If you have decided to bottle feeding your baby, either exclusively or to supplement breastfeeding, you may have noticed the array of bottles on the market. Along with other decisions and choices you are now faceing with, you even have a choice for which type of bottles and nipple to use for feeding your baby. Here are some tips below:

Types of bottles:

Baby bottles come in glass, polycarbonate plastic, opaque plastic (non-polycarbonate) and disposable plastic.

Polycarbonate: The majority of the bottles on the market are made of polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonate is a clear, lightweight plastic, resistant to shattering. It is dishwasher safe and is readily sterilized. Since it is sturdy and resistant to breakage, it is a good choice to have around small children.

Opaque plastic: Opaque plastic bottles are generally less shiny than the polycarbonate ones. This type of plastic is not usually as lightweight as polycarbonate and it is more difficult to monitor how much the baby has consumed during feedings.

Glass: While glass leaves no residue and is readily sterilized, it is heavy and breakable. Most parents today consider the risks of using glass bottles with their baby far worse than the benefits glass offers.

Disposable plastic liners: Some bottles are designed to use disposable plastic liners. These are pre-sterilized and are used one time, then thrown away. While they may save time since the bottles do not have to be sterilized between uses, they do not remove all of the work. The nipples that work with this type of bottles must still be washed and sterilized. Because the liner is collapsible, this type of bottle may help prevent the baby from swallowing as much air during feeding.

Bottle Shapes

Bottles come in an array of sizes and shapes. These include bottles with handles, molding to make it easy for parent or baby to grip, angled shapes and novelty shapes. Bottle shape is a very personal choice, but consider some of the following when you make your choice:

• How much does your baby drink? Will the bottle hold enough for a full feeding?
• Will you be holding the bottle or will your baby?
• An angled bottle may make it easier to feed your baby while he is partially upright, which may help with a baby prone to ear infections or reflux disease.
• If you are using a breast-pump, do the bottles fit with your pumping system?

Also there are Anti-colic bottles which have air vents, tubes, or collapsible bags to reduce the amount of air your baby swallows, therefore reducing the chance of colic.

Bottle Sizes

Nursing bottles come in three basic sizes: 4-ounce, 8-ounce, and 9-ounce. The 4-ounce bottles are typically used for newborns. They can also be used for storing expressed milk and when the baby gets older, as juice or water bottles. The 8-ounce and 9-ounce bottles are more versatile and long lasting.

How to choose the right bottle for your baby

1. Consider plastic versus glass.
2. Use bottles with disposable liners for convenience, if the idea of routinely sterilizing bottles does not appeal to you or if you know you will be traveling with baby.
3. Avoid gas problems by using a few different options: collapsible, disposable liners that keep the nipple filled with liquid; reusable bottles with an anti-vacuum nipple design; bottles with a vent on the bottom; disposable bottle systems with built-in burpers; or angled bottles that keep nipple filled with liquid.
4. Consider reusable bottles with removable bottoms or wider shapes, if your scrubbing skills leave something to be desired.
5. Opt for an angled bottle that helps baby feed in a semi-upright position if you're concerned about potential ear infections.
6. Familiarize yourself with latex versus silicone nipples. Latex nipples are softer, which may appeal to a newborn, but not as durable. Silicone nipples tend to be more firm and last longer.
7. Note the different nipple shapes and features available: preemie, round top, orthodontic, flat-topped, traditional, nipples that elongate, and one-piece nipple and collar sets.
8. Start out with slow-flow nipples rather than variable flow.
9. Familiarize yourself with bottle accessories that fit onto breast pumps, if pumping.
10. Be aware of bottle shape and how easy it will be for your baby to hold. Some have handle accessory pieces, flat sides for easier gripping and compact shapes.

Bottle nipples

Bottle nipples generally come in latex and silicone. While the silicone products are more durable, the latex ones are more malleable and may be preferred by newborns or by babies who are also breastfeeding.

Nipples come with different flow rates. Infants should start with slow-flowing nipples and move to faster models as they grow older.

There are many different shapes of nipples on the market. Here are some guidelines based on which you can make a selection:

• Traditional nipple: This is easy for most babies to use. But if you’ve been breastfeeding your baby, who’s used to his mother’s soft nipple, may not like the long nipple.
• Orthodontic nipple: This is considered a good nipple by many health care professionals because it’s shape much like the mother’s nipple when it’s in the baby’s mouth during nursing.
• Square Tip nipple: This is good nipple for weaning your baby from the breast, but it may cause problem for weaning mothers, because the baby can develop a habit of biting the nipple to hold it in the mouth. If you are still breastfeeding and supplementing with a bottle, your baby may bite you during breastfeeding.

Test your baby’s bottles and nipples from time to time to make sure the milk is flowing through them properly. Milk should flow out of the nipple freely, one drop at a time. If milk flows too fast, throw the nipple away. If the milk flows too slowly, carefully enlarge the nipple hole with a needle or toothpick. If you use cross-cut nipples throw them away when their openings become too soft.