Breastfed babies eat differently than bottle-fed babies. Breastfeeding uses a different set of muscles and the sucking pattern is completely different! That’s why a regular bottle just won’t work. Baby will probably reject it and you’ll both be frustrated. Skip the hangry baby and try one of these bottles made for breastfeeding that won’t get rejected.
Best Bottles For Breastfed Babies
The Kiinde bottles are best for feeding baby breastmilk without having to transfer the breastmilk from bag to bottle. For a bottle that feels similar to a breast, the Comotomo bottles are highly-rated and popular among nursing and pumping moms.
Lansinoh Breastfeeding Bottles
What I love most about the Lansinoh Breastfeeding Bottles is the shape and feel of the nipple. Lansinoh calls it their NaturalWave design, and it has the right size, shape, and feel to keep a breastfed baby happy with a bottle. The end of the teat is smooth plastic, but the lower portion, closest to the bottle, is textured to help get a good latch.
These bottles are based on 50 years of research. The nipple is ergonomically designed to be just as a real nipple would be: flexible and soft against baby’s tongue and palate. The nipple does have inner vertical grooves to help it not collapse.
The nipples are available in slow, medium, or fast flow. The fast flow is definitely fast, so if you are in doubt, order a bit slower flow than you normally would.
Like most breastfeeding bottles, these have an anti-colic feature. The Air Ventilation System is a single vent on top of the bottle that allows air bubbles to escape before they reach the nipple and your baby’s tummy. It works reasonably well, but air bubbles do get through.
These Lansinoh bottles are compatible with Lansinoh pumps. That means you can pump, store, and feed from the same bottles, which saves on cost over time.
The 5 or 8-ounce bottles have only 3 pieces: the teat/nipple, the wide neck ring, and the BPA free plastic bottle. There’s also a cap to keep the nipple clean on the go.
With nearly perfect reviews, these bottles are the most widely accepted bottle by breastfeeding babies.
Comotomo Baby Bottle
The Comotomo Baby Bottle takes into account so much more than just the nipple. Everything about the size and shape of the bottle mimics a real breast.
The nipple itself is soft silicone. It has a wide and tall base that’s perfect for a breastfed baby to latch onto, as a breastfed baby will want to take much more nipple into the mouth, just like they would at the breast.
The nipples also feature two air vents that serve two purposes. As these vents let air escape, they’re both ensuring that the milk flow stays constant and that baby isn’t having to suck in any extra air, which causes gas.
The nipples aren’t supposed to leak or drip like some bottles. However, be wary of milk that may drip out of the air vents if the bottle is fully upturned. Also, leaking at the bottle seal has been an issue for some.
You can purchase slow flow, medium flow, fast flow, or variable flow nipples. I like the last one for older babies, as they can determine the volume they get by their sucking intensity.
The bottle itself is so unique. Instead of hard plastic or glass, it’s made from soft, suppliant silicone. The silicone has a textured finish to mimic skin and discretely printed volume markings.
The Comotomo bottle is available in 5 or 8 ounces with pink or green lids. All choices are free from BPA, PVC, and phthalates.
These are dishwasher, microwave, and boiling water safe. The wide-neck design makes it even easier to clean.
The unique size and shape do make this bottle prone to tipping, so be extra careful so you don’t end up crying over spilled milk.
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Baby Bottle
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Baby Bottle has an award-winning nipple that’s got a 92% chance of being accepted by your breastfed baby.
The tip of this unique nipple is flat at the very end, with an egg-shaped tip and a wider base. There are lines for added texture on the soft silicone. Those lines and ridges also help with latching.
The smooth silicone on the wide bottle nipple flexes just like a real breast would. There’s an anti-colic air valve to help keep baby from having extra gas. The Tommee Tippee air valve seems to be less effective than other brands, with lots of problems with nipples collapsing and bubbles building up.
