Baby Bottles and Bottle-feeding '101' for New Parents

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For new parents, choosing a baby bottle presents a steep learning curve. Locate the baby bottle section of a store, and you might feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount and types of products on the market, prompting some uneasy guesswork.

For instance, do you understand the functional difference between wide and slim neck bottles and in which circumstances one is more suited than the other? Can you confidently choose between a teat’s different features including shape, size and ventilation? Do you know when to change the bottle as your baby grows? These are just some of the considerations you’ll face whether you’re bottle-feeding entirely or planning to do mixed-feeding, and it’s wise not to leave your baby bottle initiation until your hour of need.

And for women intent on breastfeeding exclusively, be mindful that there may be times when expressed breast milk in a go-to baby bottle is something you’ll want or need on standby.

In this article, we take a look at some key considerations of bottle-feeding that will enable you to make an informed decision about which bottles to buy. We enlist the wisdom of Belinda Joyce, Midwife, Maternal & Child Health Nurse, and author of the book ‘Survive and Enjoy Your Baby, How to Find Your Path to Parenthood’, who lends her professional expertise on the topic.

If that wasn’t enough to steer you in the right direction, you’ll also learn about our friends at Pigeon, whose baby bottle range has been developed by experts and trusted by mums the world over. In fact, Pigeon received the 2020 Australian Canstar Blue Award for Most Satisfied Customers in the category of Baby Bottles, so they know a thing or two about successful bottle-feeding!

How do I know which bottle size is right for my baby?

The most immediate visual decision you’ll be faced with is the size of the baby bottle. Although there is variation amongst brands, they generally come in a small and large size, holding approximately 120 and 240 ml, respectively. The golden rule is to start with smaller volume bottles for smaller babies and move up in size as your baby grows – generally at 2-3 months.

“Small bottles are best for young babies and for those parents topping up with formula or breastmilk in small quantities,” says Belinda Joyce, midwife, maternal & child health nurse with over 20 years’ experience.

Here is some general advice regarding feeding frequency and intake, to better understand the required bottle capacity in relation to your baby’s development:

• The newborn period is characteristic of frequent feeds, generally every two to three hours. Your baby may even feed in closer intervals, known as ‘cluster feeding’.
• During the initial phase of their infancy, don’t be surprised if your baby takes approximately 8 to 12 feeds per day.
• The standard fluid intake for newborns is approximately 140–180 ml per kilogram of body weight, which is how we calculate their total daily intake. Using 160ml/kg as the average intake, applied to a 4kg newborn: 4 x 160 = 640ml of milk per day. If we divide that amount by the average of 10 feeds per day, it equals approximately 64ml of milk per feed. This demonstrates why a small bottle (approx. 120 ml) is certainly sufficient for newborns and very young infants.
• Feeds will decrease in duration and frequency while volume increases as your infant becomes a more efficient feeder and grows older.

(source: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP))

What’s the difference between ‘wide neck’ and ‘slim neck’ bottles?

The neck of a baby bottle is directly correlated to the width of the teat. A wider teat is supported by a wider cap ring that attaches to what’s called a ‘wide neck’ bottle. Similarly, a standard teat is supported by a standard cap ring that fits what is called a standard or ‘slim neck’ bottle, due to its narrower body compared to the wide neck version. This neck and teat combination can play a big role in your baby latching eagerly and comfortably, and while it’s easy to get hung up on labels from the get-go, observing how your baby actually accommodates the teat size will be the true test.

If you’re curious about any advantage one may have over the other, Belinda Joyce provides a hint: “Although teats can’t fully mimic the breast and nipple, wide neck bottles with wider teats are a closer match and may be better accepted by a breastfed or mixed-fed baby.”

Often, babies who are mixed-fed or have a wider latch may prefer the wide neck which mimics their mother’s breast. Furthermore, a wide neck doesn’t necessarily stimulate a wider latch for your baby, with the attributes of the teat itself also coming into play to facilitate your baby’s mouth position on the teat. Subsequently, it’s best to do some trial and error with a bottle before buying it in bulk.

“It is a good idea to try a few different bottles and teats before buying a full supply. And keep in mind that as your baby grows their needs will change with larger quantities and faster flow of milk required,” says Belinda Joyce.

