside is that they may be more cumbersome to fill and clean.
Wide – Designed to hold wide, short nipples that mimic a breast.
Bottles generally come in small (around 4 ounces) and large (around 8 ounces) sizes. Small sizes are convenient during the newborn days, when babies drink about 2-3 ounces per feed. But babies grow out of small bottles quickly, so you can save money by skipping them and using large bottles from the get-go if you wish.
In general, bottle nipples are made of latex or silicone. Latex is softer and more flexible, but wears out more quickly and some babies are allergic to it. Silicone is firmer than latex, but more durable. Keep an eye on your bottle nipples and replace them if they show signs of wear and tear such as thinning, or becoming sticky, discolored, cracked or torn. Another sign it’s time for a new nipple is if the milk starts flowing faster than it was before.
Most nipples shapes fall into one of three categories:
Nipple levels correspond with how quickly milk flows out. As your baby grows and can handle faster milk flow, you can progress through higher levels.
Venting – Some bottles and/or nipples are “vented,” or designed to prevent babies from swallowing air. This, in turn, may reduce gassiness and fussiness. A potential downside to vented bottles is that they may involve extra parts, which means extra things to wash and assemble.
Breast Pump Bottles – If you plan to pump and bottle-feed breastmilk, you may find a breast pump with bottles that do double duty: They fit onto the pump to catch your milk AND they come with nipple tops for later feeding.
Now, happy bottle shopping!
Having a baby is one of the most amazing experiences that you’ll have in your life.
The best way to bond with your baby is through breastfeeding, and the benefits thereof have been well documented.
However, whether you’re returning to work or have decided to introduce a bottle in combination with breastfeeding, you’ll at some point need to buy baby bottles. But the trick lies in how to know what bottle to buy when you consider the amount of brands and bottles out there. It’s overwhelming.
With this in mind, we’ve created the ultimate guide to buying baby bottles which will give you good, practical advice to make an informed decision about the type of bottle you decide to buy.
This guide is extremely comprehensive, and to make it easier for you to navigate your way through the guide to buying baby bottles, we’ve broken it up into easy to read sections. Get ready to be an expert baby bottle buyer!
1. What parts is a baby bottle made up of?
2. What different types of baby bottles are there?
3. Ultimate Buying Guide for Baby Bottles
4. One a Final Note
There are generally four parts to every baby bottle, but there can be a lot more on some bottles:
Bottle buying has certainly become a lot more complicated when you consider the choices our parents had when they bought bottles.
Bottles come in a plethora of different shapes and sizes, so let’s delve a little deeper and see what’s on offer.
As the name suggests this bottle is the most standard bottle that you can find out there. There are no special features or gimmicks – it has a lid and a teat that attaches to the bottle and some of them will come with a travel cover or lid.
These bottles are extremely cost effective and they are easy to find.
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Again as the name suggests, this bottle is angled at the top of the bottle. The reason for this being is so that it makes it easier to feed your baby in the upright position. But why is this important? Pediatricians suggest feeding babies in this position to prevent ear infections. So this is a great option.
But the bend is also there to make sure that your little one doesn’t get too much air so that they become gassy or even develop colic. The unique shape keeps the teat filled with milk therefore reducing the amount of air that baby swallows.
The slightly odd design can make filling it a bit difficult as you’ll have to hold it at an angle which can become a bit messy or you might need to use a funnel which can just be downright frustrating.
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HEORSHE supply professional and honest service.
If you want to switch between breastfeeding and bottle feeding then this is a great option for you as the teat of this bottle is much wider than other teats and resemble your own breasts.
With a wider neck than other baby bottles it makes this one a dream to clean.
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A vented bottle is ingenious when it comes to preventing gas or colic. When you buy a vented baby bottle then it ensures that air bubbles aren’t trapped in the teat and they head towards the bottom of the bottle as opposed to baby sucking in that air when she’s feeding.
They are also known as natural flow or anti-colic bottles. They are normally vented from the teat or through the use of a straw or even through a little valve that sits at the bottom of the bottle. If you battle with your little one in terms of her being gassy or even if your baby has colic then you should definitely consider a vented baby bottle.
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Disposable baby bottles are a gift when you’re out and about or if you’re traveling as you can feed and then literally just throw them away without having to worry about cleaning and sterilizing.
There are two types of disposable baby bottles, so let’s take a look at both of them.
This is a pre-sterilized baby bottle that has a teat and a lid too. You buy them in multi-packs and it’s as simple as filling up with formula or milk, feeding baby and then throwing them away. How easy is that?
This is another genius idea for times when you simply can’t wash bottles. You buy small plastic pouches that fit inside the bottle. All you need to do is add milk or formula into the pouch and place it inside the bottle. The milk or formula doesn’t ever come into contact with the bottle. You buy a pack of liners and each one is used for one meal. As your little one drinks you can literally see the liner collapsing which means less air goes into baby’s mouth.
This is actually a more cost-effective option in the long run as you don’t have to keep buying disposable bottles. All you need to do here is buy the bottle initially and then you can buy extra pouches when you need them.
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Here we get into the real nuts and bolts of how to choose the right baby bottle for you. We’ll talk about all the features that you need to be aware of so that you can make the right choice for you and your baby.
We’ve broken this section down into two parts, ‘The Bottle’ and ‘The Teat’ as each is equally important to consider.
