Feed Your Newborn With the Best Baby Bottles
Shopping for a baby can be just as nerve-racking as taking care of one. There's so much to look for and so many guidelines to follow. Whether it's a stroller, blankets, clothes, or toys, you need to make sure that everything is perfect. Baby bottles are one of the staples of baby gear that you need. You have to ensure that they’re high-quality, easy to clean, and child-friendly.
Different babies can take a liking to different kinds of milk bottles depending on their shape, texture, or size. The most ideal way to find a good milk bottle for your child is to get a couple of bottles and let your baby try them all. The responsibility to pick the right bottles for your kid to choose from is still on you. This is why we have listed some of the most popular baby bottles in 2024 so you can easily pick the perfect bottle for your child.
Buying Guide: Baby Bottles
Feeding bottles are an essential part of baby care. They can be very useful for moms who like to pump their breast milk, but can’t produce enough milk, or who feed their baby formula milk. Whatever their circumstances may be, a good feeding bottle is crucial for your newborn.
So, how do you pick the right one for your baby? It is quite an ordeal to find the perfect feeder for a baby given that they are choosy with bottles. This is why we bring you this detailed guide on how important bottle feeding is and how you can incorporate bottles into your child’s life safely.
Why Do You Need a Bottle for Newborn Babies?
There are many reasons that a mom might want to shift to bottle feeding. They could have low milk production or a medical condition, or they could just be using the bottle to feed already pumped breastmilk. Whatever the need may be, bottle feeding is quite beneficial for both the baby and the mom.
Bottle feeding allows the mother to rest during the nursing period so someone else may feed the baby while the mother rests. It can also work quite well in emergencies when the mother can not nurse the baby due to unavailability or sickness. It also makes it easy to feed the baby in public if the mother isn’t comfortable breastfeeding. Bottle feeding allows the rest of the family to bond with the baby and takes the pressure off the mother who may already be overexerting herself.
When Should I Shift My Baby to Bottle Feeding?
May parents wonder when they should start bottle feeding their baby. According to experts, just under a month old is a great time to bring in the bottle. This should be done only after you’ve established a good breastfeeding volume and nursing is going well. Waiting for too long may result in your child completely refusing to use a bottle, which can become bothersome later on.
Once you have introduced the baby bottle, you should continue breastfeeding regularly to incorporate bottle feeding only once every day or three times a week. If you’re using the bottle more often, don’t forget to pump your breastmilk, so you can continue producing the same amount of milk. You can either switch up between breastfeeding and bottle feeding or you can exclusively breastfeed, but make sure to introduce the bottle early on so that your child will take it once the nursing period is over.
Choosing the Right Nipple for a Baby Bottle
Many people don’t realize how important the nipple is. This is the main component that makes a baby reject or accept bottle feeding. If they don’t like the nipple, there is no way they will use the bottle, no matter how good it is. So, how do you choose the right nipple for a milk bottle?
The two most important aspects of choosing a good nipple are the material and size of the nipple.
Size
The size of the nipple determines the milk flow from the bottle. If the nipple is too small, the flow will be slower, and if it’s too big, there can be an overflow that may lead to a waste of milk. Both of these scenarios are unhelpful for the baby, so you need to get a medium flow nipple that allows proportionate milk flow while ensuring zero waste or overflow.
If you are introducing your child to bottles, you may want a slow-flow nipple to let the child learn how to drink from a bottle. Once they are accustomed to bottle feeding, you can move on to medium-flow nipples.
You should also ensure that the nipple size and width resemble your breast so that it is easier for your child to latch on to it. Usually, a wide-base nipple is found to be more popularly latched onto than others.
Material
Nipples are usually made of silicone or latex. Silicone nipples provide durability and longevity. They can be easily cleaned and are less likely to attract bacterial infections. They are also heat resistant so they can be boiled or sterilized easily.
Latex nipples provide a more breast-like feeling to the baby. They are quite soft and flexible, which allows your child to latch on to them better than other nipples. You need to choose which feature is more important for your baby and then get the right nipple.
How To Find The Perfect Feeding Bottle for Your Baby
Whether you’re a new parent shopping for your newborn or you’re an experienced parent with another child on its way, you need to choose the right feeding bottles for your baby to ensure their health and safety. Choosing a low-quality baby bottle can adversely affect your baby’s health, which is something that every parent wants to avoid. You should use the following guidelines to pick the perfect baby bottle for your kid.
Shape
While this may seem like a very unnecessary detail, it is quite crucial for the baby. The shape of the bottle should be easy to hold on to. Some milk bottles have a straight spherical shape while others are angled for easier handling and preventing air bubbles in the milk. You will also find bottles that have a wider neck which makes the bottles easy to clean but also makes them unstable and easy to tip or fall. You need to find the perfect shape that your child can work with and will not cause too much trouble while cleaning.
Material
Baby bottles can be made from many different materials. You will find plastic, silicone, glass, and metal feeding bottles for babies. Plastic bottles are more widely used because they are lightweight and shatterproof. There is no guarantee of how safe it is to microwave this plastic for sterilization. They also need to be replaced frequently.
Silicone bottles are also lightweight, flexible, and shatterproof. They are a great alternative to plastic bottles, but they are quite pricey. You may also find glass bottles in the market, but they are heavier and can shatter when dropped, which can be dangerous for the baby. You can use a silicone sleeve on glass bottles to make them shatterproof.
Metal, mainly stainless steel, bottles are also quite reliable and shatterproof, but they do not indicate how much milk has been consumed and are generally more expensive.
Vent system
Improved bottle designs come with a vent system that prevents air from entering the milk stream so that it doesn’t irritate the baby in the form of colic, gas, or spitting up. These bottles are optimal for use in children with colic. They ensure your baby’s comfort. You will need to make sure that the vents are placed such that they don’t cause any leaking of milk from the bottle.
