The Avent System: Baby Bottles, Cup Trainers & More

Avent offers a patented system of air flow to reduce colic and gas. But does it work?

If you're looking for a solution to a gassy baby, don't look for a bottle to make the complete fix. It doesn't eliminate chronic gas anymore than the Mylicon drops do. You still have to burp the baby; and gas still happens. But no bottle, whatever the shape, will ever be able to completely get rid of gas. Babies will suck in air.

For those who are combination breast & bottle feeding, the nipple is shaped similar and has reduced "nipple confusion". My son preferred the Avent bottles with minimal confusion.

But the bottles are wider, larger, and therefore require Avent nipples, Avent rings, Avent everything. But this isn't as much a downfall as you might think. No part and brand swapping. At $5 a more per bottle, they can be pricey.

But to this mother, they were worth the cost. While my infant son still had the colic spells, the wider shape has made it easier for him to "help" and learn to hold the bottle. The add-on handle rings are great for helping teach to hold.

Avent offers a bottle trainer kit. At around $8, this sounds like a poor buy for one item; it's worth every nickel. The kit comes with a bottle, the handle ring (usable on any Avent bottle) and the sip trainer. The insert fits inside any Avent bottle ring.

While Avent parts aren't interchangeable with other brand, like Playtex, or even Dr. Brown's, they offer a lot of options to keep the bottles in use longer.

All bottles can be used with the conversion kit to become sippy cups.

For bottlewarmers -- try the bottle if you're looking at a different brand. Sterilizers are one thing that wasn't brand sensitive. The Babies 'R Us brand, Especially For Baby, steam sterilizer held just as many Avent bottles despite the wider size.

For those of you with disposable in mind; the Avent dipsosable bottles interchange with - you guessed it - other Avent bottles. But I've used different brand liners with no ill effects or leakage.

Avent also offers their own line of disposables, or limited re-usables -- the VIA system. These handy containers also work for toting small snacks for your toddler, so don't throw them away! (They also work for crafts...)

If you want Avent, but don't want the price, keep an eye on the Toy 'R Us and Babies 'R us circulars -- they regularly offer discounts on Avent products. Also, online auctions, such as ebay, have pages of Avent items, both new and gently used. You can get bottles reasonably cheap and find new nipples.