Product Spotlight 4/9: Baby Bottles + Accessories

SkilledSailor · April 2018

*Disclaimer*: Every baby is different and the bottles you love may not be the bottles your baby loves. This is a great thread to learn about other bottles to try out.

Please use the prompts below to try to share as much relevant info as you can in a format that is easy for those reading to absorb/respond to. If you'd like to recommend/ask questions about more than one product, please copy/paste the prompts as needed.

For S+TMs:

Favorite [bottle]:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
What you like about it:
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [bottle] you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Is there a [bottle] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [bottles + accessories]?:

For FTMs

[Bottle] you're interested in:
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Any questions about it/them for S+TMs?:

Wishilivedinflorida · April 2018

We liked the basic Tommee Tippee bottles (Closer to Nature, I believe). I feel like they mimicked my breast nicely. We introduced one bottle of pumped milk per day at 3 weeks with DS to get him used to a bottle early on. (I would pump to replace the feeding).

They are reasonably affordable and easy to clean. I recommend the ultra slow flow for new babies (Nipple 0), which they previously only offered by buying a whole bottle with it. As a consequence, I own a buttload of these bottles. Thankfully, they now sell size 0 nipples separately. We then moved up to size 1 around 3-4 months and size 2 around 6-7 months to mimic my fast let down.

I’m hoping LO also likes the same bottles and I’ll just buy new nipples. I own a few Avent sample bottles and a few Dr. Browns to try if they don’t like the TT ones.

I tried Medela nipples on my pump bottles once or twice and DS did ok with them, but much preferred TT. He also tried a Munchkin Latch sample bottle once and hated it. But, every baby is different, so take that with a grain of salt.

jumpy57 · April 2018

Favorite [bottle]: we used the kiinde system for pumped milk
Link/picture: https://www.kiinde.com/
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): Keep an eye out for sales and deals
What you like about it: I could connect the bags to my pump with their connectors, no worrying about leaking, I never had a leaky bag, they froze well, it was easy to stash a bunch of empty bags at work for pumping, it was easy to attach the bags to the bottle pieces, easy cleaning. I got a holder and a few nipples for MIL to keep at her house for babysitting and they don't take up a ton of space. Easy to travel with.
What you don't like about it, if anything: nothing bad to say, the bags can be recycled if you after worried about waste
Additional thoughts on [bottles + accessories]?: I wouldn't stock up on anything specific until you find something you actually like. Make sure to get/use slow flow nipples for newborns (we never switched to faster flow)

DanyTargaryen · April 2018

DS used Philips Avent Natural and Medela - the standard nipples not the Calma ones. I think we had it easy with him because he would switch back and forth between those 2 and nursing no problem. I picked the Avent Natural because they're supposedly better for switching between nursing and bottles then the Medela because I liked pumping right into the bottles I was going to send with DS.

As of now all the nipples are still in good shape so I'm holding on to them and crossing my fingers #2 ends up taking to the same brands. We actually never moved up nipple sizes with DS so everything we own is slow-flow and could be used right from the start whenever we introduce bottles with DS2.

I really liked both brands for the most part. The only negatives that come to mind are with the Medela ones if you over tighten the lid at all it can leak and with the Avent Naturals the cap is hard to get off unless the bottle is still fully put together. One you unscrew the nipple/cap part from the bottle it is really hard to get the cap off.

SkilledSailor · April 2018

Bottles I liked while in infant care were Lifefactory (currently what I'm planning to use if LO likes them), Dr. Browns if LOs have acid reflux, and I like the convenience of the Kiinde pump + bottle attachments.

Lifefactory bottles are a bit pricey but have sippy lids to transition to for when the kids are older so I like the lifespan of them.

Dr. Browns are pretty affordable and have lots of starter kits available. They do have TONS of pieces to clean though. I find them incredibly tedious to wash as well as difficult if using formula because it tends to stick to the pieces more. But we got one for free in our Target welcome bag so it's there if LO rejects the others.

Kiinde pouches are about $14 for a pack of 40. We got the bottle converter thingy in our Babylist welcome box so we'll try it out before investing too much into that brand. I like how I could pump directly into these bags, freeze them, and then put them into the bottle attachment. SO many parts in one!

I would love any other recommendations on bottles that are good for breastfed babies. I don't want to EBF, so I plan on pumping about half of the time so H can help with some of the feedings.

DanyTargaryen · April 2018

SkilledSailor said:

I would love any other recommendations on bottles that are good for breastfed babies. I don't want to EBF, so I plan on pumping about half of the time so H can help with some of the feedings.

I hit post right before you, but we had good luck with the Philips Avent Natural. They're supposedly a good option for switching between breast and bottle and either that's true or DS was easy going. They sell bottles individually as well as in 3-packs if you wanted some on hand to try out. My Amazon Welcome Box came with one too if you were planning to set up an Amazon registry.

SkilledSailor · April 2018

@DanyTargaryen Oh good to know! I have an Amazon registry just for the welcome box but haven't ordered anything yet.

DanyTargaryen · April 2018

@SkilledSailor - I believe a few of us have gotten Avent Naturals in our Welcome Boxes recently so if you order soon (or once they're back in stock since they seem to run out a lot) you may get one too! They come in small and large bottles and the sample was one of the small ones which I found to be the perfect size for a baby replacing nursing sessions with a bottle.

spottedginger · April 2018

I loved the kiinde pouches and pumped directly into them. They stand up while disconnecting and the lids close tightly. We never had any issues with leaking in freezer or fridge, but we never fed from them.

We used the Joovy Boob bottles. Those were great because we had to supplement with formula and the wide openings were so much easier to scoop power into and to clean. DS went back and forth between those and breast without any issue at all. We used stage 1 when he was little and stage 2 when he was bigger. I’d read that you are supposed to replace bottle nipples and pacifiers for new baby so I planned on doing so, but if it isn’t necessary, I’m happy to save the money. Thoughts?

smsaulino · April 2018

I'm a first time mom and like really any kind of glass bottle. We are thankful that several of our friends are wanting to donate their glass bottles to us. We would just get the nipples for them. I've always been a huge fan of using any kind of material except for paper or plastic. Before our friends talked to us about donating their bottles, I had done some research and was interested in the Baby Breeza glass bottles (because they only have two parts) and Lifefactory (because of the sleeves protecting mine and little ones hands).

jumpy57 · April 2018

I didn't know I was "supposed" to replace bottle nipples. Mine are still in good shape so I will probably give them a fresh wash and continue to use them.

chillmama1518 · April 2018

I was planning on reusing our bottle nipples as well. My son only used a bottle once or twice a week, and only until he was 11 months old (he was boob or sippy cup after that time) so it’s not as if our bottles were really used a whole ton. I’ll check them over before baby uses them but I really think they should be fine?

We used Dr. Browns and yes they do have a lot of parts for cleaning. Because we didn’t use often this didn’t bother us. My son did great switching between boob and bottle, and he was a gassy baby so I think these helped prevent that. Used premie nipples for the first few months (he was not a premie) as we thought this would help him not prefer a higher flow from bottle vs breastfeeding

DanyTargaryen · April 2018

We're also planning to reuse bottle nipples. I knew I'm "supposed" to replace them, but we never let him gnaw on the nipples so they're still in great shape. If they were deteriorating at all I'd replace them, but they're just as good as day 1 so no way am I wasting money on new ones unless they start to wear out.

arcticseal-2 · April 2018

On a bottle note, I tried one with my first and it didn't go well and wasn't necessary as I'm a SAHM. I also tried to pump but I'm not a huge producer... So, they all went straight from breast to regular cup, aka no bottles. I realize this may not be an option for a lot of people but wanted to put it out there!

jhjocelyn · April 2018

I really wanna try the kiinde system!

We had avent natural, and playtex drop-ins w dd. She really wasn’t picky, and only got a bottle a couple times a week.

I will say, I used the medela freezer bag adapter, and whatever bag I wanted by just cutting a slit above the seal line... so I was able to save one step of transfer. Pumped directly into bags then poured the bag into the bottle. We kept a mini crockpot on the counter for mil to use to thaw milk.

side story: one time when mil was babysitting she decided my milk smelled weird and went thru like 3 bags... I think I had extra Lipase? Which, coincidently, is what dd needed extra of in order to absorb her nutrients.

Asunshinek · April 2018

I used Playtex Ventaire bottles with my dd and loved them. They are affordable and easy to clean. I loved them so much I saved every single one and plan to use with this babe and HOPE the luck continues with using them. I did save the "fast flow" nipples and there is nothong wrong with them and I plan to reuse. I will have to invest in the younger stage nipples though.

My dd was bottle fed from birth because of latch issued so I can't report on the ease of switching back and forth from breast to bottle but I do know these were a lifechanger with gas and reflux issues.

chicandbubbly · April 2018

We struggled with getting my son to take a bottle in the beginning (he was breastfed for 1 year, occasionally got a bottle when I was not with him)... we tried the Medela bottles that came with the pump- he hated those. Phillips Avent he didn't love either, and then I got a sample of the Lanisoh Momma bottles and he did great with those. They are not too expensive. Super easy to clean! https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Breastmilk-NaturalWave-Resistant-Anti-Colic/dp/B00H0DH2NS/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1523303370&sr=8-2&keywords=Lansinoh-Breastmilk-NaturalWave-Resistant-Anti-Colic%2F&dpID=41ZR%252BI59L9L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

So for FTM's don't buy a ton of one brand of bottle, your LO may not take them! For my second I probably will try the same ones we have again and hope she likes them

I am also curious about the Comotomo and might try that one.

sarah-ruby-21 · April 2018

I used First Years BreastFlow. I had not problems with them, but they were annoying to clean because of the double nipple. I am going to try the Avent brand. Bought them at BRU on sale.

Wishilivedinflorida · April 2018

I believe the issue with reusing nipples is microcracks that develop over time that can harbor bacteria or pose a choking hazard. I’m going to play it safe because DS used the hell out of all his nipples. I feel like if a previous baby only occasionally used them they would probably be fine to reuse.

MrsBigTime · April 2018

STM (TTM?)
My first baby was a dream in so many ways, she never gave me any fuss with bottles, and would happily eat when it was time to eat, be it from the boob or from a bottle. My second however, was a stinker!

We tried a ton of different bottles and eventually settled on the Lansinoh Momma ones (https://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Breastmilk-NaturalWave-Resistant-Anti-Colic/dp/B00H0DH2NI?th=1) after a lot of coaxing and we eventually were successful when we laid in bed and nursed, and every so often I'd try to stealthily switch to the bottle for a few sucks and then pop my boob back in when she noticed and started to get mad.

The kicker? This stinker baby was a beast to get off the bottles! She 17 months and we just finally stopped, but she refused milk out of anything else for a long time!

I'm very curious about the new Boon bottles...mostly because they look cool, but in general, I'm a fan of anything Boon does!

Wishilivedinflorida · April 2018

Ooooo the Boon Grass drying mat is great! Just get the bigger “lawn” size. Don’t waste time with anything smaller. You just have to periodically clean it to prevent mildew, but any drying rack will need cleaning anyhow.

treeofcheem · April 2018

Favorite [bottle]: We used the Phillips Avent Natural bottles with DD. Luckily she went between those and breast with no issue, so I can't compare them to anything else
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $23 for a 4 pack
What you like about it: They were super easy to clean, baby had no issues using them. She was only bottle-fed when I was at work 3 days a week, and these worked really well for us. We only ever needed the 4 oz size and the slow flow nipples.
What you don't like about it, if anything:
Is there a [bottle] you don't have but are considering? Why?: I'm looking into the Kiinde system, just because it seems convenient. Last time I just used extra bottles I had (two came with the pump, two that I got as freebies) to put pumped milk into before transferring to bags to freeze. I don't know if pumping straight into the bags would be any easier since I don't mix warm and cold milk and like to measure out certain amounts anyways, but I'm going to think it through.
Is there a [bottle] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?:
Additional thoughts on [bottles + accessories]?:

spottedginger · April 2018

I second @Wishilivedinflorida - the boon grass drying rack and twig accessory are great. So much better than the spinning towers.

jhjocelyn · April 2018

@MrsBigTime I got a boon bottle in my welcome box from Babylist! It was an easy box to qualify for too, no purchase necessary!

