how do I pick which bottles to register for? I had playtex ventair and dr. browns, then I read dr. browns can be a pain bec. of all the pieces and they sometimes leak. Its not like you can go to the store with your fetus either and be like "hey baby- what you gonna like?"
also - whats the deal with the different levels of nipples?
What are you registering for - guess that is my question. Enlighten me!
Re: bottles - how to pick?
I posted this question yesterday I think, the majority of people told me they were doing the Playtex Drop-Ins. They got consistant reviews online, so I just added them today!
MilkBank Insulated Bottles 3 Pack - 5 oz. by DexBaby
as well as the ventialted 3 pack.
Different size nipples are for the flow. Size 1-slow, Size 2-Medium, and Size 3-fast. I would register for size 1 and 2 first.
Don't buy too many of any one type of bottle, because you never know if your baby will be picky or not. Lots of people like Dr. Browns, but they are a PITA to clean so if you can get your baby to like something else, I'd try that first.
Are you planning to BF? If yes, you want to use Level 1 nipples (slower flow for newborns) pretty much the whole time. It's not like your boobs get faster flowing as they get older, so you don't want them getting used to faster bottles and then getting frustrated at the breast.
I used Medela bottles with Dr. Brown's nipples for Kate and they worked well.
I'm not really sure on how you settle on 1, but we just registered for Avent and that's what we got and stuck with for DD#1. We liked them and they worked great, so I just got more for DD#2.
The nips (for Avent at least) are designated by flow rate. A 'zero' means really low flow, and that worked really well when she was a newborn. You don't want the kid drowning in formula w. each suck. Then, as the baby gets bigger, and needs more quantity per feeding, you can up the nipple size so they can get more w/o working so hard to get it.
we used Avent last time and will again for this baby.
I hadn't though of this, but it makes perfect sense! Duh. Thanks for the insight. :-)
As for the BPA free vs "regular" bottles, I'd say it's 100% a personal choice. First, the BPA issue is still being debated, but perhaps more important is the fact the the plastic BPA free bottles have to have some other chemical added to them to make them both hard and clear...and there might be even less data available on that other chemical, ya know?
I registered for--and received--an Avent starter pack. I plan to exclusively BF, but late night feedings on the weekends are all on DH! LOL I'll probably only need a few bottles, so I don't mind buying something else if the baby doesn't like the Avent ones, but if I were bottlefeeding more frequently, I think I would've registered for one or two bottles from a few different brands and let DS decide which one(s) he likes best.