Infant Feeding: The Bottle-Nipple Tandem

Research and experience will help you choose the right baby bottles and baby bottle nipples suited for your baby’s needs. Bottle-feeding your baby starts with a trial and error scheme. You need to purchase one nipple and bottle styles after another until you find the right tandem for you child’s feeding activity.

The first thing to decide on is the baby bottles. These are made out of three different materials including glass, plastic and those plastics with disposable liners. You can opt for the plastic ones unless you and your baby are made for sequence of travels which will drive you to choose the plastic ones with disposable liners. They also vary in two distinct sizes which are the four ounce and eight ounce sizes. For the size options, babies from zero to three months old could use the four ounce bottles. This will limit you from making excess formula which babies cannot consume and will eventually get contaminated or spoiled. As the baby grows, his milk consumption increases so you could settle for the eight ounce size bottles.

Baby bottles may vary in shape but the real idea is to use the ones that reduce gas problems. You may use bottles with vent on the bottom, reusable bottles with anti-vacuum nipple design, angled bottles that keep nipples filled with milk, and those that have collapsible or disposable nipples. Usually bent baby bottles are advisable for easy handling and avoiding bubbles when sucking yet they are difficult to clean. It does not really matter what size or shape your bottles should be. Again, the best consideration is your convenience and your baby’s needs.

Baby bottle nipples should also be given focus. Size, flexibility and shape are the factors that make a nipple fit for your baby. There is actually no big deal with nipples choice if you have started bottle feeding since birth. Yet, when you chose to switch on to bottle feeding from breastfeeding, you need to be more selective. To avoid confusion, choose nipples that resemble yours. Baby bottle nipples have two colors which indicate the materials they are made of. Latex nipples are usually brown while silicone nipples are clear white. Latex nipples are softer and more flexible for sucking yet are not as durable as the white ones. Moreover, they are more difficult to clean since they are not transparent. Silicone nipples are quite firm and may last longer. You may opt for the latter because they become sticky indicating a need for change.

Nipple holes should be taken into account. Nipples may have holes cut in an X shape or round pricks. Manufacturers have generalized that small holes are intended for newborns while those with big holes are for older infants. However, this generalization may not fit your baby’s standards. Babies vary in sucking and preference for milk flow.

Mothers should always try out every possible option for baby bottles and nipples until they have found what really suits their baby’s needs. In the end, settling for the right nipples and bottles will be rewarding for both the baby and the mother.

Choosing the right baby bottles and baby nipples will ensure a quality feeding experience for your infant. Moreover, using of high quality and well designed bottles and nipples will save you from having to deal with spills caused by leaking and premature wear and tear. It pays to know the materials that the bottles and nipples are made of so that you can make a better decision about which one to buy.

Article Source: http://www.parentingarticlelibrary.com

You can find more tips about choosing baby bottles as well as instructions and guides for finding the best baby bottle nipples at Aha! Baby.

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