How many baby bottles do I need?
We recommend anywhere between 8 to 10 bottles and never fewer than 6.
This is one of the first questions that you’ll ask yourself when the time comes to welcome a new addition to the family and especially if it is your first born.
When it comes to baby gear and accessories, the market seems endless and daunting. If it’s your first time as a parent the abundance of choice will feel overwhelming.
If, on the other hand you’re a veteran parent, then purchasing decisions will seem easy and natural. Hence, this guide is oriented towards new parents who need help finding the right baby gear and accessories.
Even though we said that you should aim in the ballpark of 8 to 10 bottles this isn’t absolute.
The truth is that the number of bottles that you need for your baby depends on a lot of different factors:
- Are you a stay-at-home parent or have a full-time job?
- Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding?
- Age of the baby
How many baby bottles should you buy?
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and let’s break down everything.
First of all the most important consideration is whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding or following a combination of the two.
Obviously if you’re breastfeeding your baby then you don’t need to buy 10 bottles outright but even in this case it’s always good to have a few bottles handy and ready just in case you need them. if you fall in this category then 4 to 5 bottles are more than enough.
Conversely, lots of moms decide to save their milk and then bottle-feed their babies which means you’ll go through quite a few bottles everyday.
Switching to bottle-feeding is when things take a turn. Whether you’re using a baby formula or your milk you’ll have to use multiple bottles over the course of a single day as you need to wash them immediately after feeding your baby. and
When so, you’ll need at least 6 bottles. A rule of thumb is one bottle every 2 or 3 hours.
What you’ll soon discover is that washing them one by one can be a hassle; most parents opt for to clean them in batches.
Glass vs plastic vs stainless steel baby bottles: which one should you choose?
When you’re faced with the dilemma of buying baby bottles for the first time for your newborn then you’ll inevitable stumble upon the question of which type of baby bottles do you buy?
Glass, plastic, or stainless steel bottles? Which one is the best for newborn babies?
There is not steadfast rule, but in general glass baby bottless are starting to become the go to option since a lot of parents are afraid of potentical chemicals that plastic and silicone baby bottles may contain so they resort to glass bottles to be safe.
Naturally all the plastic bottles from certified baby brands are completely safe but you can never be too careful.
Plastic baby bottles on the other hand are very practical and also shutterproof and they are lighter so feeding your baby is easier. Most brands offer plastic or silicone baby bottles and they are cheaper than their glass counterparts.
Stainless steel bottles aren’t as common as glass or plastic but will last you forever, they are lightweight and chemical-free. They are also more expensive than glass or plastic bottles and not as easy to find.
FAQs
Using smaller 4oz bottles is always recommended for newborn babies. You will need around 4 4oz bottles for a newborn baby, 5 or 6 if you want to play it safe.
Yes of course, you can use 8oz bottles with a newborn baby instead of the usual 4oz ones. There’s nothing wrong with using the larger bottles, if anything your baby will quickly grow to use them.
You will roughly require anywhere between 6 to 8 bottles for a newborn in a 24 hour span. Newborn babies need to eat at least 8 times in every 24 hours so make sure you have enough bottles to last you through the day.
Sandra has over 13 years of experience as a child psychologist, both as a practitioner and researcher. She has a Bachelor's in child psychology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and then she did her master's in Psychology in Education (focused on Children & Families) at Columbia University, NY. She has been writing for health and child-related publications for over 5 years now.
