Bottles
Bottle feeding is very popular in the Western culture.
Some women choose to bottle feed their babies for many reasons. With bottle feeding, there are many different things to think about. Bottles are very different from manufacturer to manufacturer and usually babies have a preference of one bottle over another.
Types of Bottles
Bottles vary in shape, size, color, design and style depending on the manufacturer. Bottles also vary in those respects depending on the age of the baby. Regardless of what the bottle looks like, a bottle is comprised of the bottle, a nipple, a ring that seals the nipple to the bottle and a cap that covers the nipple.
Larger bottles are typically used for older babies whereas smaller bottles are for newborns and young infants. For premature babies, bottle sizes start at about 2 ounces. For newborns and young infants a typical bottle size is up to about 5 ounces. For babies over 6 months of age, the bottle size is about 8-11 ounces.
Nipples come in a variety of flow rates – babies of different ages need certain flow rates. The flow rate depends on how big the hole is in the nipple. For older infants, a variable rate of flow of milk is preferred. A slower flow rate is needed for small infants and of course newborns.
Vented bottles are another type of bottle. This kind of bottle allows air to enter while the child is feeding without needing to break the baby’s latch. There are also disposable bottles that are good for one time use. Another bottle is one that uses a bottle liner – the formula or breastmilk is put into a liner which is placed in the bottle instead of the milk directly placed in the bottle.
Brand Names of Bottles
The number of brand names of bottles can be quite overwhelming. There are a few that are popular however: Avent, Dr Brown’s, Tommee Tippee and BornFree. Avent makes both glass and plastic which can come in different colors such as pink and blue as well as clear. Avent has a new bottle called “Natural” and claims to be a very natural way to feed by bottle. The 4 ounce bottle has a very soft nipple perfect for newborns learning to latch on. It also has petals on the nipple to ensure it does not collapse during feeding. It is also designed to be anti-colic with less air being taken in.
Dr Browns is also a recognized manufacturer of baby bottles. Their bottles are tall and skinny. Dr. Brown’s also offers a natural bottle called the “Natural Flow” which uses a patented two piece venting system to make the feeding experience more similar to breastfeeding. With this system air never mixes with milk and therefore maintains essential vitamins. As it reduces air, it helps to reduce colic, spit-up and gas.
Tommee Tippee is a more recent but still popular brand name of bottles. Their bottles are quite short and squat. The “Closer to Nature Sensitive Tummy “ baby bottle is designed for babies who have spit up, fussiness and gas. The anti-colic valve provides venting and the natural-shaped nipple copies the feel of breast feeding.
Price of Bottles
Bottles can range in price from $5 for a set of three basic bottles to up to $10 a bottle for a designer bottle with more features. Bottles are often a purchase made when the baby is first born and does not require additional purchases until he or she outgrows the one bottle size and needs to move up to the next. So the initial investment of bottles can be somewhat substantial depending on how many are purchased. One suggestion to save money is to buy one bottle from different manufacturers. The baby will usually prefer one type of bottle over another and once this preference is established, more of those bottles can be purchased. Many bottles can come in sets that save money. Most sets will have about three bottles included.