When buying baby bottles there are so many things to take into consideration and here we take a look at different aspects of baby bottles helping you to make the right decision. The first area we’ll explore is the bottle material.
There are three types of materials that baby bottles are made of, namely plastic, glass and stainless steel. So what are the pros and cons of each type of bottle?
Plastic is generally the go to bottle for most parents as it’s cost effective and light with the added benefit of not breaking when they drop.
However, over the last couple of years there have been major concerns about BPA levels in baby bottles.
To combat this, the Australian Government announced a voluntary phase out of BPA use in polycarbonate baby bottles in 2010. Even though this has been largely eradicated, you still need to check to make sure that the plastic bottle you buy has no BPA in it to be safe.
Plastic unfortunately scratches very easily and this means that bacteria can build up inside the bottle. There are small indentations in plastic, which makes them extremely difficult to clean and be clear of nasties, which you don’t want for your baby.
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Due to the BPA warnings that were issues a couple of years ago, glass bottles have become an extremely popular choice for parents, and for good reasons.
The great thing about glass is that the surface is completely smooth making for easy cleaning and no build-up of bacteria in the bottle. They are also extremely easy to clean and to top it off they’re also eco-friendly! What more could you want?
Glass bottles can handle boiling water & extreme heat through sterilizing with ease, as glass will not break down.
They are a more expensive option than plastic; however they can really stand the test of time and last for ages. Of course there is the possibility of them breaking, however, a lot of glass bottles come with protective silicone sleeves that protect the bottle. The silicone sleeve makes it easier for baby to hold when she becomes a little more independent.
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If you haven’t heard about stainless steel baby bottles then don’t be surprised as they are the least used material for baby bottles. It’s actually much like a thermos with a teat.
Just like a thermos, stainless steel bottles are great to keep baby’s milk warm, or keep it cold for longer periods of time.
This is the most robust material out of the three options and they are virtually impossible to break! Another great feature is that they are scratch resistant and cleaning them is a breeze.
But there are some serious cons too. They are the most expensive bottles out of all the materials. Another drawback is that you can’t see through them which make measuring the amount of milk or formula a bit difficult. It can be painstaking to measure it out first in a measuring cup and then pour it in, just giving you one extra thing to do when you have so much on your plate already!
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Little ones grow up quickly, going from being happy for you to hold their bottle to wanting to hold it themselves marking their first steps to independence. One of the great things about glass bottles with silicone sleeves is that it makes it easy for baby to hold the bottle.
Trainer cups are also an option for when they get older and they have handles on them for those little hands to hold on to.
We spoke a bit about stainless steel bottles being difficult to measure as you can’t see through them, so ideally you should go for plastic or glass bottles which will allow you to measure out your milk or formula without any hassles.
Just like bottles, teats come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and it’s an important thing to consider for when you’re feeding your baby. We would highly recommend that you don’t interchange brands of teats and bottles as they might not fit the bottle properly, could leak and even fall into the bottle which could cause baby to choke.
Teats come in either silicone or latex materials and there are pros and cons to each. Let’s take a look and you can decide which you feel is right for your baby.
Latex teats are extremely soft and flexible too and mirror the feeling of your nipple, making them a popular choice for many mums. However, they are prone to wearing out very quickly when compared to silicone. So how do you know when they’ve worn out? You’ll see little cracks appear in the teat, but they are inexpensive so replacing them is cost-effective and won’t cost the earth.
However, a lot of babies are allergic to latex, so you‘ll need to watch for signs that they are allergic like watery or itchy eyes, wheezing, hives, flushing of the skin or a skin rash, itching of the skin or swelling of the skin.
Silicone is clear and flexible and is by far the most favoured choice of teats for mums across the world. Nowadays most bottles come standard with silicone teats as they last up to 3 to 4 times longer than latex teats. We recommend that silicone should be your go to choice for teats.
There is however one drawback – if you’ve been breastfeeding your little one might reject the teat as it’s not as pliable as latex.
Yes, there’s even more to consider when choosing teats! You need to make sure that you have the right size for your baby’s developmental stage as otherwise they could get too much milk or too little milk. Sizes are generally classified by flow, age or stage. See the guidelines below to make the right choice.
Once you’ve chosen your teat type, make sure you stock up on them as they do tend to do a disappearing act, and once your baby starts teething, they don't last forever.
The travel cap is the lid that sits on top of the bottle that covers the teat. It’s there to stop any bacteria build up on the teat itself when it’s not in use so is ideal for when you’re on the go.
Not all baby bottles come with teat covers, but we would suggest that you do go for a bottle that has one.
The travel seal is the silicone seal that fits inside the screw cap, that will seal the contents inside the bottle during travel so the milk will no spill inside you baby bag. We recommend you choose a bottle that has a travel seal included as it will save lots of spillage while your out and about.
Make sure that you choose a bottle wisely to suit your lifestyle needs, and the needs of your baby. We would highly recommend wide-neck glass bottles with silicone sleeves,and silicone teats. Travel caps are also important to keep those bugs at bay too. All of these smart choices will make bottle feeding easier and more enjoyable for both you and baby. Avoid expensive bottles that have got lots of different gimmicks, as they are literally gimmicks that can cost the earth and you don’t need to spend a fortune on glass baby bottles.
For more information, please visit Ultra Wide Neck Baby Bottle.