Lcardinal04 · April 2018

Favorite [bottle]: Chicco natural fit.
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): $$
What you like about it: We liked the angled nipple. Supposedly it was good for going between breast and bottle and for gas. DD was gassy, and I found it did help. Easy to clean.
What you don't like about it, if anything: nothing.
Is there a [bottle] you don't have but are considering? Why?: I think we’ll try to the chicco again if breast feeding doesn’t work (again).
Is there a [bottle] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: I’m in the minority but hated Dr. Browns. Too many pieces and for some reason they always leaked. No idea why but hubby and I could never get the things to work properly.
Additional thoughts on [bottles + accessories]?: I agree take it all with a grain of salt because baby will choose.
For accessories: we used a variety of freezer pump bags. I exclusively pumped for 10 months. I wasn’t a fan of Madela bags because they were expensive and didn’t hold a lot. If you have a large freezer stash (think I had 1500 ounces when I stopped) then small bags just mean more to defrost for a days worth of bottles.

stothi · April 2018

+1 for the Lansinoh Momma bottles. So easy to clean. We were able to easily go back and forth from breast to bottle. I still have all my bottles (of this brand, gave all the other bottles of random brands away) and I have replacement nipples ready to go. I'm hoping this baby will be ok with this brand of bottle.
+1 for the Boon Lawn and Twig accessories. They work great and I get a kick out of their whimsical nature. I love the flowers and butterfly.

pourmeanothermocktail · April 2018

My son refused bottles most of the time, but the short while he took them, it was the Avent Natural.

We love our Boon drying rack, we have the standard size, plus the flower and twig accessories. If you are SAHM and do little bottle feeding the smaller one is great. We still use our all the time because his straw cups get gross and have a ton of tiny parts. We have no dish washer, so I refuse to put all those tiny parts into our regular dish drying rack-I won't be able to find them and they won't dry out underneath the pots and pans!

Also, the Boon bottle brush is amazing too, though I did have to buy a traditional tiny bristle nipple brush too. The attached nipple brush on the Boon bottle brush is OK for nipples, but doesn't fit into tiny parts of his cups, or into the straws of his and my cups.

MrsBigTime · April 2018

@jhjocelyn that’s awesome! My box came with a kiinde sample, which is cool, but I already have a million Medela bottles to pump into, I’m not going to switch systems completely. I’m just a sucker for cool looking baby things, and the Boon bottles look cool

BostonBaby1 · April 2018

Favorite [bottle]: Dr Brown’s. They are truly pain in the ass to clean, but for babies with colic a reflux… There’s really no replacement. We also used the Tommee Tipee anti-colic because they are wide neck but they have an extra piece to clean, leak easier and are much more difficult to transport.
Link/picture: Get the blue ones, even for a girl. Even though the pink ones are cute, it is very difficult to read the lines especially when it is dark.
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): No clue. The plastic ones are reasonable. The glass ones are much more expensive. I’m not sure the glass ones are worth it and we just have a few.
What you like about it: Best for reflux, colic and gas.
What you don't like about it, if anything: So many parts to clean. I have two on bottles now and helpful husband. We still feel like we are constantly cleaning bottles. Truthfully, we are.
Is there a [bottle] you don't have but are considering? Why?: No. we have used soooooo many.
Is there a [bottle] you've tried that you absolutely hate? Why?: Comotomo. Oh my gosh. I don’t think I ever gave one bottle that didn’t leak. We tried so many bottles because I did not want to use dr brown’s but alas...
Additional thoughts on [bottles + accessories]?: Definitely a big fan of boon lawn and patch. I love the Medela microwave steam cleaning bags. We sanitize between every use. DS got thrush at a few weeks and we just decided it wasn’t worth cleaning them without sterilizing them too. We were already washing between uses. Seventh generation free & clear dish soap. Make sure whatever dish soap you use has no scent.

smsaulino · April 2018

Is a bottle warmer actually a good thing to have? DH and I have been on the fence about putting one of the registry. If you didn't use one, did you just feed the baby cold milk or how did you warm it? Also.. I've also heard about the boon grass.. but there's a new product from OXO tot, that costs as much as the grass but seems like I'd be able to fit more on it, https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler/cleaning/space-saving-drying-rack .. we have a small kitchen so we were discussing maybe getting the small grass with the OXO.

stothi · April 2018

@smsaulino for formula we just used room temp water. For warming breastmilk from the fridge, we just poured some hot water into a big mug and set the bottle in that. We have an electric tea kettle and dedicated mug space so it was easy to use something we already had.

pourmeanothermocktail · April 2018

I love the idea. I'd be worried of tip over unless it attaches to the wall somehow. I wouldn't use with glass bottles at all, but I'm clumsy, and more so when I'm tired. I'd knock it over, again, unless I'm missing something. If it has suction cups or screws or something to hold it up, then I withdraw most of my concerns!

