Best Baby Bottles for Breastfeeding Babies

by Deborah Payge
(Ontario, Canada)

I am going to be a first time mom, and being self employed, I cannot take off very much time from my job after my baby is born. I will therefore, need to do a combination of breast feeding and bottle feeding with breast milk.

Could anyone please tell me the best bottle brand names to use in this circumstance.

Thank you so much!

Laurie - The MNBC Mommy's reply:
Finding the "perfect" bottle may be a process of trial and error. Even newborn babies can be quite finicky! For this reason, I would recommend that you purchase a couple of different kinds of bottles that are promoted as being "most like breastfeeding" and give them a try. (Don't buy a whole set of them until you know it will work well for you.)

This is also important because newborns can easily become confused with the change of nipples. This may lead to refusing to breastfeed altogether - breastfeeding typically being more "work" for the baby.

For successful breastfeeding, I'd recommend that you put off introducing a bottle as long as possible. Waiting until breastfeeding is well established (4-6 weeks at least) will ensure both of you are "getting the hang of it".

When you are ready to introduce the bottle, observe your baby as she eats from the trial bottles. Does her mouth shape (lips, tongue thrust, etc.) resemble her latch when at the breast? Is the flow approximately the same? (You'll know it's too fast if she chokes or it comes dribbling out the corner of her mouth - if that normally doesn't happen.)

As for specific recommendations, I would recommend that you try The First Years Breastflow Baby Bottle or the Playtex Drop-Ins Premium Nursers. The first is the best for avoiding nipple confusion, but the second is terrific for convenience when pumping.

Make sure any bottles you purchase say they are BPA free. While BPA is already banned in Canada, it is still allowed many places in the US and elsewhere.

It is terrific that you will be pumping when you are away from your baby. Make sure that you have a good electric pump. Manual pumps are for the birds...No, wait...birds aren't mammals. Manual pumps are for...

No one that I've ever talked to liked them or found them very useful (me included). A good electric pump like the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump
(which is what I own and use daily) will be necessary to maintain your milk supply and provide enough for your baby.

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival!