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What to know about choosing a baby bottle

• What to look for in baby bottles: shapes, sizes, and materials

• How to know what’s best for your baby when it comes to bottles and nipples

Whether you’re feeding your little one formula or expressed breast milk, navigating the wide selection of bottles and nipples can feel like a daunting task. As every baby is different, bottles and nipples are certainly not one-size-fits-all.1 It may take some experimenting to find what bottle works best for you and your baby.

What materials do baby bottles come in?

Bottles are made of a variety of materials: plastic, silicone, glass, and even stainless steel.

Plastic bottles are lightweight and inexpensive. Some bottles require a disposable plastic bag liner, which can be helpful for cleaning but requires purchasing bags on a regular basis.

Silicone bottles are softer and more flexible than plastic but may be a more expensive option.

Glass Bottles are sometimes chosen instead of plastic. Glass is long-lasting, is easy to clean, and does not contain the chemicals that plastic bottles may – should that be a concern.2,13 The downside is that they are heavier and prone to breakage. Silicone sleeves for glass bottles can be purchased which may help with grip and minimizing the possibility of breakage.

Stainless steel bottles have many of the advantages of glass without being as breakable. Yet it can be difficult to see how much milk is left in the bottle, and these are also a pricier option.

Read more: Everything You Need to Know about How to Prepare and Store Infant Formula

What types of baby bottles are available?

Angle-neck bottles are bent at the neck so that less air is likely to get into the nipple. Some parents think these are easier to hold as well. However, the design makes them a little harder to clean.

Disposable-liner bottles come with a plastic pouch that fits inside the bottle. As your baby drinks from the bottle, the plastic collapses without letting air in. This is claimed by the manufacturers to help prevent the formation of air bubbles in the bottle, which can increase gas in your little one’s tummy if swallowed. They are convenient (less cleaning!), but not as eco-friendly and the liners can get expensive if you’re exclusively bottle-feeding.

Vented bottles have a straw-like vent that goes through the center. The design claims to eliminate air bubbles that may increase gas in your baby. Despite a lack of evidence that these reduce gas and colic, many parents swear by them. Keep in mind that these extra parts do mean extra cleaning.

Wide-mouth bottles are shorter and wider than typical bottles. They also use wider nipples that claim to mimic a mother’s breast and nipple. If you are nursing and bottle-feeding, your baby may prefer the feel of this bottle best – but not always! These bottles tend to be easier to clean.

Read about: How to Supplement my Breastfed Baby with Formula

If you are wondering which bottle may work best for you and your little one, our team of registered dietitian nutritionists, fellow moms, and lactation specialists, are available from Monday – Friday 8 am – 6 pm (ET) to help figure out what may be going on. Chat now!

Bottle Sizes

Bottles typically come in 4-ounce and 8-ounce sizes. Start small when your baby is a newborn and use larger bottles once your baby starts to consume more milk at each feeding.

Read more: Should I Feed On Demand or on a Schedule?

What type of nipple should I choose for the bottle?

Nipple Material

Most nipples are made of clear silicone. However, some nipples are made with latex, which could cause an allergic reaction in sensitive infants.4 Chat with your doctor before using a latex nipple or pacifier to discuss their recommendations.

Note that the flexibility of the nipples can range very much between brands!5,

Nipple Shapes

Almost every bottle nipple claims to imitate a mother’s nipple and are available in different shapes. Standard nipples are long with a narrow base and are typically easy for baby to use. Other nipples have a wider base with varying nipple lengths.

Some experts recommend that breastfeeding babies most easily latch deeply on a nipple that have a wider base with a gentle slope down, versus an abrupt widening to the base.5,6, Nipple length can be a factor as well. If the nipple is too long for your baby, they may gag. If it’s too short, they may have trouble keeping it in their mouth.6,

Bottom line: Every baby is different! It may take some trial and error to discover which nipple shape and length may work best for your little one.

Read more: How Do I Relieve Gas in my Formula or Bottle-Fed Baby?

Nipple Flow Rates

Bottle nipples come with different-sized openings for milk to flow through. They are often labelled with levels (0 or 1 being the slowest) or “slow flow”. In reality though, the flow can be very different among brands, levels, and even within the brand or package.6,7,8

If baby is having trouble with the flow, make sure that baby is upright and the bottle horizontal (but tilted enough to keep air out of the nipple). Watch for signs of frustration or taking a longer than usual time to feed, which may mean baby is ready for the next size.

The rule of thumb is that younger babies typically take 2-3 oz in 10-20 minutes and older babies take 3-5 oz in 10-15 minutes.6,

Read more about correct positioning while bottle feeding: What Is Paced Bottle Feeding?

Whether you want a way to feed your baby the breastmilk you’ve expressed or you’re choosing to bottle feed, choosing the right bottle can seem overwhelming. So many options are available – from shapes to sizes to the various materials used. Today, we will look at the alternatives we have here at Haakaa so you can make an informed decision about the best choice for you and your baby.

