What Bottles Are Best?

My best advice is to skip the bottles and breastfeed!!!! If you must bottle feed, Evenflo makes an awesome, cheap, BPA free bottle. Not complicated at all - just a nipple, top, and bottle.

D.,

We started out with Dr. Brown's and are pleased, but they are a pain to clean. I bought a couple of Avent just to try them out, and they did leak! Try a couple of Playtex before you invest in a whole bunch. Definitely stay away from Avent.

Good Luck!

We are using the Playtex Drop-ins and I LOVE them! The Target brand liners for them are great, too (and recyclable)! I have used a few different bottles with other folks' babies and they all seem like a pain in the butt to clean and assemble all the parts. The Drop-ins couldn't be easier.

At the end of the day, unless your child has an issue like extreme gas or something, don't stress yourself or spend a ton of money on special bottles. It's like asking, "What kind of breast will my baby like?" After 5 kids including triplets, cheap Gerber bottles worked best. It's less expensive to switch a nipple IF necessary than switching bottle after bottle to "get the right one". It's not rocket science. It's just a tool to use to feed the baby. Hold the baby more upright when feeding, burp during and after feedings, sit up after feedings before laying down when possible. Marketing ploys have moms convinced that they need special bottles, when they don't! Unless your doctor tells you that your baby has a special issue, don't stress the little things.

Example, my triplets were in NICU for 3 weeks after being born 2 months early. They used NO special bottles at all. The only thing was the bottles were very small and the nipples were softer than normal so they wouldn't have to work as hard to suck, but they were basic Gerber type nipples. Otherwise, basic baby bottles! They sat them more upright to feed, burped during and after feedings and had them sitting up for a bit or held upright during the night for a bit before laying back down. Same thing I did with my two older boys. Many babies will have gas. There's no miracle drops or bottles that will be a cure all.

K. B
mom of 5 including triplets
(ages 22, 14, and 5)

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With my first one we used the playtex ventaire bottles and she loved them, however with my second one she was so picky that we went through atleast 5 or more different types of bottles that she would drink out of. Then we finally settled on the playtex drop ins as they were the only ones she would use. I have heard good things about the Dr. Browns bottles and never anything negative, my advice would be to get a few different kinds and she what the baby takes to the most and then go from there. Good Luck

I used playtex with both girls. Absoultly loved them. I breast fed too and they say playtex nipple is best to use when breast feeding. Good luck, God Bless.

Congratulations!
Like many others have said, this is a personal preference (of yours and your babies.) I breastfed both my sons for the first year, with supplemental bottles. (Breast milk first, then some formula too as my milk supply decreased - I had to return to work after 12 weeks, and with my line of work, I wasn't able to pump as consistently as my body needed.) I liked the playtex drop-ins that so many people have rec'd. (They are the ones w/ the plastic tube that you drop a liner into and screw a nipple on top.) For me, these were a good choice b/c 1) the way the liner works is supposed to mimic the breast and keep more air out of babies tummy and 2) I could express milk at work into Gerber storage bags, and the Gerber bags were compatible with the nursers (tube thingies) so there was no transferring of milk for my hubby or daycare provider... just drop in the bag w/ the breast milk and off you go.
My advice would be don't buy too many of anything... Give it a try first and figure our what baby will like and what works for you. And, whatever you use, be sure to check that it is BPA free. Many baby products are now, but this wasn't the case just a few years ago.
And, don't second guess yourself! Parenthood is a learning process, and there is no right answer for everyone. You try, you learn, you try again and you move on. Give that little one lots of love and cut yourself some slack, and it will all work out just fine!

I hated the Avent ones, they did leak a ton and when I called the company they just told me a trick, which didn't work all the time. Regardless, a trick is the last thing you want to deal with when feeding a baby! We have the Dr. Brown's and LOVE them. I have mostly glass ones, but now have been getting plastic ones as well since the glass only go to 7 oz and we need 8 oz for my 9 month old daughter.

Dr. Brown's!!!

My daughter had a lot of issues with gas so we tried almost every bottle out there. We ended up liking Dr. Brown's the best. There are a lot of pieces to clean, but they are well worth the extra work. And if you have a dishwasher, the extra pieces wont matter. They don't leak and are thinner than the Avent bottles so they are easier to stick in the side pocket of a diaper bag. ;)

Congratulations!!! I used Avent bottles with my 14 month old. Though she was breastfed, she needed suppliments right from the beginning, so we introduced a bottle at 1 week. We used the Avent right from the start and she never had any problems with using them- in fact she LOVED her bottles. She would get so excited when she saw her bottle. She didn't have problems with gas and was able to switch back and forth from breast to bottle without difficulty. We never tried or introduced any other brand of bottle.

The Avent bottles do leak sometimes if the top is not tightened enough, but it didn't happen that often to us. It's easily resolved by just unscrewing and reattaching the top. The bottles are not "hard to use". There are 4 parts- bottle, nipple, ring to fit the nipple in, and cap- I think this is the same for most bottle brands. The nipple snaps right into the ring with no effort. It is nice that all the parts come apart because then you can clean everything thoroughly. There are also discs that snap into the ring so you can use the bottles for breastmilk storage in the fridge. I thought this was great because I didn't have to store my milk in one container and then switch it to a bottle for feeding. I like the wide-mouth of the Avent bottles- much easier to fill and clean. I really like the Avent bottles and was very happy with my purchase.

