Bottle Feeding

S
ince 1989, there has been a ban on advertising baby bottles and teats in order to promote breastfeeding. This means that getting information on bottle feeding is not easy. Mothers have to rely on advice given by midwives and health visitors or by asking in the shop. Hardly a comprehensive research option and one liable to suffer heavily from personal opinion or sales spin.

Teats – These are probably the most important items for bottle feeding. Breast fed babies are used to sucking in a specific way so some teats have been designed to mimic this. These teats are often called orthodontic. Anti-colic teats, as the name suggests, are designed to help with colic – the condition where babies cry for no adequately explained reason. Both these types tend to be more expensive than the standard teats. Traditionally, teats can be made of latex which is brown in colour. Latex, whilst softer and cheaper, will deteriorate with use and seems to be going out of favour with both mums and suppliers. It is being replaced by silicone which is clear and lasts longer. A young baby will suck more slowly and will need a slow flow rate for the first three months or so, followed by a medium and then a fast flow rate as they grow.

Bottles – Decorative bottles were once all the rage but now the fashion is for cool, almost medical looking shaped bottles. Most bottles are made of polycarbonate – clear and unbreakable, they offer a distinct advantage over glass. Now however, there is growing disquiet in the media about Bisphenol A, a chemical found in polycarbonate and several suppliers are now using alternatives. For more about Bisphenol A click here.

Bottle Warmers - Electric bottle warmers are popular and are very convenient for those night feeds. Instant ones (which literally work with the click of a button) are also useful.

Bottle carriers - These are to be used to keep baby's bottle cool during the day. Some mums make the mistake of thinking they can be used to keep the milk warm for a couple of hours. Germs breed very quickly in warm milk and this is one of the quickest ways of giving a baby gastroenteritis.

Sterilisers are essential for bottle feeding mums and more can be found here.
Suppliers

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