Choosing a Bottle

While bottles are not the only alternative method for feeding babies, they are typically the most common. Whether you’re exclusively bottle feeding or only occasionally offering a bottle, it’s important to make an informed choice when selecting the best option for your baby.

Here’s what you need to know to help you determine the best bottle for your baby:

Breastfeeding is what babies are born to do. Artificial nipples (bottle nipples and pacifiers) are meant to replace the role of the breast either temporarily or exclusively. Breastfeeding is not just about the milk. It’s also about the act of feeding from the breast.

Breastfeeding supports the normal oral development of infants. When babies are given artificial nipples, either for a feeding method or for soothing, it’s important to mimic the experience at the breast as much as possible. This is true for babies that go back and forth from breast to bottle as well as babies who are exclusively bottle fed.

Why is this important to understand? Because breastfeeding and bottle feeding are not the same, but with the right tools and the right approach we can more closely replicate the breastfeeding experience, which in turn can support normal oral development. The oral development that happens in infancy has a significant impact even into adulthood. The jaw, airway, the shape of the palate in the mouth, are all being developed when babies are sucking. The latch matters; both in breastfeeding and bottle feeding. It’s worth the time to make an informed decision before choosing a bottle just based on the latest influencers favorite pick.

So, which bottles are better for supporting oral development? Typically ones that have a gradual slope from nipple to base. Try the triangle test when shopping for bottle nipples: make a triangle shape with your thumbs and pointer fingers and see which bottle nipples more closely resemble that shape. You also want to look at the nipple from the top view and find one that is circular. This ensures proper tongue placement while sucking.

Once you’ve chosen a bottle, check out our tips for paced bottle feeding and introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby!

Even if your baby is only taking a bottle periodically, an optimal nipple shape, slow flow nipple and paced bottle feeding approach all help support a smoother transition between breast and bottle.

Note: if your baby is struggling with taking a certain bottle nipple shape or is refusing a bottle altogether, reach out to a lactation professional for some support.

*A note about marketing- bottle and pacifier companies have one goal: to get you to purchase their product. Just because a company says their product is “just like breast” or “best for breastfed babies” does not mean it is.

Need help choosing a bottle or pacifier for your baby? Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a little of both we’re here to help! Schedule a free discovery call today!