Introducing babies to bottle feeding !
Infant feeding is best done with mother's breast milk, however there are several reasons which prevent mothers to breast feed their baby. That is when baby bottles are used for infant feeding. They can be filled with formula or breast milk to feed the baby.
Baby bottles are available in 3 basic sizes - 4 ounce, 8 ounce & 9 ounce. Infants who are less than 6 months are fed with 4 ounce baby bottles. Parents have to choose from 2 major categories of nursing bottles - reusable & disposable.
This section informs parents on how to choose? & What should be the criteria?
One important instruction for parents is interchanging from disposable & reusable baby bottles would be inconvenient to babies & the only solution is to select the same type of nipple for both types of bottles. FDA instructs parents to never overheat baby bottles & throw away leftovers.
Disposable Bottles |
Reusable Bottles |
| 1. Disposable bottles are only for single use. These bottles require two pieces: A hard plastic holder (nursery), and a disposable, soft plastic liner that slips into the holder. |
1. Reusable bottles are filled & used hundreds of times |
| 2. No need to sterilize |
2. Need to sterilize each time |
| 3. Very convenient while traveling & in airplanes. |
3. Reusable bottles are made from glass or FDA-approved polycarbonate plastic, both of which are dishwasher-safe |
| 4. Disposables liners can also be used to refrigerate breast milk or formula, which can be easily reheated for later use. |
4. There are several shapes of reusable bottles to choose from:
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Standard bottle
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Angled bottle
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Wide neck feeding bottle
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| 5. Disposable bottles typically have wide openings and use wide, breast-like nipples. |
5. Cleaning takes time & should be cleaned thoroughly in the insides to make them germ free. |
Baby bottle nipple is the most important part of the bottle, because it needs to give baby a natural feeling. Most baby bottle nipples are designed to ensure that they can be interchanged with the different types of bottles. Nipples are also available in a range of sizes and flow speeds. The material used for the manufacture of the nipple is usually latex or silicone rubber. Latex develops a distinctive smell over use & generally is not long lasting, where as silicone rubber nipples are usually soft, have no odor & generally last long.
Shape |
Traditional Nipples |
Orthodontic Nipples |
Natural shaped Nipples |
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Pro's & Con's |
The most common type of bottle nipple |
Orthodontic nipples are, designed to fit your child's tongue and gums. |
Natural shaped nipple is designed to simulate the shape of a mother's breast. |
| These can have one or more holes for easy flow. |
They have a bulb that's flat on one side, which rests on the child's tongue. |
These promote suckling action by the baby |