The nipple comes in 6 different variations:
- Extra slow flow (Like ridiculously slow)
- Slow flow
- Medium flow
- Fast flow
- Variable flow
- Y-cut for baby cereal
The bottles themselves are pretty standard. They’ve got an hourglass shape and clear markings. I like the compact 5-ounce size for easy feeding, but the Closer to Nature bottles also come in 9-ounce and 11-ounce sizes.
The wide size can be a bit annoying when trying to warm it up in a mug of water or a bottle warmer. All the plastic parts are BPA and phthalate-free.
Munchkin Latch Anti-Colic Baby Bottle
While some bottles for breastfeeding might have a small air vent, the Munchkin Latch Anti-Colic Baby Bottle has a full-blown valve built into the bottom of the bottle. This unique system creates resistance as baby sucks. It also makes sure that very, very little air reaches the nipple along with the milk. The result is less gas and relief from colic.
I personally like that this valve is at the bottom because that helps to reduce or eliminate leakage and it keeps all air far away from baby’s mouth.
The teat itself is reminiscent of the real thing in many ways. First, it’s flexible so that baby can manipulate it the way they would while nursing. This gives it a realistic feel, but the wide range of movement can lead to leaks when the teat is moved around too much.
Also, the deep and rounded design of the nipple is the same shape and size that baby is used to latching onto. Also, the nipple pumps in addition to flexing and stretching. This echoes the way that a real nipple works, only letting out milk when baby is sucking. The bad part: if baby sucks too hard, the nipple will collapse.
The plastic bottles are available in 4-ounce and 6-ounce sizes, with slow flow, medium flow, and fast flow nipples available.
Two other huge perks? All the parts are dishwasher safe, and with an adapter, you can use these bottles directly with the most popular breast pumps. Oh, and you can also turn these bottles into sippy cups for easy transitioning later on.
Medela Calma Breastfeeding Bottle
The Medela Calma Breastfeeding Bottle is an update to their regular bottles, and it solves a lot of problems that breastfed babies have.
You know how babies have to work harder at the breast to get milk, whereas a bottle just kind of streams into their mouth? This bottle solves that! The unique nipple design doesn’t allow milk to come out unless suction is achieved. According to Medela, this flow control valve lets baby continue the exact same nursing mechanism they learn at the breast, versus just getting lazy with a bottle.
This also means no dripping, which means no spilled/wasted milk, which means less stress crying from Mom. The vented nipple will help baby get less air and minimal gas, which means less crying for baby. Everyone wins!
And that fact that one single nipple works from birth until weaning means less time and money spent shopping for nipples. Let baby, not the size of the nipple holes, control the amount of milk they get.
There are still only 3 parts that make the bottle work this way: the base, the top, and the nipple. You also get a flat storage cap and a nipple-protecting cap. The nice part about only 3 parts is that it’s less to wash and less to worry about, although you do have to make sure you get everything lined up and in the proper order for it to work correctly and avoid leakage from the collar.
The BPA-free bottles are available in 5 ounces or 8 ounces. The whole nipple assembly is compatible with all Medela breastmilk storage and feeding bottles. The bottles are also compatible with all Medela pumps.
Kiinde Twist Squeeze Breast Milk Feeding Bottle
The Kiinde Twist Squeeze Bottle is another strange-looking bottle that actually does great things.
It uses a milk storage bag inside the bottle to give the milk a natural flow. These bags can be pumped directly and also frozen directly. That means that you have one disposable, food-grade plastic milk bag that does the work of a few storage, collection, and feeding bottles.
This bag is also an anti-colic mechanism. It eliminates the need for venting or anything else to help keep gas away from baby because it creates a vacuum as it goes.
The Kiinde bags look like one of those baby food squeeze pouches. Available in 6 or 8 ounces, they twist up into the bottle case. The bottle case has a wide opening so that you can squeeze out gas and see what you are doing. The bottle also has a slight contour to help it be more comfortable to hold and it fits into a bottle warmer.
