You may hear that you should keep the teat full of milk to avoid swallowing air. It's difficult to know if these really make a difference, because the only research comes from the manufacturers and is not independent. These bottles usually have air vents, tubes or collapsible bags for the milk in order to reduce the amount of air swallowed.
These are pricier bottles and their design is supposed to reduce the likelihood of colic symptoms. They are widely available but it can be trickier to fill these narrow-necked bottles (Which? 2019). They’ll usually come with their own teats and lids and are reasonably priced. These are the standard bottles, often narrow and cylindrical in shape. Here’s an overview of the main types of bottles available on the market: Basic bottles It’s down to you and your baby to see what works for you. Many parents want to know ‘which brand of baby bottle is best?’ The fact is there is no independent research showing differences in feeding ability or pattern from different brands of bottles or teats (Which, 2021 Scheel, 2005). None of the bottles for sale in the UK should have BPA (NCT, 2011). This was due to concerns that the chemical could leach out of the plastic and be absorbed by babies. Since 2011, the European Commission has banned the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles. It’s important to follow your baby’s feeding cues and signs that they need more milk, such as finishing each feed and seeming to want more (NHS, 2015 Unicef, 2016). Every baby is different so there isn’t a set age for when this should happen (Unicef, 2019). Parents who bottle feed find that they may need to move onto using larger bottles as their baby grows and milk consumption increases. Babies who feed from larger bottles consume more milk, which may lead to overfeeding (Wood et al, 2016). The smaller bottles are more suitable for this period. What size bottle will my baby need?īottles come in two sizes, small ones which hold 150mls (5 fl oz) and large ones which hold 250ml (9 fl oz). For the first few weeks, newborns feed little and often because their stomachs are so small (Unicef, 2019). If your maternity unit is not yet on this list, you can speak to their infant feeding lead or call the NCT infant feeding support line on 03. Find out whether your maternity unit is accredited here. They’ll help you with hand-expressing your colostrum and feeding it to your baby using a spoon, syringe or feeding cup (Unicef 2017). Over 90% of maternity units in the UK are now Baby Friendly Accredited, which means a midwife on the infant feeding team should be able to support you if you do have any difficulties with breastfeeding straight after birth (UNICEF 2017). If you’re planning to breastfeed it isn't necessary to buy bottles ‘just in case’. If you plan to use bottles occasionally, or once a day, then it might make sense to buy just one bottle and teat.
This allows for sterilising them between feeds. If you are exclusively bottle feeding your baby, whether formula or expressed breastmilk, you might want around four to six bottles and teats to get you started. Newborn babies generally feed between 10 and 14 times in 24 hours, with feeds becoming a little less frequent as they grow. This will depend on how frequently you’re planning to use bottles to feed your baby.
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