Baby Bottles I’m Choosing As an IBCLC for Baby #2
Whether you are combo feeding, exclusively pumping, or using formula, a baby drinking milk should be using a certain type of bottle and/or nipple size. It all depends on the baby bottle slope. If you want to get a visual of what I mean think of the bottle nipple like the shape of a wedge or a pyramid. You want the nipple to gradually go up or down depending on how you look at it.
Babies can develop a preference for bottles because bottles typically have a faster flow, require less effort to get milk, and can be less work for the baby than breastfeeding. Here are some common strategies to manage or prevent the baby bottle slope and support continued breastfeeding:
Paced Bottle Feeding: This technique mimics breastfeeding by slowing the flow and encouraging a baby to take breaks, similar to how they would while nursing. Holding the bottle horizontally and allowing pauses helps control the flow and can make it feel more like breastfeeding.
Using Bottles with Slow Flow Nipples: Choosing bottles with nipples designed to simulate breastfeeding flow can help. Look for "slow flow" or "newborn" nipples, as they make babies work a bit harder to get milk, encouraging a breastfeeding-like experience.
Switching Between Breastfeeding and Bottles with Care: If breastfeeding is the primary feeding method, try to keep bottles limited to times when it's necessary. This can reinforce the baby’s preference for breastfeeding.
Skin-to-Skin Contact: Skin-to-skin time during breastfeeding can encourage bonding and increase milk supply. Babies might be more likely to nurse when they feel close contact with the caregiver.
Experimenting with Bottle Types: Some bottles are designed to closely mimic the breast shape, making the transition between bottle and breastfeeding easier. Trying different bottle types may help a baby who is having difficulty switching back to breastfeeding.
For baby #2, I will be trying Lansinoh Anti-colic, Evenflo Feeding, Pigeon PP, Amazon brand Bobo Glass Bottle, Quark Slow Flow Bottle, Amazon brand Nay Glass Bottle, and Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Narrow and Wide Neck, Evenflo Narrow Glass.
Click the pictures for the links to these bottles (disclaimer: these are my amazon links):
Several scholarly articles explore how bottle-feeding practices can influence breastfeeding outcomes and maternal experiences, which might be useful for understanding the bottle feeding nipple shapes.
Impact on Feeding Preferences and Infant Health: Research has shown that bottle-feeding may alter an infant's feeding preferences due to factors like flow rate and ease of milk extraction. This can lead to reduced breastfeeding rates over time, as bottle-fed infants may show a preference for the bottle due to its convenience. Studies also indicate that exclusive direct breastfeeding is associated with healthier weight trajectories compared to mixed or bottle-only feeding, as breast milk intake directly from the breast supports better self-regulation of milk intake in infants
Maternal Experiences and Support Needs: Qualitative reviews of mothers’ experiences highlight that those who combine or transition to bottle-feeding may experience mixed emotions, including guilt or frustration, especially if they feel unsupported or lack information on best practices for bottle use. Effective support for paced bottle-feeding and understanding feeding cues can empower mothers, allowing for a more seamless experience when transitioning between bottle and breastfeeding
Cognitive and Developmental Benefits of Breastfeeding: Studies from the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasize that breastfeeding promotes cognitive and physical development, particularly in the early years. These benefits can sometimes be moderated by how milk is delivered; bottle-feeding breast milk does not yield the same development-promoting outcomes as direct breastfeeding, which encourages bonding and responsive feeding behaviors that are important for a child’s emotional growth
References:
Lakshman, R., Ogilvie, D., & Ong, K. K. (2009). Mothers’ experiences of bottle-feeding: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 94(8), 596–601. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2008.151910
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2022). Breastfeeding, physical growth, and cognitive development. Pediatrics. Retrieved from https://publications.aap.org
