Best Baby Bottles: A guide for the nervous mama

After a bit of research and a dose a blind courage, I found the best baby bottles for a breastfed baby and some great tactics for successfully introducing a bottle.

Best Baby Bottles for a Breastfed Baby

When deciding to bottle feed, the bottle is undoubtedly key. The best baby bottles I’ve come across, by far, are the Nuk Simply Natural bottles. For one, the nipple is created to look and feel like a mother’s nipple. It has an anti-colic air system. And, it has a ‘slow flow’ release. This is crucial for babies as breastmilk let down slows as baby needs to take a break. Without a slow release, when drinking from a bottle, babies end up drinking too much too fast. This can make them overeat, be more inclined to spit up and be gassier. All no fun for Mama and Baby. Nuk Simply Natural bottles solve this problem. Finally, the other aspect of the bottles that I love is that they are equipt with several holes to mimic the let down of breastfeeding. (Chalk that one up to another thing I didn’t know about breastfeeding. I had visions of the spray being a little more like a hose and a lot less like a sprinkler! But I digress…)

Best Tips for Introducing Bottles to a Breastfed Baby

• Pump breastmilk so that the contents of the feed are familiar to your baby.
• Have Mom leave the room or even the house before feeding time. I’m not sure if it’s scientifically proven or just a wive’s tail. However, it seems as though babies can smell their mothers and are less inclined to try a bottle when she is near. Based on this, Dad, grandparents or a sitter are better choices for the first few times.
• Introduce the bottle when Baby is verging on being hungry but is not upset or distress. Generally speaking, babies are more difficult to feed when they are agitated. I find a routine of sleep-eat-activity-sleep works the best when predicting what my baby needs next. As soon as Baby wakes, feed him or her while sleepy but still contented.
• Choose a quiet room. Many babies get overwhelmed and overstimulated when there is a lot going on and they are supposed to feed. A distraction-free setting is key.
• Assume a similar position to breastfeeding and place the bottle where Baby can latch. Do not shove the bottle into your baby’s mouth. When breastfeeding babies come to the breast, they are the ones who latch. Bottle feeding should be the same. If in doubt, direct the bottle towards the baby’s nose and wait.
• Be patient and calm. Babies can pick up on our energy making it more difficult to introduce a bottle.