Avents leak terribly and are expensive. I used Playtex drop-ins for my first and Playtex Ventaire for my second and I have no complaints. They are economical, easy to use and easy to clean. Both of my kids had reflux issues and my doctor told me Playtex was the best for that because with the drop ins you can get ride of the excess air before feeding. Then they came out with the Ventaire and they are specifically for that type of issue so i choose them for my next and they turned out to be better than I ever imagined. I loved the angled neck and the baby never had any major gassiness issues. Good luck.

D.,

I used the Playtex Vent Air (spelling??)Bottles I loved them no leaks and they come totally apart so very easy to scrub!!! unlike some bottles that you can get to the bottom very good. My daughter didn't have reflux and barely i mean barely spit up with these bottles.

Gabby loved her Born Free bottles from the start. I've heard babies reject lots of nipples and Gabby didn't. She easily transitioned to the higher stage nipples when the time came as well.

We loved our Dr. Brown's bottles.... with that being said, though, I agree with the other ladies. We had spent a lot of $$ on bottles before Anna was born (I think Avent, but it's been a while) and when we tried to use them, Anna didn't like them... So, don't buy too many just yet.... let your baby help make the decision!

I have used both. The Avent are by far better. There are a few tricks though. With the new BPA free bottles, you have to put the lid on tightly (they used to say, not to put on too tight). Dont twist it ridiculously hard, but pretty firm. When you feed the baby the bottle, you should hear an air sound. This means the air is going back into the bottle and not into your baby again. I also always turned the bottle upside down for about 10 seconds before I gave it to our son. Then turn it right side up and see if it leaks. I only had it happen a couple times over the whole course of feeding him. I truly would recommend the Avent over the Playtex, and I was a big fan of the Playtex at first. I also like how Avent has several speeds of nipples and also one for thick liquids if you start to add any rice as the baby gets older. Some Peds say yes to this and others no. Anyway, feel confident in using them. Like many reviews of baby products, often those who give poor ratings are not using the product properly. Good Luck!

the Avent bottles leaked for us too. aggravating! we switched to the wide-neck Dr. Brown's (the regular neck nipples gagged the baby b/c they were too thin). no problems with all three kids!! and they lived up to their name with not causing gas from air intake!! good luck. it's a bit of trial and error for each Mom.

I tried the Playtex drop in's, Avent and I ended up liking the basic Gerber bottles the best.

Hi D.,

I both breastfeed and use bottles. The Avent bottles definitely leak if you close them to loosely or to or too tightly we figured out. I've even had a whole bottle of expressed milk wind up at the bottom of the diaper bag. We didn't try any other models so I can speak to any of those, but aside from that we really liked the bottles. I would also add that I think they hold up well to lots of sterilizing.

Best of luck to you!

OMG you have to buy the dr. brown bottles they get rid of the gas and the child don't spit up. It saved my life with the one that had colic and it was invented by a dr whos child had colic.
good luck T.
i own a daycare and taht is all i use. wonderful

Hi D.,
First of all, contrats!!! As far as bottles, it is a personal choice. We tried several with our son and I liked the Playtex Drop ins the best because I could get all the air out of the bottle. Our son was gassy and this helped a lot (along with mylacon which is another post). My husband liked the Dr. Brown bottles, but we forund it difficult to get the milk/formula to the right temp. It really is trial and error. I am about to have my second in 4 days and we have the Drop Ins ready for him. Hope this helped. Good Luck.
L.

Congratulations on your baby. I have a 2 year old and one on the way. I used Dr. brown with the first and intend to use them again with our second if breastfeeding fails. I love these bottles. They come in light weight glass, so you don't have to worry about toxins in the plastics. My daughter never spit up, fought with colic, or had excessive gas. The bottles are a little tedious to clean because of small parts, but are well worth it.Hope this helps and best wishes.

Dear D.,

If you are looking for the facts about safe baby bottles, may I suggest you read the book "Green Goes with Everything" by Consumer Advocate Sloan Barnett. It's available on Amazon.com and addresses everything from safe baby bottles to household cleaners to buying a mattress, etc. There is a whole chapter on babies and their toys, diapers, bottles, - everything!

On page 116 of this book, she tells about polycarbonate plastic bottles (labeled 7 in the little triangle on the bottom) that are the problem. She suggests using plastic bottles with a 1, 2, 4, or 5 in the triangle on the bottom. But states that glass bottles are the best.

Hope this helps.
E. B.

we used born free. this was before every bottle made was bpa free. they never leaked on us. They are a bit biggger in diameter than others but it didn't bother me. They have a few parts too but you get used to it. good luck

Hi D.,

It is hard to say. The best bet is to put your top three choices on your registry and try them out. One that you love, your baby may not take to.