Now that you understand the difference, let’s take a look at Pigeon’s pioneering product range first developed in 1957, which has been designed to align with your baby’s oral anatomy according to 3 key factors: attachment, peristaltic tongue movement, and swallowing.

Pigeon SofTouch™ bottles and teats are recognized by their wide neck and offer the most natural feeding experience through a bottle. This range is generally recommended when:

1. Combination breast and bottle feeding
2. Weaning from breast to bottle
3. Your baby is reluctant to take a bottle

• SofTouch™ teats have a wide neck design similar to a breast shape to avoid nipple confusion. Its textured surface is perfect for latch-on and good tongue position, and its firm, yet soft fabrication allows babies to use their natural feeding motion, the peristaltic movement. The teat features an Air Ventilation System (AVS) to support constant milk flow and help reduce colic and comes in various sizes to match babies’ development.

Which size of teat and opening is right for my baby?

The opening of a teat is of critical importance in the successful feeding of your baby and refers to the flow rate of milk that it allows. If the rate of milk flow is too fast and spilling out of your baby’s mouth, it’s likely to cause coughing/swallowing issues or they might feed too quickly. Conversely, if the milk flow is too slow, your baby might become impatient or tire, meaning they do not get the required quantity of milk during their feed.

The two available shapes that dictate this flow are ‘round hole’ and ‘cross cut’ / ‘y cut’. To give you a better visualization, if you were to hold a bottle with a round hole teat upside down, milk would slowly drip out. Teats for young babies are generally all round hole, allowing for an ‘open’ milk source that conforms to their jaw muscles, which are still developing in the first few months. As they get older, depending upon the teat, the teat opening may change to Y cut, but this is not a given. The Y cut design differs in that milk will only be released with a baby’s sucking motion. Therefore, they can vary the flow of milk with the Y cut opening that contracts as it accommodates the baby’s desired intake. Thankfully, if your baby does change from a round hole to a Y cut hole, the period of adjustment is brief.

“When choosing a suitable teat for your baby, it’s important that it is an appropriate flow rate for the age of your baby, this is found on the packaging. It can be modified as required if it is flowing too fast or slow or there is leakage around the teat. Ask your maternal & child health nurse for advice,” says Belinda Joyce.

The size and age guidelines vary across baby bottle manufacturers, but here are some cues to look for in upsizing the teat as your baby grows, courtesy of Pigeon:

1. Your baby is fussing every time they feed. They may be getting frustrated as the flow of milk may not be fast enough or;
2. The teat is collapsing when your baby is drinking (and it’s not because there is a block). This can happen if your baby is sucking hard to get the milk out and it is not coming fast enough for them. A vacuum gets created, causing the teat to collapse

Not sure where to turn? If you’re using Pigeon slim neck bottles try Pigeon Flexible™ Peristaltic Teats, or if your baby prefers wide neck bottles, opt for Pigeon SofTouch™ Peristaltic PLUS Teats.

What other features are important when choosing a teat?

We’ve covered the role of teats in addressing a baby’s difficulty in latching or accessing enough milk from the bottle’s teat, but there is another key obstacle that a well-designed teat can address. A baby’s discomfort in relation to indigestion, gassiness and even colic, can sometimes be traced back to swallowed air during the feeding process. Keep in mind that when your baby sucks on the teat of any baby bottle, an inevitable vacuum action occurs. This vacuum can cause air bubbles to form and get trapped inside the teat or even mix through the milk, which is then swallowed by your unsuspecting baby.

Innovative baby teat features to avoid this phenomenon are saving the day for exasperated mums and dads, which is most notably seen in vents or in-built valves in the teat structure that redistribute air and push it towards the base of the bottle instead of the teat (Very Well Family). Of course, not all teats are created equal. For instance, Pigeon’s award-winning SofTouch™ range features the unique Pigeon Air Ventilation System (AVS™) which helps to adjust air pressure inside the bottle. The adjustment of the air pressure inside the bottle minimizes air intake when feeding, making it perfect for gassy and colic-prone babies.