The Kiinde Active Latch nipples require baby to actively suck to get milk, so your breastfed baby won’t get lazy or get bad habits when taking a bottle. It won’t sit and drip milk, unlike nearly every other bottle on the planet.
The nipple is super cool because it’s all one piece. There’s not a teat and a ring and a collar and a cap and many other parts. It’s all one piece for ease of cleaning. The downside here is that it just clips on like a cap, and a strong baby could definitely pop it back off during a feed. It will also pop off if the bottle gets dropped.
The Active Latch nipple also has a combination of smooth and textured surfaces to encourage baby to massage the nipple as they latch. The end of the teat is oval-shaped to help fill baby’s mouth fully as a real, compressed nipple would. This helps to eliminate gas as well.
The nipples are silicone and are safe for the dishwasher top rack. They’re also BPA and phthalate-free. They are available in slow, medium, and fast flow.
Two cool things that have to be mentioned: these pouches as bottles can be used with adapters to work with another nipple should you so desire, and the pouches can be used as food pouches as baby grows older. One feeding system with a couple of years of use!
Boon NURSH Reusable Silicone Pouch Bottle
The Boon NURSH Reusable Bottle is unlike any other on this list. It has the softness of silicone combined with the technology of a drop-in pouch to make gas a thing of the past.
The air-free feeding design comes from a silicone pouch inside the soft silicone bottle. It collapses and baby drinks, so no air can get it and get to baby. That’s one way to get rid of gassiness without having to mess with vents or valves that can lead to leakage. And the silicone pouch is reusable, which is cheaper and more eco-friendly.
Baby will like the nipple design of the Nursh bottle. As the manufacturer so aptly puts it, the wide base nipple is “squishy, soft, and easy to latch.” It also encourages correct tongue placement, which is orthodontically friendly. That just about ticks all the boxes for a breastfed baby, doesn’t it?
I love that these are BPA and PVC-free silicone because they can be microwaved (but don’t microwave breastmilk), frozen, boiled, and thrown in the dishwasher. And with 5 parts total, including the protective cap, you don’t have to worry about chasing down little parts everywhere.
One thing to be careful with: these get really hot in bottle warmers, so use with caution and always dry it off completely before giving it to baby, because baby will love to hold and squish this bottle, just like they do with a real boob.
You can get the unique, egg-shaped bottles in 4 ounces or 8 ounces and in a variety of colors. You can also find nipples in slow flow or medium flow.
As baby grows, you can throw a sippy cup lid or a milk storage lid on the Boon bottle. I love the long life of these silicone breastfeeding bottles!
NUK Simply Natural Baby Bottle
If your little one has taken an orthodontic-friendly NUK pacifier and loved it, then they’re sure to love the NUK Simply Natural Baby Bottle.
One feature that makes this unique is the multiple holes on the nipple tip. Just like a real breast, baby can get milk from 3 to 9 holes (depending on whether you buy slow, medium, or fast flow). And the wide base is more realistic, too.
The buttery soft silicone nipple is shaped to mimic a real nipple while breastfeeding. This gives better tongue and jaw placement and better latch while helping teeth to come in correctly. Also, the grooves on the nipple will help to get a more successful latch. This kind of nipple is harder to get clean, though, because of the squished shape.
An anti-colic feature is a must for a bottle, and this one has an air vent on the nipple to let out any extra gas before it can wreak havoc on baby’s tummy.
The sturdy 3 piece bottle is easy to clean and is available in 5 ounces or 9 ounces. You can also get different colors and different quantities depending on your needs. The plastic is BPA-free and will resist staining, yellowing, and odors for a clean bottle every single feeding.
According to a study done by the manufacturer in Germany, this bottle, which has been updated for 2020, has a 96% acceptance rate. With that much approval, it’s worth a shot!
Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle
Dr. Brown’s bottles have gained an almost cult-like following among nursing mommas. And for good reason!
The Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle is the biggest and newest of Dr. Brown’s bottles. It has breastfed baby-friendly features that have lead to a 93% acceptance probability in a comprehensive study by the manufacturer.
The Options+ bottle is supposed to be the ultimate anti-colic bottle, which is why it has such a popular following. It gets rid of air without creating a vacuum by using unique vents that attach to the bottle like a little water and air filter. The internal system traps extra air and can significantly help baby’s gas and digestion. This anti-colic vent also helps to regulate and slow flow, which is beneficial for breastfed babies who might need a slower, more natural milk flow.
Once baby is past needing the vent (aka they are so big and busy that they slurp down their milk in three seconds anyway), it can be removed. The nipple still has its own venting system, so you still won’t have to worry about extra air.
The nipple isn’t anything particularly special, but it is effective. It has a great breast-like shape, including a wide base that gives room to latch. The soft silicone is pliable and has just the right shape and size.
The plastic bottles, available in 5 and 9 ounces, have clear markings on the contoured sides and are BPA-free. Nipples are available in sizes 1 through 4, plus a Y-cut option to allow for cereal.
Be aware of 3 possible issues with these bottles: they leak if not threaded and connected properly, they can melt if sanitized at a high temperature, and they are quite wide. Wide enough that they may not fit easily in a diaper bag.
There is also Dr. Brown’s Options Wide-Neck Glass Bottle, which is a fantastic choice if glass baby bottles are your thing!
nanobebe Breastmilk Bottle
The nanobebe Breastmilk Bottle certainly looks like a breast but does it act like one? Yes, it does!
The unique shape serves multiple purposes. First, it is basically a plastic boob. Babies like boobs, enough said.
Second, it is scientifically designed to preserve the nutrients in breast milk. The concave shape allows for quick and even warming and cooling, which minimizes bacteria growth and nutrient breakdown. In the same vein, the twice-as-fast warming is great for when baby decides that they are suddenly hungry.
Third, you can save a ton of space by stacking these bottles on top of each other. Plus, you can keep track of which bottle had the oldest milk easily by putting the older bottle at the top of the stack.
Fourth, the shape is easy for baby hands to hold because it’s so big and broad. It’s also easy for an adult hand to hold. One downside of this shape is that it makes feeding baby at an upright angle almost impossible since the milk won’t flow down if the bottle is tipped.
And it’s still easy to clean since the whole bottom screws off. You can also throw it in the dishwasher! Just be sure to put it back together securely and correctly or it will leak.
The nipple is pretty great too. It has the right size and shape. The silicone feels natural in baby’s mouth, and well-placed grooves keep the nipple from collapsing.
The nipples also have a 360-degree venting system that fights air buildup within the bottle, which means less gas for baby. The flows range from 1, which is the newborn, to 4, which is for older babies.
You can pump directly into the bottles and store your breast milk there as well. The bottles are free from PVC, BPA, lead, and phthalates.
Joovy Boob Bottle
With a name like the Joovy Boob, I’d be remiss to leave this product off of our breastfeeding bottle list.
The name’s not the only thing that’s breast-like about this bottle. While the Boob bottle comes with the Joovy Boob nipple, which is a good one, the Naturally Nood nipple is the one that a breastfed baby will love. It’s designed specifically for babies that don’t like bottles. It has wrinkles and lines and a textured surface to mimic a real breast. It stretches, it’s soft, and it comes in 3 different flow rates. Baby will love this wide nipple.
If you want to stick with the original Joovy nipple, you can’t go wrong. It has a similarly wide and deep shape, minus the texture. It still stretches and it has grooves in the nipple to help keep the nipple from collapsing. Each of these nipples is molding into one piece instead of being cut, so consistency is great from bottle to bottle. The Boob nipples come in 5 flow rates, including a preemie nipple option and an X-cut option for feeding thickened liquids.
