Choosing baby bottles

When it comes to choosing baby bottles, no one, not even your pediatrician can tell you which one to choose. Your baby will be the best to tell you which one he or she likes. Just like formula milk, you can decide to give your baby the formula milk with the highest content of DHA, AA and what not, but its your baby who decides whether its suitable for them.

I am hunting for baby bottles for the twins. I already have Avent bottles & nipples that were used by Mick. Just to be on the safe side, I want to get another brand/type so that I don’t have to rush at the 11th hour, if the twins reject the Avent bottle and nipple.

Factors that I need to consider –

Wide neck/narrow neck –
Wide neck is easier for cleaning and less messy when mixing formula milk. However, narrow neck bottles are compatible with most breast pumps.

Material for the bottle –
Recent concerns have been raised about possible negative health effects from exposure to BPA(chemicals used to manufacture polycarbonate). However, studies have not shown specific problems related to this substance unless it is heated for more than 20 minutes with milk or formula inside it. This means that polycarbonate bottles can be sterilized with no issues. When you visit the websites of the baby bottle manufacturers, they stand by their products 100%. With this assurance, I am not going to pay extra for glass or BPA free bottles.

Nipple types –
All bottle manufacturers claim that their nipples/teats mimic baby’s breast-feeding style and allow you to breast-feed longer.
Orthodontic nipples(example - NUK) – elongated and indented in the center to evoke the same tonguing action of breast feeding babies.
Natural shaped nipples(example – Avent, Breastflow) – soft and wider shaped to encourage changing between breastfeeding and bottle feeding.
Traditional shaped nipples(common in the supermarkets) – bell shaped with thinner base. Ideal for formula fed babies.

Material for the nipple –
Silicone – very durable, clear color, heat resistant and causes less allergy to babies(less prone to bacteria)
Latex – brown color, softer than silicone(suitable for newborns), not as durable as silicone(need to check for cracks frequently)

So many to factors to consider, so I have finally decided that I will go for Nuk System with Silicone Orthodontic nipples. Since I am planning on getting the Spectra2 breastpump, I am going to get the narrow neck bottles. I had a hard time juggling with the Medela pump and Avent bottles previously.
I have also decided to make my purchase online so that I can purchase more later without the hassle of leaving my house with the twins.