When you breastfeed your baby, you can, however, choose to give him a bottle of breast milk or powder for his meals. But how can you be sure that its characteristics do not interfere with the breastfeeding that you have spent time establishing? In this article, we reveal 7 tips to ensure that you are using the best bottle for breastfeeding.
1. The best bottle must reproduce a suction close to breastfeeding
First of all, you should make sure that the bottle you choose best imitates breastfeeding conditions. Make sure the bottle has a physiological teat . This type of pacifier is in fact better suited to a breastfed baby, since their shape is reminiscent of that of the mother's nipple.
Parents: Be careful about pacifier sizes and choose the one that corresponds to the age of your infant. Note that different pacifier materials exist and that not all of them have the same advantages and disadvantages. To discover them, we invite you to read our article on physiological pacifiers.
2. The best bottle for your breastfeeding must be practical on a daily basis
Make sure that the bottle chosen to replace your breastfeeding is easy to use . The bottle should not break if it falls to the ground, your baby could be injured. All in all, if you absolutely want to purchase a glass baby bottle, you can equip it with a silicone sheath to protect it from possible shocks.
It is essential that the bottle is easily cleanable by hand and that no trace of milk remains encrusted in difficult-to-access corners. This would promote bacterial development and represent a health risk for your baby. Putting the bottle in the dishwasher is a plus that will save you time! Its size must be ergonomic for easy handling!
3. The best bottle for breastfeeding should not cause stomach aches in your baby
There is no question of entrusting the heavy responsibility of feeding your child with an unsuitable bottle. Colic, gastric reflux , regurgitation … A bottle should not cause digestive problems in your child.
Fortunately, some containers are equipped with devices to limit the influx of air during meals. For example, some baby bottles have anti-colic valves . Other baby bottles have particular shapes (angled or S-shaped) which allow the teat to always be full. Thus, the quantity of air ingested is once again greatly reduced.
4. The best bottle for breastfeeding should be comfortable for your baby
A baby bottle made in a soft material reminiscent of the texture of his mother's skin will be very appreciated by your little one! He must be able to hold it easily in his little hands without the bottle dropping or weighing too heavy. A baby manages his frustration poorly and any interruption to his meal can trigger a crying attack, or even cause him to refuse to drink the rest of his bottle.
There The size of the bottle must be adapted to the age of the baby .
It is preferable to offer a graduated bottle that can hold 150 ml until the age of 2-3 months to adapt to the small quantities of milk that infants take. If the size of the bottle is larger, the bottle will be filled with air, which can increase the risk of colic in the infant.
5. The best bottle to replace your breastfeeding must meet current manufacturing standards
It is almost impossible today to find baby bottles in French stores that do not meet current manufacturing standards.
However, the increase in second-hand item sales outlets and online accessory resale sites should lead you to be vigilant. A twenty year old bottle will certainly no longer be up to standard and should not be used as a replacement for breastfeeding your baby.
It is strongly recommended to purchase a bottle with the original packaging with the required approvals. Check that it also says “Complies with safety requirements”.
6. The best bottle for your breastfeeding should not be damaged
This may seem obvious. However, chewed and damaged pacifiers are regularly offered to children every day in France. Doing this is dangerous for your child. He could ingest small items and choke on them, or even risk medical complications (infections, occlusions, etc.).
Always check before giving him that the bottle is in good working condition and does not pose a risk to your baby. If the bottle is damaged or broken, do not throw it away but send it to the association TerraCycle , which will recycle it to give it a second life.
7. The best bottle for your breastfeeding must be heat resistant
When you breastfeed your baby, the milk he swallows is at your body temperature, around 36°C. By preparing a bottle of powdered milk or cooled breast milk, you can promote breastfeeding conditions by reheating it in a bain-marie . C ertain baby bottles do not cope well with boiling and over time, they threaten to deform; this is particularly the case for plastic baby bottles. Glass baby bottles can burst under the effect of too sudden a temperature difference.
Silicone baby bottles On the other hand, they resist extreme temperatures very well! They are also very soft and babies particularly appreciate their silky texture.
Attention : Always check the temperature of the milk on the inside of your wrist before feeding your baby. Never refreeze thawed breast milk.
To remember :
The best bottle if you are breastfeeding should be able to best imitate breastfeeding conditions, be comfortable for your baby and practical on a daily basis. P
For this, you must be able to prepare, wash and store it easily. It must not make your baby's stomach painful and even less present any damage that could put him in danger.
Check that the bottle chosen to replace breastfeeding meets current regulations before giving it to your child.If in doubt, don't take any risks but don't throw away your bottles; give them a second youth thanks to collection and recycling associations!
