Bottles, Bottles, Bottles!

Let's talk baby bottles. Believe it or not, I have no intention of promoting or recommending any specific brand of baby bottles (though I will share what I've found). Instead, I want to discuss what baby bottles are made of, and what material is the safest. There are a million different brands and styles of bottles out there. From the shape of the bottle to the nipple, it really doesn't matter what you choose, as long as you find something that works for you and your baby. 

However, I think it is safe to say that the majority of bottles out there are plastic. And you might think it is okay since the bottles are BPA free. Well, as a user of plastic bottles for the first 6 months of Luke's life, I can guarantee you that I will never use a plastic bottle again after all the research I've done. I used the Medela bottles that I pumped directly into, and I used plastic Avent bottles also. I used both until I stopped breastfeeding/pumping, and when Luke started taking more than 5 oz at a time, then I used the larger plastic Avent bottles exclusively. I liked both and still have no problem with either of them, except that they are plastic. So yes, they are both BPA free, but now studies are saying that the substitute used in place of BPA, referred to as BPS (Bisphenol-S), is likely to be just as toxic, if not worse. 

We know that BPA disrupts hormones, can lead to cancer, metabolic disease and heart disease, but BPS might even be worse as it takes longer to degrade, so likely stays in your system longer. This post by Maia at Gimme the Good Stuff explains it well, and here is an article that was recently published explaining it a little. 

So the take home point here, is to AVOID plastic at all costs, and NEVER, EVER, EVER heat anything up in plastic (as it causes the toxins to be absorbed into your food/drink at a much quicker rate)! I realize it is impossible to avoid plastic completely, but switching to glass bottles was not difficult at all for us. Glass, along with stainless steel, or silicone bottles are much safer options. There is limited data to support or not support silicone as a safe product, but either way, it is definitely safer than plastic. 

Avent

When we finally made the transition, we purchased 2 of the small glass Avent bottles, and now have 6 of the large glass Avent bottles. 4 was enough, but Luke stays over at my mom and my mother-in-law's frequently, sometimes they get left behind, so I got a couple extra. I actually got the larger ones on Amazon for $7 a piece, when they dropped in price (they are usually $9.99), and I got one or two at a time so I didn't feel like I was spending as much at once. Not only are the glass bottles safer, but they will last forever too! Any glass bottle will do, no need to worry about the brand, as long as it works for you.

Avent sleeves

Some argue that glass bottles are too heavy, and yes they are heavier than plastic, but Luke never really caught onto feeding himself, so it wasn't a problem for us, as my big Mama muscles did not have a difficult time holding up the heavy 8 oz bottle while I fed Luke ;).  You might also argue that the glass bottles might break if thrown or dropped. Well I can tell you, that I've dropped a few on the kitchen floor, and they're all still in one piece! You can also buy silicone wraps for glass bottles to protect them from breaking, or get the Avent wraps for their glass bottles, which I only recently found out exist!

Lifefactory

Also, Lifefactory bottles come with the silicone wraps on them already. These are more expensive than Avent bottles, but I do have one of them and like it a lot. Plus, they have sippy cup caps that fit on the bottle when you are done with the nipple and have graduated to a sippy. 

Kid Kanteen

Stainless steel is another option (one that we've never tried because the glass works for us), and Kid Kanteen has a great option, although they are quite a bit more expensive. As usual, they are available on Amazon, though I have not seen them in kid stores I usually shop (Target, Babies R Us). 

Comotomo

Finally, silicone bottles are still a better option than plastic, and are much lighter in weight than glass if that is an issue for you. I've tried this 8 oz bottle by Comotomo (available here on Amazon) that I like, and they are really cute. The silicone is soft and flexible, and Luke was able to adjust to the nipple immediately, though I continually had an issue with the bottle not allowing enough air to escape despite the nipple/lid being screwed on as loose as possible, and there being two air vents (still like the bottle, but still prefer glass). There are other silicone bottles out there (Gerber makes some too). 

I hope this information helps you make a safe, yet realistic decision. If you're lucky, you won't even have to worry about bottles for a while if you're breastfeeding, but even most Moms that breastfeed have to bottle feed at some point, so this is something that applies to pretty much everybody.

With (BPA & BPS-free) Love,

Claudia :)