Bottle size
You will find baby bottles in varying sizes. Small bottles can hold up to five ounces of liquid, whereas bigger ones can hold 10 ounces of liquid. It is smarter to get a bigger bottle and only fill it up halfway if your baby’s appetite is low. As they grow they will learn to empty the entire bottle.
Our Picks of the Best Baby Bottles of 2024
Dr. Brown’s Anti-Colic Options+ Baby Bottles – Best Overall
As a parent, your child’s safety and comfort are your topmost priority when buying baby bottles. This is why it is important to go for a brand that caters to your baby’s needs and keeps them as comfortable as possible. These Dr. Brown’s Anti-Colic Options+ Baby Bottles are a great product that ensures your child’s comfort above all. These milk bottles are popularly known for being anti-colic and preventing gas, burping, or spitting up in babies.
The bottles have a vacuum-free vent system that allows effortless and consistent feeding, much like breastfeeding. Your child gets air-free feeding, which prevents your baby from getting gastrointestinal issues like gas. The nipples in the bottles provide a smooth and constant flow of milk so that your baby can feed whenever they want. This product is our favorite because it ensures the safety and comfort of the baby at a very economical price.
Pros
- Customizable by removing the vent system
- Can be cleaned in a dishwasher
- Long lasting and sustainable bottle
Cons
- Milk may leak
Comotomo Baby Bottle – Easiest Latching
It is important for a child to immediately latch on to the bottle to feed them properly. If your baby struggles with latching onto bottles then this Comotomo Baby Bottle is perfect for your baby. The bottles have a seamless transitioning design that makes it easy for the baby to transition from breastfeeding to bottle and vice versa. The comfortable nipple design mimics the breast and has a wide base to ensure easy handling by your baby.
These baby bottles have a wide-neck design that narrows at the end. This makes it super easy to wash and clean the bottle. One of the top features of these milk bottles is their anti-colic vents that are placed on the nipple, so there is no chance of leakage while your baby feeds. Needless to say, the bottles are made of food-grade silicone and are BPA, BPS, and lead-free.
Pros
- Easy to wash and clean
- Easy on the pockets
- Leakage-free vent system
- Easy transitioning to bottle feeding
Cons
- The nipples are not long lasting
Philips AVENT Natural Baby Bottle – Easy Feeding
Philips is known for its high-quality baby-care gear and accessories. This is why this Philips AVENT Natural Baby Bottle is the perfect feeder for your little one if they like to take control of the flow. The bottle is designed so that the baby controls the flow of milk while feeding, just as they would do while breastfeeding. This means that when the baby is not sucking or has stopped to take a breath or swallow, the milk flow will pause until the baby resumes. This makes feeding super easy and you don’t have to keep checking on the bottle every now and then.
This pack of four baby bottles comes with wide nipples that have a soft feel to mimic breastfeeding, which in turn makes transitioning between the breast and bottle easy for the baby. It comes with an anti-colic valve that prevents air bubbles from going into your baby’s tummy. This is overall a great product with great detail to design.
Pros
- Prevent colic and discomfort in the baby
- The bottle is easy to hold
- Mimics breastfeeding for smooth transitioning
- Comes with non-drip nipples
Cons
- New nipples have a restricted flow
Nanobebe Flexy Silicone Baby Bottle – Most Versatile
We know how tiresome it is to look for a good bottle only to realize it has a less-than-adequate nipple. To make up for the lack of good feeding nipples with high-quality bottles, this Nanobebe Flexy Cilicone Baby Bottle has an ergonomic nipple that promotes safe feeding for your baby. This means that your baby can continue to feed on the bottles without any leakage, spillage, or discomfort. The nipples in these bottles are naturally hygienic and soft to the touch so your baby can transition without any confusion.
These baby bottles are made of high-grade silicone which is dishwasher and microwave safe, so you can sterilize and clean the bottles easily. They have a unique triple-vented design that prevents post-feeding irritation due to gas or colic. The stable wide-base design keeps the bottles upright and prevents any tipping or falling.
Pros
- Easy-to-read volume scale for precision
- Easy to clean and wash
- Stable design to prevent tipping
- Leakage-free and anti-colic nipples
Cons
- Needs to be disassembled for cleaning
Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Baby Bottles – Most Economical
This pack of four baby bottles is perfect for your baby in many ways. The Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Baby Bottles have a breast-like shape and feel with concentric circles on the nipple to encourage easy transitioning to the bottle. The nipple is designed for easy latching so your baby doesn’t have to struggle too much. The bottles come with a natural anti-colic valve that prevents any air bubbles from entering the milk stream and upsetting your baby’s stomach. The vent system is also leakage-resistant so you don’t have to waste precious milk while feeding.
It has a wide neck and a three-way easy hold so your child can clutch it however they need to. These baby bottles are available in plastic, glass, and silicone, and each of these materials is safe for your child. The bottles are really easy to assemble and clean so you can take care of hygiene while the bottle ensures good feeding.
Pros
- A vent system reduces excessive air flow
- Breast-like nipple for quick latching
- Made of safe, food-grade material
- Available for an affordable price
Cons
- The unstable design may cause tipping
People Also Asked
A:
There are a couple of cons of bottle feeding. Formula milk has less nutritional content than breast milk. Bottled milk, whether breast milk or formula, has more gas in it than milk fed directly from the breast. Breast milk is also free, whereas buying formula every month can get expensive.
A: You need to check for BPA and BPS-free material when buying a baby bottle. As long as the bottle is free from these elements, it will be safe for your baby to use.
A: It is generally recommended to shift your baby from using a bottle to using a sippy cup once they have turned a year old. You can then transition to cups when you feel like your child can handle it.
