Which Bottle do I Choose?

There are many instances when breastfeeding families add bottles along their journey. Sometimes it’s from the beginning for exclusively pumping families and for other families it may just be on occasion. No matter when or why bottles are used, choosing a bottle can be very overwhelming. There are so many on the market these days and they all seem to have a marketing angle claiming to be “closest to mother breast” or “best for breastfed babies.” Which one should you choose? Let BABE help clear up the confusion and offer some tips on selecting a bottle. 

When bottle-feeding, there are three primary things to consider:  

• nipple shape

• the flow rate of the nipple

• pacing the feeding

Nipple Shape:
Look for a nipple that looks like a “breast at work” not a “breast at rest.”  A “breast at work” has a somewhat cone shape as the nipple and breast tissue is pulled into the baby’s mouth while feeding.  Your baby’s mouth should be able to go around the widest part of the nipple to form a wide-open gape on the bottle like that of a good latch at the breast. In contrast, a breast at rest might look more like, well, a breast: a roundish base with a long skinny nipple.  If the bottle looks like this, your baby’s lips may not be able to get around the widest part of the nipple because it is just too wide resulting in a narrow gape that would hurt on your nipple. This nipple shape may also make it difficult for your baby to make a complete seal with their lips which leads to air intake and milk spillage.

Flow Rate of the Nipple:
The nipple flow should be slow.  Don’t just read the label, but notice how your baby is feeding and trust what you observe.  A study done a few years ago found that “slow flow” varied widely between brands and even between nipples of the same brand.  Try several nipples until you find one that results in a rhythmic sucking pattern but not chugging and gulping.

Pacing the feeding:
A slow flow nipple helps, but how you feed the baby is more important.  Good positioning can compensate for a faster flow nipple.  When bottle-feeding, the baby should control how much is consumed at a feeding.  Holding the baby in an upright position with the bottle horizontal ensures that the baby gets milk only when sucking.  Here is a nice video demonstrating this concept of paced bottle feeding.  

Need more guidance and expertise? Set up a consultation, in-person or virtually, for additional assistance from BABE.