What are the baby bottles for breastfed babies?
Switching from breast to bottle feeding is often tricky. Your baby may initially refuse the bottle. This is extremely frustrating and makes feedings difficult. In this article we’ve reviewed some of the best bottles for breastfed babies. These bottles are specifically designed to make this process easier, and take the frustration out of feeding.
Which bottle is the best for breastfed babies?
What is the best bottle for a breastfed baby? When asking this question there are several things you must look at. First of all, the problem when switching from breast to bottle, is that your baby experiences confusion.
They don’t know what the bottle is and this is why they reject it. For this reason, the most important thing on any bottle is its nipple. It needs to be as close to a natural breast as possible.
Another extremely important thing is the flow. Milk does not flow quickly out of a breast. This is why the bottle should have a flow which is not too fast. Shape is also important. You want a rounded bottle which resembles a breast as closely as possible.
In addition to this, the bottle should have vents. You see, when your baby sucks on the bottle a vacuum is created. This forms air bubbles which may cause gas or colic. Air vents allow this gas to escape, thus avoiding these problems.
Another important thing is that the bottle is easy to clean. Remember, you’ll probably end up washing hundreds of bottles, so take this into consideration. Finally, think about the material that the bottle is made from. Most bottles are manufactured from plastic or silicone, but you also have glass bottles.
The biggest advantage of glass is that it does not contain harmful chemicals. Things also taste better in glass and your baby may prefer these bottles. What’s more, glass is easier to clean.
5 best bottles for breastfeeding babies
- Comotomo Baby Bottle
- Dr. Brown’s Options+ Slow Bottle Set
- Nanobébé Flexy Silicone Baby Bottle
- Nanobebe Breastmilk Baby Bottle
- Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle
1) Comotomo Baby Bottle
Pros:
- Great breast-like design
- Squeezable material help control flow
- Wide design makes it easy to clean
Cons:
- Milk can sometimes flow too fast
This product has everything your baby needs to switch from breast to bottle. What we liked most is the unique shape. It features a rounded design which closely mimics the look of a breast. This makes it easier for your baby to latch onto the nipple. It also makes feeding less of a hassle. As well as this, the bottle is made from a soft, squeezable, food grade silicone. This is preferable to hard plastic, as it lets you control the flow. Unfortunately, this silicone is quite thick, so the bottle takes a bit more time to warm up.
The design is also much wider than other bottles. This makes it easier to get into the bottle and clean those hard to reach places. While this is true, the base of the bottle is very small, meaning it can tip over easily.
2) Dr. Brown’s Options+ Slow Bottle Set
Pros:
- Unique one of a kind vent system
- Great value, comes in a set of four
- Travel cap prevents milk from spilling
Cons:
- Not the easiest bottle design for washing purposes
According to the manufacturers, this is the number one bottle recommended by pediatricians. It has also won several awards. But does this actually make these bottles better? In our opinion yes.
What sets them apart from the competition is their internal vent system. With this system air flow is constant and bubbles are quickly broken up. These vents prevent air from getting into your baby’s body.
In turn, this helps to minimize problems like colic, burping, gas, vomit, and spit up. What we also enjoyed is that you can remove this system. If you don’t feel that your baby doesn’t need it anymore, you simply take it out. This is a great benefit, because this bottle can be hard to clean.
That leads us to the only real drawback with this product. Because it has many parts it takes a little longer to wash, and is also difficult to put together. This vent system also causes the bottle to occasionally leak.
3) Nanobébé Flexy Silicone Baby Bottle
Pros:
- 5 different nipples for your babies changing needs
- Ridged nipples prevents nipple collapse
- Unique oblong shape
Cons:
- Bottles shape makes difficult to clean
What we really liked about this bottle is the nipple. It’s is a lot smaller than other bottles we’ve reviewed and is also extra-soft. This makes it ideal for smaller babies and helps prevent nipple confusion.
The product also comes with five different nipples, each featuring a different flow rate. This is perfect for your growing babies adjusting needs. The nipple is also designed to mimic the breastfeeding latch.
It has internal ridges which prevent it from collapsing. This helps your baby stay attached and prevents feeding interruptions. If your baby is struggling with nipple confusion, then this bottle is recommended.
It also has an interesting shape. The bottle isn’t rounded like the Comotomo Baby Bottle. Instead, it features an oblong shape, which more closely resembles a breast.
Lastly, the bottle also has removable handles. These are great for when your baby is ready to hold the bottle (just note that these are sold separately.) It also comes in a wide range of colors, which is another nice touch.
4) Nanobebe Breastmilk Baby Bottle
Pros:
- Award winning shape
- Off-center nipple
- Shape allows baby to hold bottle
Cons:
- Hard to clean
This is probably the best bottle for breastfed baby who refuses to bottle. The reason why is because it’s completely different to anything else we’ve seen. For example, the bottle features an award-winning design, which is curved exactly like a breast.
The nipple is also placed off-center. This enhances the breast-like shape of the bottle. What’s also interesting is the bottom of the bottle. It has a concave shape, which allows your baby’s tiny fingers to grip and hold it.
This concave shape also means the bottles are stackable, and also easier to store and transport. While the design of this bottle is amazing, it does create several problems. The biggest issue is cleaning. Milk tends to accumulate at the bottom of the bottle. This is a hard to reach area and makes cleaning difficult.
Another issue is that your baby needs to be on its back to hold the bottle. While this isn’t a major problem, it prevents you from holding your child in an upright position. One final issue is that this bottle is a lot smaller than the others we’ve reviewed.
5) Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle
Pros:
- Wide neck makes cleaning easier
- Vent system prevents bubbles
- Great for babies who want to hold the bottle
Cons:
- Some babies may not like the wider nipple
This bottle is almost identical to the Dr. Browns bottle reviewed above. It has all of the same features, including the internal vent. The only real difference is that it’s meant for larger babies, whereas that one was for newborns.
This is easy to see in the design, which features a wider neck. This wider neck allows you to easily clean the bottle (while this is true you still have to clean the vent.)
Another nice thing about the design is it’s curved shape. This makes it great for babies who are starting to hold the bottle themselves.
All around, this bottle is fantastic, except for one thing. Unfortunately, the nipple does not lie flush against the cap. This means that milk can leak from the bottle when transported, even when the cap is on. While this is a minor flaw, it’s something you’ll want to keep in mind.
With over 15 years experience in baby cribs, nursery furniture and baby essentials we strive to bring you impartial and unbiased reviews of the best baby products.
