How the heck do you choose a bottle??

ChrisB · February 2014

I am planning on breast feeding for as long as possible, but I know there will be times that we will need a bottle as well. There are so many different kinds! How did you choose which ones to purchase?

ghostof5letters · February 2014

Are you buying a breast pump? I'd use the ones that come with the pump as a back up. Otherwise, bottles are just something you have to wing. Babies have all sorts of strange preferences and could reject any bottle for any reason. Bottles are frustrating. Don't buy boat loads of anything until you find out what your baby likes. Unfortunately, it's trial and error.

stefaniew26 · February 2014

It is overwhelming and some babies are picky about which bottle/nipple they will ale while not on the boob.
For my daughter, i breastfed and I used the glass dr browns bottles. She never had any issues taking one.

I'm sure some other mamas on here will ahe great advice

ChrisB · February 2014

ghostof5letters said:

Are you buying a breast pump? I'd use the ones that come with the pump as a back up. Otherwise, bottles are just something you have to wing. Babies have all sorts of strange preferences and could reject any bottle for any reason. Bottles are frustrating. Don't buy boat loads of anything until you find out what your baby likes. Unfortunately, it's trial and error.

Yep, I'm planning on buying a breast pump and that's another thing!! What type of breast pump?? There are just way too many choices for what seems like everyday essentials. Sounds like 'winging it' is the best way to handle a lot of things! I'm tellin' ya, some days it feels like my head is going to explode, haha!

acciovino · February 2014

If you're breastfeeding, I would try to go with something that has nipples that are similar to breast, but it really is just trial and error. I got lucky with DD and she took Dr. Brown's which is the first kind of bottle we tried. When she got older, she took the cheaper brands (Gerber?) which was nice because Dr. Brown's are a pain in the ass to clean.

cuntasaurusrex · February 2014

I'm looking at Kiinde Twists.. it's a whole breastfeeding system, and you can use just about any nipple with them.

gallifreygirl · February 2014

One of my friends who couldn't decide just decided to register for a few different kinds and then keep them all in there boxes as well as getting a signal bottle. That way she could try one out and if it didn't work she could return the rest of them without any trouble.

BPer · February 2014

We used Tommee Tippee. I was nervous because I bought a bunch up front (because they were cute), but DD ended up loving them. The nipples are really similar to breasts. I used the TT breast pump as well and it worked great.

Jillybean100 · February 2014

ghostof5letters said:

Are you buying a breast pump? I'd use the ones that come with the pump as a back up. Otherwise, bottles are just something you have to wing. Babies have all sorts of strange preferences and could reject any bottle for any reason. Bottles are frustrating. Don't buy boat loads of anything until you find out what your baby likes. Unfortunately, it's trial and error.

I agree. Our experience with DD was that it's trial and error. We registered for Born Free bottles since friends of ours had luck with those and they really seemed to like using them. Luckily, we didn't register for or receive a ton of them since DD refused them. We tried a Medela Calma bottle from our LC, but DD wouldn't drink out of that either. Luckily, some friends had given us a pack of Dr. Browns and those ended up working so that's what we stuck with. So I definitely echo the advice of not stocking up on too many of one kind. You just never know what the baby will take.

ghostof5letters · February 2014

After my last pregnancy, I threw out (recycled) all of the bottles. Reusing them wigged me out for some reason. I keep forgetting I have to begin this journey all over again.

honeybee434 · February 2014

Super FTM question over here: when you say trial and error, do you mean if they won't take one bottle you transfer the milk/formula to another bottle right away and keep going to see if one works? Or try different bottles at different feeding times?

Sorry if this sounds really stupid

I don't think any of my friends who have has kids tried this. The few whose kids wouldn't take bottles I know just bought one brand up front, so they just chalked it up to their kid not liking bottles at all. I never considered until The Bump that maybe it was just the bottles they had chosen to buy.

iris427 · February 2014

I just went to the store, saw one that said it was good for breastfeeding babies, and bought a couple to try out. They were fine so that's what we used.

iris427 · February 2014

ChrisB said:

ghostof5letters said:

Are you buying a breast pump? I'd use the ones that come with the pump as a back up. Otherwise, bottles are just something you have to wing. Babies have all sorts of strange preferences and could reject any bottle for any reason. Bottles are frustrating. Don't buy boat loads of anything until you find out what your baby likes. Unfortunately, it's trial and error.

Yep, I'm planning on buying a breast pump and that's another thing!! What type of breast pump?? There are just way too many choices for what seems like everyday essentials. Sounds like 'winging it' is the best way to handle a lot of things! I'm tellin' ya, some days it feels like my head is going to explode, haha!

What kind of pump is best depends on how much you are planning to use it. If you know you will be going back to work FT, you will probably want to invest in a double electric pump or even rent a hospital grade one (they are the best). If you are going to SAH and plan to mostly breastfeed and just pump occasionally, you should be fine with a manual or single electric pump. Manual pumps are the cheapest to start out with if you're not sure what you need, but electric is a lot nicer and easier on your hands, plus you will probably get more milk out with one. I've always used Medela pumps and they are good.

ghostof5letters · February 2014

honeybee434 said:

Super FTM question over here: when you say trial and error, do you mean if they won't take one bottle you transfer the milk/formula to another bottle right away and keep going to see if one works? Or try different bottles at different feeding times? Sorry if this sounds really stupid I don't think any of my friends who have has kids tried this. The few whose kids wouldn't take bottles I know just bought one brand up front, so they just chalked it up to their kid not liking bottles at all. I never considered until The Bump that maybe it was just the bottles they had chosen to buy.

Dump it in a different bottle and try again.

I, personally liked Playtex bottles. The drop ins and the ventaires. The ventaires screwed into my medela pump (I would get more milk than the medela bottles held at times). I'm going to try to use them again.

ChrisB · February 2014

Thanks for the input ladies. Sounds like trial and error it will be!

nola 1017 · February 2014

I used Tommy Tippee with my DD because they were supposed to be very similar to the breast. I got very lucky and my daughter wasn't picky. But several people on our March BMB had a horrible time trying to find bottles their kids would take. Unfortunately, you just never know.

drunkenhandstand · February 2014

I agree with @ghostof5letters about trial and error…

flmomof4 · February 2014

We used the bottles that came with my pump and the nipples the hospital had for free in our room. We made friends with the supply lady and she gave us a ton before we left. DD never cared so we only ever used those for the year she took bottles while I was at work. They were a slow flow nipple and never affected BFing for us.

TigerLily12345 · February 2014

A note about pumps. Check with your insurance company- it will probably be covered under the ACA.

I just talked to BCBS yesterday and my plan covers a manual pump 100%. It also covers an electric pump 100% (you just have to pick it up at a qualifying provider) or 100% of the rental cost of a hospital grade pump.

[Deleted User] · February 2014

I just bought one or two of a few different kinds (my son really fought taking a bottle). The ones he would actually take were the Medela that came with my pump and the BreastFlow bottle.

I kept the others to try with this baby and figure when I'm done (or if this one hates bottles, too) I'll just give them away.

cookieinva · February 2014

We used Dr Brown's from the start and had no problems. Yes they have a lot of parts but we just threw it all in a dishwasher basket so it wasn't like I was hand-washing all that. My baby wasn't picky so can't speak to trial and error.

lowen83 · February 2014

I used breast flow for the 8 months I breast feed and pumped at work. Then we used playtex drop ins. I also choose a bottle for the larger nipple and base to mimic the breast. They have so many new and different bottle now though so I'm not sure what I'll do yet.

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