Now to the actual bottle. The Boob bottle has a wonderful 4 vent system to fight colic. This CleanFlow vent fits into the neck of the bottle and has 4 vents so that the air can escape no matter how the bottle is being held. Yes, this is an extra piece to keep track of and clean, but it’s so worth it because it works really well. Just make sure you get the bottle, vent, and cap rings lined up so that it doesn’t leak.
The bottles themselves are made from PP, which is polypropylene. It’s both durable and more cost-effective to make and purchase. It’s got a contoured shape and printed measurement guides. You can get this bottle in 5 ounces or 9 ounces.
MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Bottle
MAM brags that their MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Bottle has a 94% acceptance rate by breastfeeding babies. That right there is an attention-getter!
It’s the nipple that breastfed babies like. Many breastfed babies love breastfeeding pacifiers like the MAM paci, and this nipple is very similar. It’s made of skin soft textured silicone for a solid latch. But it’s that elongated and flattened shape, which is supposed to remind them of a real-life compressed nipple, that does the trick for a lot of picky babies.
The nipple comes in 5 different flow speeds. The nipples and bottle parts are all free from BPA, BPS, PVC, and lead.
The actual bottle isn’t so bad, either. It has a wide shape that’s easy to fill and clean. The textured grip panel makes it easier for a caregiver or baby to grab onto. You can purchase a 5 or 9-ounce size to fit baby’s feedings.
And then there’s the vented bottom. It lets the air escape up and away to baby, which leads to less gas in 80% of babies, according to a manufacturer’s study. This vent also helps to control the flow of milk instead of allowing for a free flow, which is great for a baby used to the boob.
One cool feature that any parent will love: this bottle can self sanitize in the microwave in about 3 minutes! Just put the nipple on the bottom where the vent goes, fill it with 1 oz of water, and let the microwave do the rest! How cool is this for travel or taking to a relative’s house?
Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle
The Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle is a product that I can personally attest to. This is the bottle that my exclusively breastfed baby took with only a little coaxing. And since he has rejected 4 different pacifiers and 2 bottles before this, that’s saying something!
The nipple design has petals around the wide base. These keep the nipple from totally collapsing. The nipple itself has a spiral design to help it flex in any direction. The silicone is soft and bendable for baby.
The nipples are vented with the Avent Air flex vent, which pulls air toward the back of the bottle and keeps the bubbles from getting into baby’s tummy.
The wide shape is both comfortable and ergonomic as well as being easy to clean. Including the cap, this bottle has just 4 parts to keep track of.
My favorite part of these bottles is the level of customization. They come in 2, 4, 9, and 11 ounces. You can get 6 different nipple flows, including a first flow for newborns and a variable flow. The nipples for older babies are even bite-resistant!
Make sure to get the correct flow and then adjust down, since all the flows are a little fast. Also, watch for leaking and dripping when the bottle is upturned.
Finally, these affordable bottles are compatible with many major pumps, including Spectra and, of course, Avent. These bottles can also be transitioned to sippy cups or straw cups later on.
Playtex Baby Nurser Bottle
Playtex Baby Nurser Bottle with Disposable Drop-Ins Liners for Breastfed Babies have the ability to be angled, like the awesome Playtex Ventaire Bottles that work so well at getting rid of gas. But the other features are breastfeeding friendly, too.
This jointed bottle can tip 45 degrees in either direction to help get a better feeding. It can do this because it utilizes a drop-in liner for the milk.
The pre-sterilized liners are easy to use. You put the milk in, click them down into the bottle, twist the locking collar on, and then feed. You can even recycle these when you’re done!
The liners contract and move in a manner reminiscent of a real breast. This helps eliminate gas while baby feeds for an anti-colic effect.
Because the liners are thin, they warm quickly and easily, which is another bonus. The liners and bottles are BPA, PVC, and phthalate-free.