I forgot to share one of my favorite parts of the grass! My pumping parts fit on it and it's accessories. They don't lay flat or on peg style racks well.

treeofcheem · April 2018

To warm bottles of breast milk we just put them in a big mug or big Pyrex measuring cup with hot water. I think for mixing formula you’re supposed to use relatively hot water anyways for bacteria reasons. But again, not my area of experience, just what I think I read somewhere, so grain of salt and all that.

BostonBaby1 · April 2018

smsaulino said:

Is a bottle warmer actually a good thing to have? DH and I have been on the fence about putting one of the registry. If you didn't use one, did you just feed the baby cold milk or how did you warm it? Also.. I've also heard about the boon grass.. but there's a new product from OXO tot, that costs as much as the grass but seems like I'd be able to fit more on it, https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler/cleaning/space-saving-drying-rack .. we have a small kitchen so we were discussing maybe getting the small grass with the OXO.

It depends upon what you’re feeding with, and baby’s age/preference. I wouldn’t give a newborn cold milk. When they’re first born that would be a lot harder to digest. Remember, the digestive tract is the only thing *** (system left to develop for them to function on the outside. Just wanted to qualify that as the immune system, etc keep developing.) If you EBF, skip the bottle warmer at first. We never had one with DS. Just used a Pyrex measuring cup and hot water from our Keurig. Just warm enough so it’s not cold, swirl the bottle and always check the temp on your inner wrist first. With DD, we used a bottle warmer MOTN. We kept bottles in a cooler in our room then warmed on demand. She started preferring cold milk at about 3 months.

For us, that OXO wouldn’t work because we go through too many bottles and parts but you can always try it.

jumpy57 · April 2018

You don't NEED a bottle warmer. We did use one though, the kiinde system warmer would thaw frozen pouches well. I think the oxo drying rack looks cool and will probably work well

SkilledSailor · April 2018

@smsaulino I agree you don't need a bottle warmer. My H is notorious for messing things up in the kitchen though so having a warmer with a timer telling him exactly when it's ready is what we need. But I've definitely nannied for families who just ran hot water over the bottles and others whose kids would take the milk cold.

jhjocelyn · April 2018

@smsaulino

we already had a mini crockpot, so i would leave that on warm and use it as our bottle warmer.

chillmama1518 · April 2018

jhjocelyn said:

@smsaulino

we already had a mini crockpot, so i would leave that on warm and use it as our bottle warmer.

This is freakin’ brilliant. Definitely using this trick, would be perfect for a day away if hubby is having to warm up breastmilk all day or if BF’ing doesn’t go as planned for this babe.

AdmiralKitty · April 2018

We tried the medela bottles, comotomo, phillips advent, and finally settled on the Lansinoh Momma bottles which were amazing! I will 100% be using those again- they made the bf/bottle transition so much easier. My son struggled with all the other kinds even though they worked ok. We also had a Chicco bottle warmer which I used to thaw frozen breastmilk. Once we transitioned to formula around 9mo we just used room temp water. We never really heated bottles too often but it was helpful to set it and forget it with the BM bags.

spottedginger · April 2018

Reviving this thread because I have a related question. The worst part of being a working mom in those first months had to be spending so long each evening cleaning bottles, pump parts, etc and prepping them all for the next day. Standing over the sink scrubbing for that extra 30-40 min or so when I was already exhausted from working and care giving all day was the worst. The dishwasher left a flim that eventually built up, so I feel like that wasn’t the answer. Did anyone have any game changers in the cleaning realm? I was not a sterilize-each-time kind of mom (boiled when I first got them, would use the Medela microwave pouches once a week or so when DS was a bitty infant and then quit after a few months), so that isn’t a necessity.

jumpy57 · April 2018

@spottedginger this is a huge benefit of the kiinde system. The pouches connect directly to the holder and the nipple. I reused the holder throughout the day and only had to wash the nipples and one holder at night.

Product Spotlight 4/9: Baby Bottles + Accessories

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