 

Materials

 

Luckily, when it comes to what our bottles are made of, we only have two to choose from: silicone and glass. One of the bottles in our silicone bottle range is actually the body of our Gen. 3 Breast Pump, so if you’re planning on expressing then feeding breastmilk, this could be a great option for you. Made from medical-grade silicone, each bottle can be converted from a pump to a bottle without ever having to worry about spilling the milk you’ve worked so hard for as you transfer it from one to the other. They’re so well designed, in fact, that not only can they act as a pump and bottle, but they also have attachments that let you transform them into a portable feeding container for when your wee one starts solids, a sippy spout cup, a regular cup, or an everyday storage container!

 

 

 

 

Our other silicone option is the adorable Twist-N-Feed Baby Bottle. These are made from food-grade silicone, PP, and PPSU, all incredibly high-quality materials designed to last longer while keeping your baby’s milk safe. They even come with an Angel Wings silicone handle to help your little one hold the bottle as they learn to feed themselves.

 

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However, if you’re after something a bit more traditional, we also have our Gen. 3 Glass Baby Bottles! While they aren’t suitable to be used as a pump or feeding spoon container (as the bottle body needs to be able to be squeezed for these), they can still be used with most of our other Gen. 3 accessories. These bottles are made with borosilicate glass, which is resistant to extreme temperatures and thermal shock. This means you can use them as storage containers to keep in the freezer or boil to sterilise them; either way, they’ll stay nice and strong. However, it does pay to bear in mind that as resilient as borosilicate glass is, it is still glass, so take care not to drop these bottles as they may crack or shatter. They are also not suitable to be used as toddler drinking bottles, especially if unsupervised.

 

 

 

Sizes

 

Each bottle range comes in a range of sizes, and which one you choose really is dependent on the needs of you and your baby. Some babies have much bigger appetites and will, therefore, need bigger bottles, while some only need something smaller. You’re best placed to know which size is appropriate, so go with the one you think is most suitable for your situation. To help you choose, though, here’s a quick chart to see what sizes each variety comes in:

 

 

Bottle Type

Small

Medium

Large

Gen. 3 Silicone

-

160ml

250ml

Twist-N-Feed

90ml

150ml

250ml

Glass

120ml

180ml

300ml

 

From the smallest size of 90ml to a whopping 300ml, there’s an option for almost all babies!

 

Teats

 

Teats are the final part of the baby bottle puzzle. There are different shapes and flow rates, which can be hugely confusing if you’ve never had to sort out the differences before. Fear not, though; we’re here to help. Let’s start with the shapes. Most Haakaa bottle teats come in two different shapes – anti-colic and orthodontic. The anti-colic teats are the more traditional shape – the nipple is symmetrical and located in the teat’s centre. The orthodontic one is slightly thumb-shaped, with a flattened bottom, and is off-centre. Just as a side note: while only one is called anti-colic, they in fact both include anti-colic valves in them – these little valves allow your baby to feed continuously, as they would during breastfeeding, without sucking in air or having to gasp for breath. The real difference is in their intended uses. Generally, we recommend the anti-colic teat for babies who are fully bottle-fed. The orthodontic teat is suitable for babies who are mixed-fed or who are returning to being breastfed after a break, as the orthodontic nipple is shaped a little more like mum’s nipple. Don’t worry if your baby doesn’t obey these rules, though – they really are more like guidelines. Like you, your baby will have their own preferences and won’t necessarily care which type they’re ‘supposed’ to prefer. Start off with the recommended type, and if they aren’t interested, try the other one out.

 

 

When it comes to flow rates, there are three possible choices – slow, medium, and large. These are aimed at different ages, and while each teat is marked with ‘S’, ‘M’ or ‘L’ near the rim, you can usually tell the difference between them with a quick look at the end of the nipple. The slow-flow teat is designed for our very youngest ones, usually from 0-3 months. There is a single hole on the nipple, keeping young babies from being overwhelmed by too much milk flowing through the teat at once. The medium flow teat has three holes to allow a slightly faster flow and is aimed at babies aged 3-6 months. The largest one, sometimes called large and sometimes called variable flow, has a cross-cut opening rather than holes. This allows your child to drink at their own pace, controlling the flow themselves, and is for babies six months and older. As with everything, though, your child may not fit into these neat little categories. Some signs to look out for that might mean they want to move to a faster flow can include taking longer to finish or getting irritated while feeding. Conversely, if they’re coughing, gulping, or refusing the bottle, that could be a sign that the flow is too fast for them.

 

It’s important to note that the small Haakaa bottles come with a slow-flow teat, and the medium and large ones come with a large/variable flow teat. No bottles come with a medium teat; they must be purchased separately. Likewise, if you need a slow flow with a medium/large bottle, you’ll need to buy one, or a fast flow to go with a small bottle. Finally, it’s important to remember that bottle teats need changing regularly. We recommend every two months or earlier if there are signs of damage – this can be something that can occur quickly, especially with teething babies, as they often like to chew on the end of the teat during a feed. Make sure to inspect the teats before every single feed. If you see breaks, tears, or if the silicone has swelled or thinned, it’s time to swap it to a new one.

 

Want more information on silicone feeding bottles? Feel free to contact us.