The silicone nipple is the Playtex Naturalatch nipple. It has a wide base that’s doubled up. The raised texture and overall shape are great for breastfed babies. The nipple has grooves down the center to help avoid collapses. The nipples are available in slow, medium, and fast flow. There’s also a Y-cut nipple available.
The top cap that covers the nipple (and collects the milk that tends to leak out) can be clicked onto the bottom of the bottle to protect it from baby hands and keep it from getting lost.
One downside of these bottles is that you’ll have to keep buying the Playtex Nurser Drop-Ins Bottle Disposable Liners, and the cost really adds up over time. Not a huge deal for the occasional bottle, but if you are pumping and bottle feeding often, this will get pricey.
mimijumi Get Going Breastfeeding Bottle Kit
If your breastfed baby is too smart for all that bottle nonsense and refuses to nurse from a bottle, grab the mimijumi Get Going Breastfeeding Bottle . It might be close enough to the real thing to win their trust.
These pricey bottles were specifically designed for the discerning baby that might experience nipple confusion, bottle refusal, or even bottle-only preference.
The nipple is truly anatomically similar in both size, shape, and feel. The unique nipples have the wisest possible base because there’s no collar to get in baby’s way. It’s made from food-grade silicone and nylon in order to feel (and look) like real skin.
Baby has to actively suck to get milk out, so they can control the flow. While baby sucks, the built-in vent inside the domed nipple keeps air away from baby. The nipple and vent are all one piece that fits nicely on the bottle and can be covered by a hygienic cap.
Sadly, the nipples are prone to leaking and the caps don’t click on securely. At this price point, that is very disappointing.
These bottles are designed to meet much stricter European manufacturing standards. As such, they are not only BPA and phthalate-free but also contain no latex, lead, BPS, or any estrogen activity chemicals.
These bottles are dishwasher and sterilizer safe. The bottle is available in 4 ounces and 8 ounces. The nipples come in slow, standard, and advanced flows.
The First Years Breastflow BPA Free Bottle
The award for the strangest, yet maybe most effective nipple goes to The First Years Breastflow BPA Free Bottle .
The nipple has 2 pieces that require the same mechanics as breastfeeding: suction and compression. The blue piece provides suction and the clear silicone piece provides compression. By working together, these pieces allow baby to control the flow of milk.
Be aware that milk can and will get stuck in between the two nipple pieces before leaking out in your baby.
The nipple has air vents to keep colic from plaguing your bottle feeder. It also has a hygienic cap that can be attached to the bottom of the bottle during feeding time so it will not get lost.
The wide neck design is easy to clean, but this bottle does have more parts and pieces to clean. At least it’s dishwasher and sterilizer safe!
These contoured bottles come in a 5 ounce size with a slow flow nipple or a 9 ounce size with a medium flow nipple. You can purchase slow or medium flow nipples separately to that you can mix and match. All the plastic parts are BPA-free.
Comparing Bottles for Breastfeeding
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.
| Philips Avent Natural Baby Bottle | 8.6 | 9.4 | 78.99 |
| mimijumi Get Going Breastfeeding Bottle Kit | 5.9 | 8.2 | 70.00 |
| Dr. Brown's Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle | 9.9 | 9.4 | 26.65 |
| NUK Simply Natural Baby Bottle | 8.4 | 9.4 | 25.89 |
| Boon NURSH Reusable Silicone Pouch Bottle | 9.9 | 9.2 | 22.99 |
| Comotomo Baby Bottle | 9.9 | 9.6 | 19.98 |
| Joovy Boob Bottle | 8.2 | 9.2 | 19.97 |
| Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Baby Bottle | 9.8 | 9.2 | 19.29 |
| nanobebe Breastmilk Bottle | 9.7 | - | 18.99 |
| Lansinoh Breastfeeding Bottles | 9.9 | 9.6 | 17.99 |
| Medela Calma Breastfeeding Bottle | 8.4 | 8.0 | 15.61 |
| MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Bottle | 9.9 | 9.4 | 13.99 |
| Kiinde Twist Squeeze Breast Milk Feeding Bottle | 9.2 | 9.6 | 8.49 |
| The First Years Breastflow BPA Free Bottle | 3.9 | 8.8 | - |
| Playtex Baby Nurser Bottle | 6.1 | 9.4 | - |
| Munchkin Latch Anti-Colic Baby Bottle | 7.5 | 9.0 | - |
Buying Criteria
If you think your breastfed baby will take just any bottle, think again! Many breastfed kiddos are very particular when it comes to their bottle. And since we are going for bottle acceptance with no nipple confusion, there are special features that need to be considered.