At the end of the day, the best baby bottle teats cater to your baby’s oral anatomy so that air consumption is minimized, avoiding indigestion issues that lead to upset tummies.

Another important thing to note is to avoid ‘mixing and matching’ between brands, as echoed by Belinda Joyce: “Make sure the teats fit the bottles you are using so that they function the way they were designed. Most wide neck bottles require the same brand teat to achieve the correct fit.”

What are the benefits of different baby bottle materials?

There are two main categories of materials that baby bottles are made from: plastic and glass, sparking much discussion for parents. Do a Google search for ‘plastic versus glass baby bottles’, and you’ll find a bunch of results debating the merits of both.

Safety is of utmost importance for parents in baby bottles, and lower-cost plastic materials are in the spotlight. You’re likely to have encountered BPA-free products which is a direct response to concerns about the use of polycarbonate in the manufacturing of baby bottles since the 1960s to reinforce durability. Most baby brands have now moved away from BPA chemicals, and if you don’t see the BPA-free tag, make sure to do research into the brand’s manufacturing process.

Key benefits of glass bottles:

• No chemicals – glass is a natural substance that doesn’t contain any chemicals that could leach into your baby’s milk.
• Easier to clean – glass is far less likely to develop scratches that embed odors and residue, and it’s easier to see when glass is clean or dirty, compared to plastic.
• Withstands high temperatures- you can heat glass to temperatures without worrying about degradation or ‘melting’ of the product.
• Maintains taste – glass maintains the purity of breastmilk due to the abovementioned hygiene qualities, so may be better for fussier babies.
• Longer shelf-life – unless they sustain a crack, glass bottles rarely need to be replaced.

Key benefits of plastic-based bottles:

• Easily available – there’s no shortage of plastic baby bottles on the market and easily sourced from any baby product retailer.
• Low cost – plastic bottles are generally less expensive than their glass counterparts due to a quicker and cheaper manufacturing process.
• Lightweight – their lighter weight means a plastic bottle can be easier for babies to grip and hold on to.
• Durability – plastic bottles may have a shorter life cycle compared to glass, but they are virtually unbreakable – even in the hands of accident-prone babies.

It’s important to remember that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choice here. While glass is a natural resource and plastic is synthetic or semi-synthetic, not all plastics are created equal. Pigeon’s range of baby bottles are made from 3 variants to suit the varying needs of Australian families.

• Glass
• Polypropylene (PP). Bottles made from PP are light in weight, slightly opaque in color and intended for low to regular use.
• Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU). This is a medical grade plastic that is naturally honey toned and quite hard wearing. Intended for higher use.

If you’re opting for plastic, Belinda Joyce reinforces the importance of being discerning about the quality: “Plastic bottles are durable and lightweight, make sure to choose BPA free bottles as BPA has been linked to some health concerns. Thankfully, Australian regulatory standards require all baby bottles sold in Australia to be BPA free.”

How do I know when teats and bottles should be replaced?

A general rule of thumb is that teats should be changed every 2-3 months, as when exposed to a baby’s vigorous sucking and teething, no teat is invincible. This is especially the case for less durable latex, but also applies to silicone teats. Aside from visible cracks or tears, keep an eye out for these surefire signs that it’s time to buy a new teat.

• Milk pours out in a stream – it should drip steadily out of the nipple (in the case of round hole openings). If it comes out too fast, the hole may have become damaged, and the nipple should be replaced.
• Discoloration — this might be a symptom of nipple deterioration.
• Losing shape – if you pull the tip/bulb and it doesn’t bounce back into its original shape, it’s time to replace it.
• Sticky feel or swelling — this is another signal that the nipple could be deteriorating.

If you’re using a Pigeon bottle, the recommendation is to change their PP bottles every 6 months and PPSU bottles every 12 months, whereas glass bottles can last indefinitely.

Pigeon aims to provide a total feeding solution for even the fussiest of babies, with bottles that have earned the trust of Australian parents and are endorsed by maternal and child health specialists within the community, such as Belinda Joyce. To prepare for the arrival of your little one or to enhance your current bottle-feeding experience, check out the range at the Pigeon website or at your local retailer.

To view on YouTube:

The Best Anti-Colic Bottles That Prevent Gas and Tummy ...