I recently heard that until Aug. 10, Babies R Us is taking back all bottles that contain BPA, and giving in-store credits for BPA-Free bottles (you have to buy them the same day). So I packed up all but two of our Avent bottles (we need something to put her milk in for the day :) ) and headed to Babies R Us to do the exchange. I was disappointed because I really liked the Avent bottles, but didn't want to take any chances since they have BPA in them.
The Customer Service Rep said that Avent has BPA-Free bottles now (they're new on the market), but that they're out of stock and there's a waiting list for them. I would have put my name on the waiting list, but I had already returned my old ones so I needed to make a decision that minute. I had no idea what to get! I really wanted to go with Avent because that's what my daughter is used to, but obviously that wasn't an option. The Customer Service Rep told me that Born Free bottles us a similar venting system to Avent's, except they use a separate venting attachment that goes on the bottle rather than having the venting system be in the nipple. I wasn't sure I liked that - it just seems like one more piece I have to wash. Plus, my daughter is 6 months old and past the gas/colic/tummy issues she used to have when she was an infant. Price-wise, they were a little bit more expensive than Avent.
Does anyone have any opinions about what kind of bottle to switch to? I'd like something that's comparable to Avent - again, I really liked those. If you have Born Free, do you like them? Is the venting system a pain to deal with?
Thanks to everyone for the great advice!!! I'm going to look at the Gerber bottles people recommended, if the Woodbury BRU doesn't have the new Avent bottles (I went to the Richfield store before). Thanks again!!
Whats BPA? I heard that Dr. Downes (I believe thats right) bottles are really good.
Thanks,
B. F
I switched several months ago to the Evenflo glass bottles and have been very happy with them. I haven't broken a single one of them! Good luck to you!
I have the born free, and the venting system is a pain to wash. It's two separate pieces; and you have to wash each piece with a small nipple brush. I've tried the dishwasher, but I don't feel that it gets them very clean all jumbled together in a little basket. Plus they are expensive. The only pros are: no leaking and no BPA. If I had to do it again, I would have gone with a drop in liner system.
Believe it or not, I saw some really nice glass baby bottles at Creative Kidstuff - sorry I don't remember the name. They are a new style, but looked very Avent-like. I'm sure if you call them, they'll tell you the brand.
Good luck!
I hear ya sister! I hated the Born Free bottles because of the extra parts. My daughter is now 8 months old. I finally threw out my Avent bottles last week so I was not happy to hear about BRU taking them back. What's worse is that the Level 2 nipples gave me problems with collapsing during feedings and the company was of no help whatsoever. I am now using Level 3 and they work fine. I have gotten used to the extra parts and now I don't notice them as much. You can use the Avent nipples with these bottles. I know I wasn't too helpful...just wanted you to know that Born Free isn't all it is cracked up to be!
I bought the glass Dr. Brown's bottles online through Babies 'R Us. I think I paid about $12-$13 for a 2-pack.
I'm a big fan of the Dr. Brown's BPA free. I also switched from Avent (I liked the Avent too). There are more pieces involved but they aren't too hard to clean. If you have time, can you reply back to me and tell me where you ended up bringing them back? I tried the Maple Grove store and they wouldn't take them back unless they had been purchased within the last 90 days and I had a receipt.
My daughter is 1 yrs old, and just about ready to get rid of the bottles but I to had heard BRUS was taking back bottles.
I returned my Avent (which I loved as well) and I bought the Born Free-- I LOVE THEM! I wish I had known about them before she was born. They are not any harder to wash--and now that I know that they are BPA-FREE I put them in the dishwasher--where I never did that before. The transition for my daughter from Avent to Born Free was none. She took them right away...where I had a Nuby Bottle from a sample and she wouldn't take that nipple at all!
The other thing that I like about Born Free is that they have a sippy cup that you can interchange w/ the bottles. So, I use the sippy cup top on the regular bottle base--now I have instant sippy cups!
My daughter has had reflux/gas problems her entire life and I noticed that she has less gas w/ the Born Free--I guess the only disadvantage to the Born Free is the price--they are pricier but well worth the money!
Good Luck!
Check this link for a list & description of BPA-free bottles.
http://babyproducts.about.com/od/feedingdrinks/tp/BPA_fre...
We used Dr. Brown's bottles (the plastic polycarbonate kind), and really appreciated the venting system. Those bottles can leach BPA- but Dr Brown has a glass version with the same venting system (it's included in the page on the link.)
When my son was 8 months we switched to the Born Free from the Avent bottles and had no problems. He didn't even notice the switch. The are more pricey which I wasn't to happy about but I only bought 4 and that was enough to get us through the day and night since I was still nursing in there as well. I'd just have to wash them every night. I also toss them in the dishwasher and they come out clean no need for special cleaning with the vent system.