I used the playtex with the drop in liners and LOVED them. There is no bottle in the world that prevents gassy bellies 100%, but these did a pretty good job if you push out the extra air before the feeding.

The only challenge was finding a nipple that my daughter liked. There are different shapes and speeds of flow, so you just have to experiment. You'll know the best fit when it happens.

Good luck,
L.

D., I agree that you have to make sure your little precious one takes the bottle first. I used a Playtex Nursers with both of mine, but they both refused the silicon nipples, so I had to use the brown ones (I think they are latex). Best wishes =O}

i had registered for and used dr. brown bottles with my 3 year old. so many tubes and parts to wash- its ridiculous. then all of the bpa concerns began. i then switched to the born free bottles but they weren't as readily available as they are now and they also had extra parts. i researched back then and discovered that the playtex nursers were okay to use because the liners are soft plastic therefore bpa free. i really love them. i am using them now with my newborn. its great because you can squeeze all of the air out to reduce babies gas and there are no extra parts to wash and sterilize besides the nipples. the liners are disposable and the liner holder bottles just go in the dishwasher. its so much easier. you will cut down dramatically on bottle washing time. you have no idea... at this point you probably don't realize that you will have "bottle" washing time besides regular "dish" washing time and how much time bottle washing takes. go with the playtex bottles. seriously.

Big deep breath! In the hospital you will use the premade bottles so baby will have an adjustment when you get home anyway. It won't be a big adjustment, just use whatever you have and if you decide that you hate them then try somehting else. I used the playtex drop ins for all 3 of my babies. If food came out, they were happy!

My baby is 4 weeks old and I have found that he does best with the Born Free bottles and the Dr. Brown botles. I have some good old Evenflo's but they seem to go too fast for his little mouth. I also have some Ventaire's , but they tend to leak from the bottle if the seal is not just right and perfectly dry before you put them together. Good Luck!! I guess trial and error may be your best bet!

Hi D., Add me to your list of people who love Playtex bottles!! I started out with old fashioned gerber bottles and at the advice of my Doctor I switched to Playtex when my oldest was about a month old and never looked back!! I love Playtex for a number of different reasons and since they came out with the drop-in liners they are easier than ever to use!! (They came out right around the time I had my second of three daughters.) Another advantage is that you can keep the bottles for any other children you may have you only need to replace the nipples so they are very cost effective. As far as cleaning...what a breeze! And you don't have to sterlize them after each use because of the liners! Any bottle will leak once in a while...the lid could be loose, the liner can get a hole...you will find out that where there are children there are messes to be made and cleaned up! (LOL the messes just change as they get older!) As you learn and grow as parents you and your hubby will find your own way and the items that work best for you and your family...remember we are all different! Have fun, don't take everything too seriously, don't buy dry-clean only anything for a few years, and treasure your baby...they are little for such a short time! Best wishes!

I used the avent bottles and I really liked them. I would may be get a few of each and see which ones work out best. DO not sweat the small stuff. There will lots more to deal with. Good luck and congratulations.

Dear D.,
Boobs are best.
Good luck with your baby.
N

We used the Avent bottle system at first. The employee at Babies-R-Us raved about them so I put in on my registry. Well, they did not work for my son. He was gassy and spit up quite a bit. We switched to the Playtex Drop-Ins and the Vent-Aire. They were wonderful! Very easy to clean. The only issue we had was trying to explain to gram and pap how the drop ins work. They never could get all the air out and it seemed like to much of a hassle for them when they were sitting for us. We just got the Playtex Vent-Aire bottles for them to use. They worked great also.

Not sure which one is best as my kids are older but I will say it is smart to wait and not buy too many now. It is a trial and error thing. We went through several brands to find the one that they liked.

If you choose to use bottles, the best bottles will be the ones to which your baby takes. There's no knowing in advance which will be "the one" until you try them out. I would suggest registering for one of each of the brands so that you can try them out and find the right answer for you. For us, the answer was Dr. Brown's. I was breastfeeding but wanted to be able to bottle feed, if needed, so I was really concerned with finding the right one. (We had an Adiri BreastBottle, the original, to which she did not take at all ... and an Avent ... and a Madela ... AND Playtex -- but Dr. Brown's was the winner in our house.) But, if you really feel that Playtex will do the trick for you, by all means, register for a bunch. (Just prepare one before you try them out, so if they don't work, you can exchange them for something else!) Good luck to you and your husband. Finding the right bottle will be one of many of your trial and error experiences with the new baby.

my avent bottles leak all the time, they drive me mad!, strangely enough my daughter loves the cheap and cheerful bottles, the tall thin ones you can get for 94c in walmart or walgreens.

I tried them ALL this year(I have an 8month old little boy).. Spent a TON of money on the Avent & yes--They Totally leak!! On top of that my poor son had a hard time digesting with them because of all the air! i also tried Medela(because I had that brand breast pump) & the BEST bottles by far are the PLAYTEX DROP-INS! LOVE them! They are all around great & you can push the milk up & get all the air out of them for your little one! they really are great. never leak & are easy to use. Wish i would have known before I spent soo much money trying a few brands out.(expensive brands!) :)
good luck! Kat