Bottles for newborns
Choosing a dowry for a long-awaited baby is a very pleasant matter, but responsible and sometimes troublesome. A separate item on the long list of purchases that come with the arrival of a new family member in the house is occupied by feeding equipment and, in particular, bottles for newborns. It is very difficult to understand their diversity, so before purchasing it is recommended to collect as much information as possible on this issue, which will help you make your choice.
How to choose a bottle for a newborn?
The choice of a bottle for feeding newborns is based on only two simple principles - convenience and safety. Based on them, you should determine the material from which the bottle is made, its shape, and the manufacturer. The bottle must withstand the high temperature required for sterilization, its parts must fit tightly to each other - then the contents will not spill.
Material
. The bottles are made of glass and high-quality plastic. Glass feeding bottles are more common among the older generation - they are easy to wash, sterilize, and are durable. The main disadvantage of glass is that it breaks easily, which means it can pose a threat to the baby’s safety. Plastic bottles do not break, they are lighter and can withstand sterilization and boiling just as well. Their disadvantage is that plastic is less durable - over time, microcracks appear on the walls of the bottle and it becomes cloudy.
Form
. The next thing you need to pay attention to is the shape of the bottle. They are cylindrical, curved at the neck or towards the middle, widening towards the bottom. The simpler the bottle shape, the easier it is to clean. But on the other hand, curved bottles are more physiological, since they partially repeat the shape of the mother's breast. In order to thoroughly wash the dishes, getting into the most inaccessible recesses and recesses, you should also purchase a bottle brush, preferably of the same brand as the bottles themselves for the greatest convenience and efficiency.
As for the brand, it is better to give preference to well-known manufacturers, since their products are regularly tested and certified.
How to wash and at what age should baby bottles be sterilized?
The formula and milk that we feed our babies provide an ideal environment for the development of pathogens, so it is very important to know how to properly wash baby bottles.
After each use, bottles should be washed, pre-soaking if necessary, first with a special detergent for baby dishes, and then with running water. Particular attention should be paid to the places where food debris accumulates - the neck and bottom. A brush, which will facilitate the washing process, should be used exclusively for children's supplies.
After washing, bottles should be sterilized.
Caring for your bottle and pacifier
A bottle for a newborn and a pacifier are the baby’s first utensils, careful care of which will help avoid the occurrence of infectious diseases. This is especially true for babies under one year old.
Basic Rules:
- After feeding your baby, you should rinse the baby dishes with warm water. If necessary, use brushes and cleaners for more thorough care.
- The next important step is sterilization. Dishes for children under 1 year of age should be sterilized to prevent bacteria from developing on their surface.
- Sterilization is carried out with filtered or bottled water - this way you will avoid the appearance of plaque on the dishes.
You can read in detail about how to sterilize bottles for newborns here.
A bottle for feeding a newborn baby, what it should be
This can be done using modern advances in technology - an electric sterilizer or a microwave sterilizer, or you can do it the old fashioned way - by boiling in a saucepan. Our mothers remember very well what it’s like to boil bottles. After they have boiled for about 15 minutes, the water should be drained and the dishes should be left to dry. When the water has drained, the bottles should be dried on a clean towel. It is not difficult to understand that to save effort and time, it is still better to spend money on a sterilizer and dryers for baby bottles - it will pay off.
Bottles should be sterilized only as long as you feed your baby from them.
How many bottles does a newborn need?
The question of quantity depends on the type of feeding. If your baby feeds exclusively on breast milk, you can do without them altogether, and supplement feeding and supplementation with a spoon. In the first six months of life, you can buy a bottle for the convenience of the mother, who can express milk into it and entrust feeding the baby to loved ones. After six months, you can give juices, kefir, and liquid cereals from a bottle.
An artificial person needs about 6 large bottles, 250 ml each - for the mixture itself and about 2 small ones, 120 ml each - for liquids.
What else should you pay attention to?
And a couple more little things that you should pay attention to when choosing a baby bottle. It is convenient if it has a measuring scale. It is even more convenient when the divisions are not painted with paint, but are convex, extruded, then the numbers and dashes will not be erased when the bottle is washed frequently.
In addition, many models can tell themselves whether the temperature of the mixture is optimal. This is done using a special mark applied with invisible heat-sensitive paint on the outside of the bottle. When the mixture reaches the desired temperature, the inscription appears.
Which bottle to buy for a newborn
It cannot be said that a glass bottle for newborns is worse than a plastic one, or vice versa. Plastic utensils can have a fun design, so your baby will always enjoy using them. It does not break and is light in weight, so a plastic bottle is more suitable for purchase as a “walking” bottle. Glassware is fragile and heavy, but it is the only one you can boil as many times as needed. And, unlike quickly cloudy plastic containers, it lasts an unusually long time.
Straight or shaped baby bottle?