The ONLY safe bottles are made from glass A.. All plastics leach what ever plastic they are made of into your baby's milk. Plastics are made from petroleum byproducts, which are all toxic. We have no idea what we are doing to our children by heating, storing and serving them food in plastics. Go to www.safebaby.com for more information on safe baby bottles and nipples.
First of all I live in Wi and the BRU doesn't carry these bottles but yours might. I use The First Years Soothie bottle the nipple is just like the pacifier that you get from the hospital. The bottle doesn't have a venting system but is simple bottle, nipple, ring. I store all my breastmilk in glass bottles and warm it up in the Gerber storage bags. Its kind of alot of work but worth it I don't worry about BPA.
Gerber gentle flow is what I switched to from Avent. They are BPA free and they are the exact same shape and size of the avent bottles, so you can use your avent nipples and rings with these bottles. I do experience a little bit of leaking under the rings, but a small price to pay to make sure my little one is safe with BPA free bottles.
i love the born free and so has my son since the first try! it takes about 4 more seconds to wash than other bottles and you can feel good about giving it to your little girl:) good luck!
We bought Born Free, Medela and Evenfo BPA free plasic and also glass bottles. The Born Free bottles are awesome because they have the wide base that baby loves, but the extra peices are somewhat of a pain to wash and assemble every time. Born Free does have great sippy cups too for the older kids that also have the vent valve thing so if you can get used to it now it may be an easy transition to the sippy. Medela and Evenflo are virtually identical so I wouldn't spend the extra cash for Medela.
I would recommend trying an Evenflo and a Born Free to see which baby prefers. Good luck!
I wish I had known they would take the bottles with BPA. As soon as we heard about it, we tossed them all in the recycling bin. Oops! Anyways, we also used Avent and switched to Evenflo Classic. To me they kind of looked like doll bottles (tall, slim, different colors) but with so many options and price points, I thought we'd start with something cheap in case he didn't like them. Well they worked out well. Easy to clean. They have 3 flows of nipples and I got the fast flow because it said for 6 months+, but they were WAY too fast. Even now he likes to use medium flow. Good luck and good for you for looking out for the best interest of your baby. So many people have told me that it's a scam to buy new bottles!
we use the born free bottles and really like them. The venting system is an extra step in cleaning and preparing but nothing significant.
they are easy to clean and have held up very well - seem to be easier to clean overall
Is Babies R Us still doing this? I'd love to exchange my Dr. Brown's bottles in for glass ones!
I used Dr. Browns bottles for my son. My son had a lot of gas, gerd and colic. I know your daughter is past that, but they vented the air to the back of the bottle. These were a life saver for me. It was only a few parts to wash and I was able to put them in the dishwahser as well.
Michele
We got Gerber Gentle Flow bottles. I don't think BRU sells them though. I have gotten mine at Walgreen's and the grocery store. They are identical to Avent and you can even use the Avent collars and nipples with them. Plus they are considerably cheaper than the born free and they don't have any extra attachment/parts. My 4 month old twins (at the time) made the switch without any notice/problem. ;)
On a side note...my BRU said they weren't doing the bottle return/exchange (grrr)...what BRU did you go to????
We use the Born Free with our 5 month old and have no complaints. We switched from Dr. Brown's after the BPA thing too. He is a good bottle feeder when needed, but again, the venting system isn't a big deal. We just wash them by hand or in our dishwasher basket and they are easy to put together and take apart.
We also used Avent and we have some Born Free sippy cups. We like the Born Free cups but the sippy cup nipples do tend to leak. When we switched from BPA bottles, I discovered that the Avent nipples fit the BPA free Nubby sippy cup bottoms. The Nubby sippy cups are inexpensive to buy, and you can continue to use the Avent nipples, which are not a risk. I actually like them better this way since the Nubby bottoms are easier for babies to hold.
GO to Walgreens:) I had the same problem and then I discovered the Gerber Gentle flow.. they are new and are exactly the same as the avent bottles which I also loved... and BPA free.. it doesn't say it on the package but I called the hotline and did online research so they are good. And they are cheap!!! I also bought the Born free bottles at first and they ore ok but the valves are a pain... Good luck
I really like my Dr. Brown's BPA free. I know it's a bit of a pain to have so many pieces, but worth it in my opinion. I've also tried gerber clear view and evenflo glass and my fave is still dr. brown. My boys are much less gassy on these.
I just switched my bottles at Babies R Us about a month ago to the Born Free and am very happy with them. They are very convenient because you can put the bottle directly into the microwave to heat up her formula, unlike the BPA bottles.
Just last week I bought a set of Playtex disposable baggie bottles for traveling. They are very convenient because all the only part that needs to be washed is the nipple- which is very nice when traveling where it is hard to wash and sterilize bottles! I do prefer the Born Free bottles for everyday use though.
