bottles-disposable vs. reusable -bottles 101 needed?

[first_time mum]

Hi,

I probably have a stupid question, but I had a coupon for avent bottles and when I went to the store, I realised that I had no clue at all about bottles!! Can't you tell I am a first-time paranoid mom?

So what is the difference between reusable and disposable bottles? Why do more people prefer disposable ones as mentioned in the book? I am guessing it should have something to do with cleaning, but not sure of the specifics. Also, how should I go about cleaning bottles/nipples/liners etc? Should I buy a sterilizer?

Hoping someone can give me a lesson on bottles 101.

-SP

[kaitlinsmommy]

Well, I am not an expert about bottles but can try to answer.

First, I have no idea why people prefer disposables. I have friends who use Playtex disposable but I've never asked why. I still breastfeed but dd did take a bottle of EBM for awhile. We tried Avent and it worked fine so that's what we stuck with. I got the reusable Avent bottles. I didn't see a need for disposable. They are very easy to clean and store breast milk in in the freezer. Then you just thaw and pop on a nipple for feeding.

I just threw my bottles & nipples in the dishwasher to clean them. I've never had bottle,nipple brushes and everything always comes out looking new. I received a bottle sterilizer and then returned it; I'm glad I did. I see how they could be useful for someone who bottlefeeds frequently but it is not necessary for a primarily breastfeeding mom.

I hope this helps.

[first_time mum]

Hi,

Thanks for your response. Even I plan to primarily breast-feed, but thought that for times when I would need to use an occasional bottle, I should be prepared. For my needs, how many bottles do you think I will need in each size (4oz and 9 oz)? I usually run the dishwasher only once at the end of the day. I was also thinking of the avent bottles and was considering the reusable ones until I came across disposable bottles in the store and did not know what the difference was.

TIA.

-SP

[flagger]

We registered for and received the Avent starter kit with two four oz. and two 9 oz bottles. We have yet to use the 9 oz bottles. I try to just put what I think DD will drink even though with EBM I could roll the remnants to the next feeding.

We have a disposable but have yet to use it. Maybe when out and about and I don't want to have to worry about carrying around an icky used bottle, I might use one.

Be sure to get the sealing disks so you can store in the fridge or freezer if storing in bottles. I find that I don't get leaks if I wait to put the nipple through the ring (wetted down) just before feeding.

I personally think sterilizers are a waste of money. I would boil everything once when first opened but then just run the dishwasher for times after that. There are times when I just use the bottle brush on the bottle and nipple and just run the bottle and nipple under hot water.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I have used both kinds and am in the process of switching to all disposables.

I am storing my breastmilk in the Gerber bags in the freezer, so it is convenient to just thaw it and pop the bag into the bottle to feed her without pouring into another bottle. Clean up is easy, only the nipple needs washed.

I was storing my breastmilk in bottles in the freezer, but that got expensive once I got a stash of 72 bottles and counting. That is when I switched to the bags.

For me, the disposable bottles are easier and cheaper. If you are using disposable bottles, you could get by with just one of them, since you don't have to wash it between uses. You'd want to have more nipples, but if you wash it right away you wouldn't even need more than one nipple.

I think the advantage of the disposables is they are cheaper and easier and save time that you don't have to spend cleaning bottles. Also, they do seem to cut down on the air she swallows. She hardly burps after being fed with a disposable bottle.

Edited to add that I am using the Playtex brand disposables, not Avent.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[KMommie]

I am using the reusable Avent bottles. I registered for the Starter Kit before I had DD. I was planning bf-ing, so I figured the reusable ones would be okay for the occasional bottle. But, the best laid plans... I ended up ff-ing. I don't mind using the reusables, but I do go through a lot of them! DD uses 5-6 bottles a day and I like to keep a few spares in the diaper bag at all times, plus have a few extra because they take a while to dry completely...that's a lot of bottles and nipples! I couldn't use the 9 oz bottles in the beginning (it was a mental thing on my part), they just looked too huge next to DD's head and when I was pumping it'd be so depressing because I would only pump a few oz and in the 9 oz bottle it looked like just a few drops! So we started with a bunch of 4 oz. and now they are too small for one feeding, so we had to go out and buy 9 oz. That said, we obviously spent a lot of money on bottles.

Now, we're planning our first trip, and we're cursing the reusables, because we have to wash bottles, and do we really want to wash bottles in a hotel sink? I WISH we had gotten the disposibles, but we are NOT spending another fortune to switch. Why couldn't Avent at least keep the same nipples for both systems?!

As for the sterilizer, I don't have one. The first time out of the box, I threw the bottles, nips, everything, in the dishwasher. If you are planning on using the dishwasher, I would recommend you get the plastic baskets to hold the nips and rings, hook the bottles onto the posty things, don't just set them in the glassware section, they'll flip around in there. The rest of the time, my ped told me I could just use hot, soapy water, so that's what I do. I imagine I will probably use the dishwasher to "sanitize" when DD is fighting an illness.

HTH

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03

p.s. I know a lot of people who don't like the Avent system because their baby has difficulty with the nipple or with gas. You might want to wait before buying a whole system, try out a bunch of different bottles with your baby, to see what works best for you, before you invest in a system and get stuck, like me.

[millerpjm]

Well, I may be in the minority here since I formula feed, but I use Playtex disposables and LOVE them. DS was a very gassy baby the first few months and the disposables let you push out the air so they swallow less air. I got the Playtex bottles with the slider. I did start with the evenflo ultra bottles but switched to all playtex. I also spend less time washing bottles and nipples too. But the main thing was to get as little air as possible into our little one.

Jen

Proud mama to Thomas 2/03/03

[kransden]

I use the Playtex disposables too. DD is at daycare. I don't have to worry about if she needs another bottle how good they cleaned the bottle. If I decide to go shopping after work, I just grab another liner and can pour my ebm in or use formula. The liners collapse so dd gets less gas! They are cheap and easy to find. If you forget your bottle most grocery stores carry playtex. Baby's don't like change. My nephew's binky tore and it was an Avent. What a tearful night that was.

Karin
Katie 10/24/02

[kaitlinsmommy]

If you are planning to bf, I would recommend starting with 4 4-oz. bottles. It's possible your baby won't like the Avent nipple and you don't want to be stuck with a bunch of bottles. It is better to store EBM in 4-oz. bottles or bags (you'd have to pump a lot for 9 oz.) DD never drank more than 4 oz. from a bottle.

You probably won't be pumping the first couple weeks anyway, as you are trying to increase supply and your baby will be eating ALL the time. It's fine to have a couple bottles on hand but not necessary.

[vikivoly]

I agree on the Playtex disposables. I carry one bottle with 2-3 nipples and liners. Throw the liner out, no need for rinsing the bottle before putting it back in your diaper bag. They're also much easier to clean and less gassy.