Product Spotlight: Bottles and Feeding Accessories

jvk2012 · December 2019

For this week, we're talking... Bottles & Feeding Accessories for newborns but also older infants

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past?
What did you use to clean bottles?
Any must-haves for travel?
Best eating-related accessories?

leksiL · December 2019

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past? We used a ton of different ones in the early days trying to find something she would take. By the time we got to daycare we used mostly Avent and Tommy Tippie, with some Madelas too since that is what I would pump into. We loved the Avent bottles because when she got older you could use the same bottles and put sippie cup style transition nipples on them that even came with handles for the older baby to hold themselves. I would suggest that you not go out and buy a bunch of any kind of bottle or sippy cup until you know if your kid can get the hang of it. For instance, everyone swore by the sippy cups with the weighted straws. My kid NEVER got a hold of those so I'm glad we only have 2. My daughter is 3 and still uses the Munchkin 360 sippy cups for roaming around the house or bed, but I try to have her use open cups as much as possible.
What did you use to clean bottles? the dishwasher. We have some baskets that hold the nipples but this time around I have a newer dishwasher that has a third rack on top which should make the whole situation easier. Some of the more complicated nipples/bottles you have to use special brushes to wash so I refuse to use them. My GF stayed up until 9:30-10:00 p.m. washing bottles and that is not something I'm interested in doing.
Any must-haves for travel? We EBF so my real travel issues come with pumping and bringing back milk for baby. In that case it's important to have a good cooling system, but keep in mind that TSA will give you crap if your ice packs are melted - they almost made me throw mine away. In that case you can put them in your checked luggage and bring some ziplock bags with you for your insulated milk bag. Once you check through TSA any restaurant will give you ice for the ziplock bags and you can keep your milk chilled on the ride back. Last time I didn't have ziplock bags so I had to use some regular bags that leaked and it was just a mess.
Best eating-related accessories? So they say that those silicone bowls that stick to your table so toddler doesn't knock them over are amazing but my old dishwasher promptly warped them and made them non-stickable so I wouldn't know. The bibs with the catch pockets in the bottom are pretty key. Also just have patience. I started letting my daughter use an open cup REALLY early (we followed baby led weaning) and there were a lot of spills at first. We tried the silicone mat with the compartments but it was too big for our highchair tray. Also we tried the plastic bowls and cups from IKEA but they got stinky fast, so this time around we will stick to something a little nicer.
My best advise is to follow paced bottle feeding, it helps a lot with tummy problems. https://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

craftywitch · December 2019

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past? EBF baby loved Avent naturals glass
What did you use to clean bottles? Dishwasher- top shelf
Any must-haves for travel? I loved the Avent hand pump for pumping directly into bottles so I could let others feed baby.
Best eating-related accessories? We really loved the silicone sleeves, add-on handles, and eventually the sippy spout nipple for the Avent bottles to transition to baby-held then sippy. DS is 3yo and still drinks his smoothies from one of the 8oz bottles, just using the ring edge with no nipple and a straw now. I love that these bottles grew with us so well.

ibabyloveb87 · December 2019

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past? We used Avent Nautral. The bottles that came with the Medela pump were way too fast flow for DS and he would get choked up every time. The Avent Natural bottles also don’t have a ton of pieces so it makes cleaning so much easier.
What did you use to clean bottles? I boiled them for a long time, especially after he got RSV. Eventually I stopped boiling everyday and used Dapple dish soap. I rarely put my bottles in the dishwasher because it will turn the nipples an off color.
Any must-haves for travel? A bag/tiny cooler with a freezer pack!! I had a small one that would hold 2 bottles and could fit in the diaper bag.
Best eating-related accessories? A lot of patience? But for real though.

zseirecarg · December 2019

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past? Comotomo, good vents, easy to clean, DD liked them
What did you use to clean bottles? Dawn Dish Soap and Water, Boon drying rack and brush cleaner, Medela Steam bags for sterilizing
Any must-haves for travel? Boon travel drying rack
Best eating-related accessories? Formula separator for on the go, easy to clean silicone bibs with the bowl/scoop on the end to catch the food droppings.

