How to Choose a Bottle for Your Breastfed Baby
One of the top questions we get as Lactation Consultants in San Diego is- how do I choose a bottle for my breastfed or combination fed baby? Our team has worked with countless babies, collaborated with top pediatric feeding experts such as occupational therapists and speech language therapists to help guide families in finding the right bottle that supports both breastfeeding and bottle feeding. Here, we’ll share my insights to help you make the best choice for your baby.
What to Look for in a Bottle for Breastfed Babies
When choosing a bottle for your breastfed baby, two factors stand out: flow rate and nipple shape. Let’s break these down.
1. FLOW RATE
The flow rate is crucial for ensuring your baby doesn’t develop a preference for bottles over breastfeeding. Unlike breastfeeding, where babies must actively suck to draw milk, many bottles allow milk to drip freely, requiring less effort from your baby. This can lead to breast refusal, preference for bottles and challenges with breastfeeding.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Look for a true slow-flow nipple: Unfortunately, there’s no industry standard for what constitutes “slow flow” (check out this research that came out testing different bottle flow rates) so it’s important to test bottles and find one that matches your baby’s feeding needs.
Tighten the nipple ring: If the flow still feels too fast, tightening the ring can help slow it down- the tighter the ring, the slower the flow, this is sometimes an easy fix.
Practice paced bottle feeding: Hold your baby in a nearly upright or sidelying position, and keep the bottle level to prevent milk from flowing too quickly. If you need support with learning this- we teach this in our postpartum lactation consultations.
2. NIPPLE SHAPE
Many bottles marketed as “breast-like” fail to promote the deep latch necessary for breastfeeding (and again, there is no standardized language for this- just good ol’ marketing). Wide, flat nipples can prevent babies from replicating the latch they achieve at the breast.
Instead, look for nipples that:
Have a gradual slope from tip to base- we do not want baby to suck the bottle like a straw
Are narrow or moderately wide to allow baby’s lips to touch the nipple ring.
Other Notes to Consider
Anti-colic systems: For babies prone to gas or reflux, bottles with air vents can reduce air intake. This bottle for example has a double vent system which is helpful to reduce the flow rate (and thus, gas/digestive discomfort).
Material: While plastic bottles are most common, glass options are increasingly popular for their durability and ease of cleaning.
Size: Breastfed babies typically don’t need large bottles. Opt for bottles that hold 3–5 ounces to avoid waste (those larger 8oz bottles you see are for formula fed babies). Since your breastmilk changes as baby grows calorically- your baby likely won’t ever need more than 5oz/bottle.
When to Introduce a Bottle
In our prenatal breastfeeding workshops, we recommend waiting to until 4–6 weeks to introduce a bottle to a breastfed baby. This allows breastfeeding to be established before introducing another feeding skill like bottlefeeding. After you introduce a bottle, continuing to offer one bottle every other day or once a week can help your baby stay accustomed to both feeding methods (we like to say it’s like eating with a fork and eating with chopsticks, once your baby learns each they can switch back and forth).
Top Bottle Recommendations for Breastfed Babies
Here are some of our top bottle picks based on our use in practice:
>>> Pigeon SS Nipple with the Lansinoh Bottle
We like the sloped shape and wide base
>>> Gulicola Extra Slow Flow Bottle
We like the glass option, extra slow flow + sloped shape nipple
We like the slow flow/anticolic, glass bottle
>>> Dr. Brown’s Anti-Colic Bottles
We like as an option for NICU babies (it is a narrow base) and the preemie nipple is a slower flow
How to Avoid “Nipple Confusion”
Nipple confusion isn’t about babies being “confused”; it’s about them preferring the easier option (which makes a LOT of sense to us, their job is to conserve energy). Using a slow-flow nipple and practicing paced feeding can help ensure your baby continues to thrive at the breast while learning to develop the skill of bottle feeding so you can use bottles as desired.
With the right bottle and feeding techniques, you can support your baby’s feeding journey while maintaining your breastfeeding relationship. Let our team of Registered Dietitians & International Board Certified Lactation Consultants guide you to introducing bottles- book your consultation here or call our office line: 760-274-0149.