Whether new parents intend to bottle feed from day one, combination feed, or eventually move from breastfeed to bottle, it looks like there is an endless flow of bottle shapes and styles to choose from. Although, bottles and bottle accessories make perfect additions to a baby registry, but at the same time it is important that new parents do a bit of research before making their bottle selection.
While the bottle makers do their best to produce high-quality products with minimal off-putting tastes and shapes, but babies can be notoriously picky. Here are some of our top picks for baby feeders.
Philips AVENT Anti-colic Baby Bottles Clear
It is one of the best Avent feeders and comes with a valve integrated into Philip Avent anti-colic nipples flexes to allow air into the bottle and not into your baby’s tummy. These bottles make for a much less colicky infant and are simple to assemble and clean, and easy to toss into a diaper bag on the go.
Evenflo Feeding Angled Premium Proflo Vented Plus Baby
Evenflo bottles are excellent for colicky babies and are specifically designed for babies with feeding difficulties like some babies may have acid reflux, colic, and gas. The 6 oz. Evenflo bottle’s design allows flow speed and pressure to be controlled by your baby and also helps prevent overfeeding, which is one of the main reasons that can cause or exacerbate acid reflux in babies.
Philips AVENT Natural Glass Bottle Baby Gift Set
Avent feeders are excellent for your babies, but if you’re looking for a plastic-free option, go for the Philips Avent Natural Glass Bottle Baby Gift Set. This set makes a perfect gift for the soon-to-be parent/caregiver in your life or if you’re just wanting new bottles for your own baby.
In essence, Avent feeders are overall best for the babies because these wide bottles have soft, flexible nipples that feel like a breast and may appeal more to babies who are also bottle-fed in addition to being breastfed at the same time. The Avent bottles have specialized valves located in the nipple that vents air to help prevent colic in your little ones. The nipples of these bottles come in various flow rates that are easy to figure out based on your baby’s age which is a big plus, and these bottles come in glass as well. Also, parents have given excellent feedback regarding the Avent feeding bottles as they are super easy to clean and let you switch back and forth between breast and bottle with no issues.
Baby colic
Colic is a condition in which a healthy baby cries a lot for a longer time than most other babies. While we know that all newborns cry and get fussy at times, especially during the first three months of life babies cry more than at any other time, but when a baby who is healthy cries for more than 3 hours a day, more than 3 days a week, a health care provider may say the baby has colic (KOL-ik). However, colic goes away with time on its own, so technically speaking baby colic doesn’t really mean that your little one has any health problems.
You would know if it is colic or normal crying because baby colic is a special pattern of crying that is in fact high-pitched crying or screaming, which is very hard to soothe. Babies that have colic are healthy, and eating and growing well but cry in spells and most of the time the crying starts in the early evening. Although babies cry for other reasons that are not colic, so the first step is to ensure that your baby doesn’t have a health reason to be crying.
Although there is no test for colic, but most often it starts when a baby is about 2 to 5 weeks old and gets better by the time the baby grows up to be 3 to 4 months old. Any baby can have colic. Also, if you think that your baby has colic, call your doctor because the doctor may want to ensure that there is no health reason for crying.
A number of parents feel helpless about what they could do to help soothe their colicky baby. Please ensure not to overfeed your baby because this can make her uncomfortable, so it makes sense to wait for about two to two and a half hours in between feedings. Also, if you are breastfeeding your baby, you can try to eliminate caffeine, onions, cabbage, and other potentially irritating foods from your diet. On the other hand, if you’re feeding formula milk to your baby, check with her healthcare provider about trying a hydrolyzed formula, because the colic may be a result of an allergy to something in the formula. To pacify your baby, you can rock her in your arm and also hold her against your chest because this close contact can be soothing for your little one. Try burping your baby more often. Don’t wait until the end of a feed to burp your colicky baby, instead burp her throughout the feed even if you think that your little one does not need to be burped. Give your baby a gentle massage by placing your baby across your lap, tummy down, and rubbing her back. To soothe your colicky baby, give her a warm bath or simply wrap her securely in a large, thin blanket.
Potential causes of baby colic may include gassiness, digestive issues, overfeeding or underfeeding, not enough burping, food allergies or milk intolerances, family stress or tension, exposure to tobacco smoke, and underlying health issues. Try to stay calm when your baby is crying because no matter how upset or frustrated you might feel when your baby is crying, you should remember that you’re doing a great job as a parent.