Anatomical size and shape
You would notice if somebody suddenly switched your ceramic dishes for plastic takeout containers, right? Well, baby can tell the difference between the breast and a plastic bottle.
If a bottle has a similar size, shape, and feel as a breast, your baby is more likely to accept it.
Look for features like:
- A large, wide-based nipple
- A teardrop-shaped nipple
- Multiple holes for milk to come out of
- Anti-colic features like vents or bags
- A slower flow that baby controls
- Soft, bendable material like silicone
- Textured plastic on the nipple
- A wide bottle for baby to hold onto (bonus points if it’s soft)
Low rate of refusal
Any of these bottles are a best bottle for a breastfed baby who refuses the bottle. Why? Because they’re made for those babies.
For a baby that’s never known anything but the bottle, they are more willing to accept any nipple. Sure, they may have preferences, but they aren’t competing with a hard-to-replicate breast.
The features like the soft silicone, the unique nipple size, and shape, and a flow that baby can control are all things that will make a breastfed baby less likely to refuse a bottle.
All of the bottles on this list have a low rate of refusal according to either the manufacturer, independent studies, or collective parent feedback. Many of them score high in all these areas!
Best baby bottles for newborns and up
Some breastfeeding mamas have their baby take a bottle at birth, while some wait until the 4 to 6 month mark when they head back to work. Still, some mamas with older babies might need baby to take a bottle so they can get a much-needed break.
All of the bottles on this list would be good for newborns because they can be used with a smaller, slow flow nipple. They can also be used with bigger nipples for older babies. You don’t necessarily need to buy a separate, special bottle for a newborn.
I’ve specified the sizes available for both bottle and nipple to help you successfully give your breastfed baby a bottle, be they newborn or crawling or walking!
Avoiding gas
When breastfeeding, moms don’t have to worry about air coming out of the breast. And with a proper latch and a normal letdown, breastfed babies take in a relatively small amount of extra air.
Regular bottles tend to have a much faster flow, which can mess up a good latch and cause baby to sputter and gulp down air. Also, extra air inside a bottle has to go somewhere, and it often ends up coming out of the nipple with the milk.
Many of the bottles on this list are a contender for the best bottle for breastfed babies with gas because they have some type of anti-colic feature to help that extra air escape. That means less gas, fussiness, and spit up for your baby.
Between worrying about nipple acceptance and the stress of switching to a bottle, we don’t need to be worrying about gas as well!
FAQs – Bottles For Breastfed Babies
Do you need bottles if you are breastfeeding?
Absolutely!
Even if you think you’ll be breastfeeding exclusively, it’s good to have one on hand just in case you need it. If you know you’ll be returning to work, then most definitely invest in a bottle-feeding gift set with several bottles to get you going.
Many pumps come with compatible bottles, so if you don’t know which one your baby might like, that can be a great place to start.
What type of bottle is best for breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding bottles should have a realistically shaped nipple that’s often longer and more rounded. Wide-neck bottles are often better suited for breastfeeding babies, too, since they offer more surface area for baby to latch onto.
A slow flow bottle or a bottle where baby can control the flow of milk will work well for breastfed babies.
