If you are going to bottle-feed from day one or if you are planning to eventually move from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding,
You need to select the ideal baby bottle. You should have a clear knowledge to buy the best bottle for your baby.
There are a lot of models, shapes, and styles in the market. If you are a new parent, you should do a proper market search before buying the top-rated baby bottle.
Types of materials the bottle is made of
we can identify four main categories of materials.
- Plastic
- Glass
- stain steel
Silicon material
silicone bottles are BPA-free. Due to this reason, silicone bottles are very popular for decades in the market. These soft & lightweight bottles have a flexible body.
These bottles are comparatively more expensive and hence can’t be found frequently in the stores.
( BPA-known as bisphenol A, widely used in plastic products to make them stronger and Hardened Which is not suitable for good health)
Plastic material
Plastic bottles are the easiest material to find in baby bottles with a very low budget. The bottles come very softly and are lightweight.
They can very easily be cleaned and are very hard to break like glass bottles.
There are very harmful chemicals found in certain plastic bottles like BPA. Those plastic hardened chemical components may be caused by endocrine malfunctions in animal studies.
So those plastic material is supposed to have very harmful effects, especially on infants and children.
If you choose plastic bottles, avoid clear plastic bottles where noted the recycle symbol 7 and the letters”PC”. Search for Opaque plastic bottles denoting recycling numbers 2 and 5.
Glass material
Most of the time parents are searching for BPA-free bottle items in the market. So, the parent’s main choice is Glass bottles for so many years.
The glass is a breakable item, so there is a serious concern about cracking and shattering the glass bottle.
These expensive glass bottles are sometimes reinforced with silicone sleeves for avoiding breakage.
Specialized glass bottles are very expensive.
Stainless steel material
This is another BPM-free material, it is long-lasting and unbreakable. No risk of shattering and cracking.
These models can develop condensation on the outside and are not see-through.
So it is hard to find how much the formula is inside the bottle. Measurement problems are there with this type of model.
This item can be modified with silicone, vented nipples, and insulating layers which are more expensive and hard to find in stores.
Importance of having a set of bottles
newborns needed to be fed every two hours. So, washing the same set of bottles is a very difficult task for new parents.
They try to keep a full set of feeling bottles with them. Modern parents require 4 to 12 bottles due to this reason.
Baby bottle shapes
The different bottle shapes have different benefits.
Breast shape – these are called “wide neck” shaped bottles. These have a lot of benefits for mothers.
They can have easy measurements for breast milk or formula mixing and are very easy to clean.
These wider neck bottles allow wider nipples which is more comfortable for babies. When traveling these may be difficult to fit into stroller cup holders.
Standard shapes – These narrow straight bottle types are found in glass, plastic, or silicon types. Some babies have problems with its glassiness when used.
Choosing nipples for baby bottles
When using the nipple, the most important thing is nipple safety. It should be nicely monitored how fast the breast milk or formula is released through the nipple while feedings.
The nipple hole is very important and should be in the ideal size.
Baby seems to gag when the milk comes too fast through the nipple hole, or baby seems so frustrated when he’s sucking so hard from the nipple.
The materials are basically two types. Those are latex material and silicon. Silicon is the best material, whereas soft latex materials break easily and hold on to milk and formula Oder also caused allergic reactions.
Silicon nipples are firm and long-lasting. They can withstand teething. The orthodontic nipple shape is the commonest nipple shape designed with the breast in mind.
These nipples bring a natural feel to the baby when sucking with them.
The nipple size can be judged whether it is the ideal size or not by observing the child’s sucking pattern.
If the child is gagging when sucking, the nipple hole may be too large. It is too small a child seems hardly suck.
Best baby bottle for the budget
Silicon or stain steel bottles are the most expensive bottles on the market. These bottle items are the most longevity items in the market.
Glass bottles are not that expensive but it is not as prevalent as silicon bottles.
The least expensive bottles are plastic bottles. There, the parents need to watch for the BAPs.
The preferences of the baby decide the bottle shape. When the shape is going to angle, the price is going high.
SOME BREAST PUMPS MAY OFFER PACKAGES THAT MAY INCLUDE BOTTLES. MOTHERS SHOULD THINK OF THIS WHEN SELECTING THOSE PUMPS.
CONVERTIBLE BOTTLES CAN BE ANOTHER BUDGET SAVER.
The bottles and the accessories
Bottle warmer – The babies are more receptive to warm bottles.
BUT NEVER WARM FORMULA OR BREAST MILK IN THE MICROWAVE. THERE THE BOTTLE MAY BE COOL WHILE THE MILK IS TOO HOT.
THAT WILL GIVE A VERY HARMFUL EFFECT ON THE BABY.
You need to check the warmth by sprinkling a few drops into your wrist. That checking is essential when giving warm milk to the baby.
- Insulated tote bag-This allows the parents to travel with warm bottles.
- Extra cups and covers-Bottle caps and nipple covers easily be misplaced. so these extra cups and covers are important
- Bottle brushes-This is the cleaning tool. limited metal and easy-grip handled brush is ideal for cleaning the bottle.
- Nursing pillow-This make a bottle or breastfeeding more comfortable.
- Bottle sterilizer-This is mostly a microwave or electric item. Make sure plastic bottles should not put into these.
Conclusion
With scientific advancements, top-rated baby bottles are invading the market. When you select the baby care equipment, especially the baby bottles.
You should study those products to select the healthiest one for your baby. The above-mentioned facts and details will help you to choose a top-rated baby bottle.
This is a very helpful post on the top rated baby bottles. I was not aware that glass is an option for baby bottles, as it does break easily, but as you mention with a protective silicone sleeve, it could be more durable. I breastfed my babies when they were little, so never really had a need for many bottles, just to give them some water in a bottle. So if one is only bottle feeding, to have 4 to 12 bottles is quite a lot, but good to have this as a guide.
yes, glass the best solution, because modern plastic innovations are full of health issues. But people are going around the user friendly solutions.
thank you very much for considering my article as a guide. feel free to ask for any information about childcare. thank you for your valuable insights.