The Joy of Bottlefeeding: Guide to Bottles and Accessories

If you will be bottle feeding your baby exclusively after birth, there are several things that you will need to take into consideration. First of all, what kind of formula will you choose for your baby? What type of feeding products will you decide on? Luckily, there are lots of wonderful products on the market that have been created to make bottle feeding a snap.

If you have decided on bottle feeding, the first thing that you are going to need is a bottle! There are two different types of bottles, standard bottles and disposable bottles. Disposable bottles are a great alternative to regular bottles if you live a very active life. Disposable bottles consist of a plastic tube, a thin plastic liner, nipple and nipple ring. You simple pop the liner inside the tube, screw on the nipple and you're ready to go. The liner works to minimize the amount of air that your baby takes in during feeding by collapsing as the milk is drawn out of it. Formulas must be mixed and poured directly into the liner, however, you cannot shake and mix formula with these liners.

Standard bottles are the ones you are most familiar with. They are simply plastic bottles with a nipple and nipple ring. When you use standard bottles, you have more choices over the types of nipples that you can use for your baby. You can easily attach most standard bottles to your breast pump and use to pump milk directly into the bottle. Some standard bottles feature useful designs that help minimize the amount of air your baby takes in while feeding, similar to that of disposable bottles.

Once you have decided on the types of bottles that will best suit you, there are other accessories that will help make things even smoother. One of the first things you may want to invest in is a bottle sterilizer. Sterilizers are essential because they ensure that your baby's bottles are clean and sterile, and will minimize bacteria and other things that can cause your baby to become ill. There are a few different types of bottle sterilizers, ones that can be used with steam, in the microwave or even on your stovetop.

Bottle warmers are another wonderful invention. No more staggering into the kitchen in the middle of the night to boil the water to heat your baby's bottle! Bottle warmers can heat your baby's formula or breast milk to a safe temperature in as little as a few minutes. Most feature an automatic shut off, which ensures that the bottle will not reach unsafe temperatures. Today there are even portable warmers available that you can simply plug into the power outlet in your vehicle.

Bottle organizers are wonderful to have around the house because they will keep all of your bottles, nipples, rings and pacifiers right where you can find them. An organizer is a must have if you plan on keeping everything tidy and easy to find.

Bottle cleaners will be mandatory if you will be hand washing your bottles. Bottle cleaners are like extra large pipe cleaners. They fit easily into bottles and can efficiently scrub the interior of the bottles, even those hard to reach corners!

If you plan to be on the go, you may consider purchasing an insulated bag to carry your extra bottles of formula or breast milk in. Insulated bags will keep the bottles nice and cool until your baby is ready for his next meal.

Now that you have a general idea of all of the wonderful products out there designed to go hand in hand with bottle feeding, you may find that the experience may be a little easier.