Finally, bottles for breastfeeding should have some sort of anti-colic feature like a vent or valve to keep gas at bay.
When should I introduce a bottle to my breastfed baby?
This mostly has to do with if and when you need a breastfed baby to take a bottle.
Speaking from 3 kids’ worth of experience, here’s my take: if you need your baby to take a bottle on a regular basis, introduce the bottle somewhat early and relatively often. For example, if you’ll be heading back to work at the end of a 6 week span, introduce the bottle toward the middle of that six weeks. Give the bottle once every couple of days so that baby has a chance to practice before the big day.
La Leche League International suggests waiting at least 4 to 6 weeks before introducing a bottle in order to let your milk supply become established and to let baby get the hang of breastfeeding.
If you can wait longer, it’s great for your milk supply and your nursing relationship. However, if you wait too long, longer than about 5 or 6 months, baby may not want to take the bottle at all. Read the next question to see why.
Why do breastfed babies refuse the bottle?
Babies may have been born yesterday, but that doesn’t make them dumb! They know the difference between a real breast and a plastic bottle.
Newborns and young babies are a bit easier to trick, because they are more likely to accept whatever you give them. They know no different and they are so hungry all the time.
Older babies are much harder to fool. For babies, as with adults, old habits die hard. Babies at this age will show preference to a breast if it’s all they’ve ever known. They are also capable of expressing this preference, via bottle refusal and lots of screaming.
Also, in a breastfed baby of any age, it can be hard to get them to take a bottle because the mechanics are so different. Sucking patterns between breastfeeding and bottle feeding are totally different. So are the flow rate, temperature, angle, and overall feel. That’s why boob-fed babies don’t like the bottle- it’s not at all like what they are used to.
Are there tricks to help baby accept a bottle?
There are several things you can do to encourage a breastfed baby to take a bottle. If baby struggles with a bottle, try these bottle-feeding tricks:
- Have someone who isn’t mom offer the bottle. Baby can literally see and smell the real deal, so they aren’t going to settle for a bottle.
- Make sure baby is relaxed, comfortable, and not overly hungry.
- Change positions- some babies like to lay in the crook of the arm like they would be if breastfeeding, while some like a totally different position like sitting up or laying flat.
- Rock, sway, or walk baby as you feed because the movement may calm them into submission.
- Tickle baby’s mouth with the bottle nipple and let them latch, rather than forcing the bottle into their mouth.
- Warm up the bottle and the nipple and make sure that the milk inside is nice and warm, too.
- Don’t be afraid to try a few different nipples and flow rates to find the one baby likes best!
- Adjust your expectations: your baby will probably eat a different amount of milk from a bottle, so let them set the pace and decide when they are full.
Which baby bottle is closest to a real breast?
The two bottles on this list that are realistic in look in feel are the mimijumi Get Going Breastfeeding Bottle and the nanobebe Breastmilk Bottle. They look like a real breast and have features that are deliberately made to mimic a real breast.
All the other options on this list have realistically shaped nipples and other features that are boob-like, including soft silicone and flow control features.
What flow rate is best for a breastfed baby?
This is an important question. On the whole, bottles flow much faster than milk from a real breast. Many breastfeeding moms report that their baby struggles with the fast flow of many bottles. This can be a big reason why baby rejects a bottle.
And since each brand is different, there’s no one flow or stage of nipple that will work. My advice is to start with a nipple that’s a level under where your breastfed baby should be. This is especially important if baby has never, ever had a bottle before, as the flow will probably overwhelm them.
Another good approach is to judge your letdown rate and find a bottle to match that. For example, if you have a fast or forceful letdown, a faster flow will probably do okay for baby. If your letdown is slow but steady, shoot for a nipple flow that is one age below your baby’s actual age.
Sources
1 – https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2431-10-6
2 – https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/heating-human-milk/
3 – https://lacted.org/iable-breastfeeding-education-handouts/bottle-refusal/