Bottles with ridges, pinches, and curves are good for newborns who are already feeding themselves. After all, shaped dishes are much easier to hold in your hands. However, it can be very difficult to wash it. So, to make your life easier, choose a bottle with straight sides. A very useful purchase would be dishes with attached handles. When the baby reaches the age of “on his own!”, it is enough to install the handles, and for the first time in his life the child will eat from a bottle independently.
Let's say no to colic!
Colic in newborns, resulting from air swallowed with food, is a very common childhood problem. A bottle with anti-colic ventilation practically solves this issue. Such models cost a little more than usual, but the baby will not suffer from cramping in the stomach after every meal.
Choosing a nipple for a newborn's bottle
Bottles for liquid and thick foods are equipped with nipples with different numbers of holes. Make sure that the holes in the nozzle are large enough, otherwise the newborn will have difficulty sucking and will get tired before being fully saturated. Regarding the material, silicone nipples are preferable, since caring for them is much easier than their latex counterparts. Don't forget to check how tightly the nozzle closes the neck. Even if you shake the dishes thoroughly, there should not be the slightest drip.
Bottle volume
Everything is simple here - for newborns you will need a bottle with a capacity of 1/2 cup, and for babies from 3 to 4 months old, twice as large dishes will do. It is advisable that the bottle have a double scale - grams and milliliters.
Neck diameter
The most convenient in all respects are bottles with a wide neck.
LET'S TALK ABOUT FORMS
What is the best bottle shape to choose – inexperienced mothers often ask pharmacists and on various parenting online forums. The entire range of bottles available today can be classified into the following main types:
- Classic bottles in the shape of a straight cylinder. They are quite easy to use and care for, but it is not very convenient for the baby to hold them in his hands - they are too wide.
- Figured variations. Many manufacturers offer their own design solutions. These can be models with a recess in the middle, concave in the middle or at the top, widened at the bottom, etc. “Convexity” and “concavity” are designed to make gripping the bottle as comfortable as possible, but this makes the process of caring for the dishes more complicated.
- Wide-neck models designed for preparing mixtures directly in the bottle.
- Curved models with the so-called anti-colic system. These bottles are equipped with a gas outlet tube, which allows you to cope with the problem of the baby swallowing air while eating.
Classic bottles, which are made of plastic and glass, are universal - they can be used for milk, mixtures, cereals, and juices. Dishes of non-standard shape and bottles with wide necks are usually made of plastic (some models additionally have a sealing disk, which ensures the tightness of the container).
Before giving preference to any option, experts advise assessing its practicality and convenience. For example, for the smallest babies there is no point in buying a figure model - the baby will still not be able to hold it on his own. It is also worth remembering that such a bottle will not be easy to wash, so it is better to use it only for water or juice. Well, if your child has digestive problems, try the anti-colic option.
How to choose a bottle for a newborn: an accessory for the first feeding
Newborns will especially like them, since dishes of this type are always equipped with an attachment that imitates the shape of a female nipple.
Which is the best brand of baby bottle to choose?
Dr. Brown's and Avent
It is these brands that specialize in the production of bottles supplemented with an anti-colic protection system. In addition, the nipple of these bottles is designed in such a way that the speed and continuity of the milk flow depends only on the sucking activity of the newborn. That is, everything happens exactly the same as during breastfeeding. The similarity is complemented by the anatomical shape of the nozzle, similar to a nipple. Therefore, the problem of switching to artificial feeding disappears by itself.
Nuby
Nuby has released a unique baby feeding kit called “6 stages”. With its help, a comfortable transition from a bottle to a regular cup is made. At first, the newborn uses regular infant utensils. After some time, handles, a silicone spout and a narrow tube are alternately attached to it. Thus, the child gradually gets used to performing all the actions that are necessary to use “adult” utensils. Many mothers also appreciated another innovation from Nuby - a bottle with the inscription OK appearing, indicating that the formula has reached the most pleasant temperature for the baby.
We sincerely hope that our material will be useful when choosing a bottle for feeding newborns.
We wish your baby joy and health!
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How to feed
The body position during feeding should be comfortable for both the baby and the mother. It is preferable to hold him in your arms in the same way as when breastfeeding, since in this position the baby develops positive emotions towards the mother. The moment of communication is taken into account. In any case, the baby is fed with the head end raised; the head should not be thrown back.
The pacifier is pressed against the baby's lower lip to enable him to open his mouth wider. The tongue should be located at the bottom of the nipple. It is correct when the baby's lips reach the wide base of the nipple and close on it.
The bottle should be held at an angle of 30-45°, making sure that the nipple is filled with milk or formula and does not stick. Otherwise, he will swallow air. This moment is easily controlled: when the nipple is empty, a characteristic sound of sucked air is heard. You need to either position the container more vertically or remove it completely.
The best feeding bottles for newborns
Just give me the breast. I take the pacifier. At least somehow calm the baby down
— Komarovsky says not to give a pacifier for up to a month. And water before starting complementary feeding (with breastfeeding). But my sister needed it for formula. The milk never showed up
— @mom2017, @sarawinchester I’m worried there might be problems with the milk.
— @sle_ksu everyone is worried about this) if anything, here’s the phone number