lanie1000 · December 2019

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past? Geez. It feels like all of them. Comotomo, Avent glass, Avent plastic, Lanisoh mOmma, Mam, Tommee Tippee (I exclusively pumped so we went through A LOT of bottles). I used the Avent glass and the Lanisoh ones more than the rest because they were much easier to clean and didn't fall over. I didn't have the issue that other mamas have warned about with daycare not accepting glass, but DD goes to a small, family daycare.
What did you use to clean bottles? I boiled them initially, antibacterial dish soap for regular cleanings and a drying rack. I also used the Medela Steam bags for sterilizing every month or so.
Any must-haves for travel? A good cooler. We also had a bottle warmer. It wasn't for travel, but it came in really handy since we were warming refrigerated breast milk. We loved the Tommee Tippee warmer. It was simple and quick to warm up. It also fit all of the bottles I listed above with the exception of the Comotomo infant bottles which are basically round balls with a nipple attached.
Best eating-related accessories? I second all the mamas who said silicone bibs. I'm still using them for my 2.5 year old. I loved the suction cup plates and bowls if you have a smooth surface to put them on. They were great to travel with when baby was eating off my plate. I also recommend a high chair that attaches to a table if you can swing it. My daughter caught hand, foot, and mouth from an unclean restaurant high chair and ever since I've been paranoid and bring my own.

ibabyloveb87 · December 2019

Oh the plastic disposable mats that stick to tables are great for restaurants too!

jvk2012 · December 2019

What kinds of bottles/nipples have you used in the past?
We used a few that I don't remember before settling on the Dr. Brown's Options bottles. I felt they made DD less gassy and didn't mind washing the extra inserts. We'll be starting with these again since that is what we already have and hopefully this guy likes them. They do have different sized nipples for increased flow as baby gets older (formula fed).

What did you use to clean bottles?
Regular bottle brush plus the tiny brush that comes with the Dr. Brown's bottles to clean the insert. We sterilized them initially and then maybe once a month after that if I remembered. We just used regular dish soap.

Any must-haves for travel?
For formula, a container to pack individual bottle serving amounts of formula is a must! As she got older we kept a small fork and spoon in her diaper bag as well as an extra bib and a washable placemat for the table of a restaurant. We have a travel booster seat/high chair that she uses regularly at home but it's small and nice to bring to like a friend's house who didn't have a seating option for her.

Best eating-related accessories?
We did BLW and loved this spoon/fork set for when she was first starting: https://tinyurl.com/wsyby67. We also started with sips cups at 6 months because she couldn't get the hang of a 360 cup until like 9 months (we now use the 360 cups). Also since BLW gets very messy, we used these long-sleeved bibs that were easy to wash: https://tinyurl.com/rp4bnq2. Suction cup bowls were helpful in the beginning but then she learned they could come off. She was good and was never a food/plate thrower though.

burr1371 · December 2019

@jvk2012 - The spoon/fork and smock look like great accessories! They have been added to my baby registry

Thanks for the hot tip!

leksiL · December 2019

oh @jvk2012 reminded me about visiting people...we had this portable booster chair that you can strap in to anyone's dining chair or set on the floor to give snacks and it was really great, and very easily portable. The tray is optional so you can slide it right up to a dining table or use the tray depending on the circumstances.

https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Portable-Booster-Green/dp/B01AZC36Z8

zseirecarg · December 2019

Others have reminded me of the travel high chair we got. It was Ciao Baby, foldable high chair. We took it anywhere we went that wouldnt have a restaurant high chair.

brookert615 · December 2019

@zseirecarg Agree with the Ciao Baby! My SIL used it and swore by it with her sons so that's one of the staples I get for baby showers. I just got one and super excited to use it!

shellac835 · December 2019

We used Avent bottles and they worked great after I heard a tip from a friend...their nipples are pretty fast flow, so we used the size 0/first flow nipples for a LONG time, and then switched to the size 1. It was way better than the size 1/newborn nipples.

Product Spotlight: Bottles and Feeding Accessories

Re: Product Spotlight: Bottles and Feeding Accessories

Choose Another Board

Search Boards