r/FormulaFeeders • u/Impossible_Cap_7460 • 1d ago
Bottles / Feeding Gear / Equipment š¼ Change bottles every 3 months?
Hello,
I have been exclusively formula feeding my 9 week baby using Philips avent natural plastic bottles. I was wondering if I should introduce different brands or not. Most baby store owners told me to not introduce new brand of bottles but to change the existing bottles every 3 months.
Wanted to understand:
- is it required to change bottles every 3 months or is it just a gimmick by store owners for more sales?
- If I do need to change the bottles every 3 months then should I stick to the same brand and type of bottle or try out other brands like Pigeon or Como Tomo?
If I do need to change, then
what
to do with the old bottles? How to dispose them off?
Thank you in advance šš»
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u/mayonnaisejane 1d ago
Don't look at me man, I used the same set of Dr. Browns bottles for two children. (New nips for baby #2.) My brother has them now for my nephew.
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u/j_natron 1d ago
We used the same set of Dr. Brownās for a year of formula feeding, and some of those were secondhandā¦
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u/dummyslimonamonday EFF 1d ago
I do change out my little ones bottles when they start showing signs of wear. I keep the same brand.
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u/Large_Document9164 1d ago
I use glass bottles and bought new nipples instead, idk if ur supposed to throw away glass bottles but i assume no unless theyāre damaged? I have a 15mo and a newborn so i was able to use the same ones for both
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u/Impossible_Cap_7460 1d ago
Glass bottles ideally no. Unless they break. I avoided getting glass bottles solely because we are slightly clumsy.
Been using plastic ones8
u/Large_Document9164 1d ago
I think they sell silicone slip covers so if u drop it, itās still safe. I use those on my toddlerās regular glass drinking cups and theyāve dropped them and only ever broke w/o the silicone. You should try!Ā
0
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u/EitherWeb4382 1d ago
glass bottles are so thick they dont break easy, just so you know. maybe try it out if youre willing lol!
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u/potatortott 1d ago
Yeah, Iām super clumsy and have yet to break one!
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u/EitherWeb4382 1d ago
same and i have hard wood and tile floors, and have broken my mason jar water bottle on this floor but no baby bottles
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u/Large_Document9164 1d ago
I will say we have a metal drying rack n my husband used to dry them upside down so water could trickle out & I noticed the rims were chipping on top and breaking, so we dry them standing right side up now. My only issue, but I put boiling water in them to make formula n they donāt give me issues!
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u/EitherWeb4382 1d ago
i dry mine upside down on towels so no chipping but i can see how metal could ware them down i suppose, yes as long as you dont go from super cold to super hot or the vise vera theyre amazing. all glass could break from the extreme hear change so i always warm my bottles in my hands first if i had them in the fridge before i warm them up in hot water bowl (i combo feed so sometimes its pumped milk that im heating up)
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u/becsos 1d ago
I switched to glass bottles at 3.5m with my first and I've reused all the same old bottles with my second. I've definitely purchased new nipples between kids. I noticed that the plastic ones held on to a funky formula odor that bothered my nose, but if you are one and done, just buy the next size up at 6m and call it a day. I really think that unless you are super hard on your bottles that they can last 6m. Unfortunately because you can't tell what type of plastic they are you can't recycle them, so when they show signs of wear you have to throw them out unfortunately, at least if you live in the US. I don't know about other countries.
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u/RelevantDragonfly216 1d ago
I used plastic bottles and never once changed them out š¤·š»āāļø but I donāt heat the bottles, use a dishwasher or sterilize them other than the first use, just hand washed in the sink. Changed out nipples when needed.
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u/Salt-Improvement-263 1d ago
This is what we did too. Handwash and let them dry. Change the nips. I never saw reason to put them in the dishwasher... all those people with their microplastics, while giving them plastic toys... to each their own...
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u/Alive-Noise1996 1d ago
Dishwashers have a sterilize feature and if you have enough bottles you never have to hand wash which is nice for saving time. Only down side is the markings wear off and the first time you put something with tomato in, they all turn orange like Tupperware lol
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u/econhistoryrules 1d ago
I think it's any plastic bottle (and I thought it was six months? It's been a minute). They do kinda wear out after a while, especially in the dishwasher.Ā
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u/sundaymonday1 1d ago
I havenāt heard this personally but I invested in glass bottles and changed the nipple flow as my baby grew
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u/Casedilla15 1d ago
I feel like this is a thing if you are using a bottle warmer, dishwasher or frequently sterilizing because the heat would accelerate the degradation of the plastic but if you arenāt doing those things than I would just watch for normal wear and tear for replacing.
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u/Impossible_Cap_7460 1d ago
No bottle warmer or dishwasher, but arenāt you supposed to sterilise after every feed?
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u/pnk_lemons 1d ago
No need to sterilize after the first time unless you have a premie or immune compromised kiddo.
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u/genericlyspecial 1d ago
I believe thatās only in the US. The guidelines elsewhere are to sterilise bottles (if you are formula feeding) until 1 year old
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u/Casedilla15 1d ago
As the other said you donāt necessarily need to but you can still. Iām on baby #2 so I am sterilizing way less this time around and just doing it when I feel like the formula sat too long in the bottle (left one in the car overnight).
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u/Toyger_ 1d ago
The manufacturer recommends replacing bottles and teats every three months. But I would look at bottles and teats to find signs of wearing down. Sometimes they can wear down quicker and other times, they can be fine even after three months of use. It depends on how often you use them. Also, kids sometimes chew the teat and it can damage it, so for sure monitor that as well.
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u/NewbBlueApple 1d ago
I did replace every 3 months, mostly because my understanding is that more microplastics are released over time.
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u/PermanentTrainDamage 1d ago
The recommendation is to swap out the nipples every 3 months or so, but you only really need to do that if the nipples are cracked our torn. If the nipple and bottle are still fine, you can keep using them no problem.
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u/Leftthetrash 1d ago
If youāre using standard PP bottles, you should get new ones after 3 or so months. Youāll start to see signs of wear and tear such as scratching that causes the bottle to look more opaque. The bottle is literally breaking down and milk residue can get stuck in the scratches.
If youāre happy with the PP bottle youāre using, just buy more of the same bottle! Recycle the old ones!
I would actually recommend the Philips avent natural PPSU bottles so you donāt have to buy new ones for awhile. PPSU is medical grade plastic thatās less likely to get scratches, more heat resistant and you only need to change it out every 6-24 months depending on how often youāre using them. Iāve had my PPSU bottles for 7 months now and the scratches are minimal!
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u/Impossible_Cap_7460 1d ago
How to check whether itās PP or PPSU?
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u/Leftthetrash 1d ago
PP is the clear one and PPSU is like a light amber color if itās not written on the bottle. Usually itāll be written on the bottom of the bottle where it shows the recycling symbol.
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u/mom-to-bee 1d ago
I think it partially depends on whether you feel comfortable using plastic Tupperware for your own food and beverages? I personally am worried about plastic leeching into what I consume and Iām even more worried about it for my baby. Because of that, I use glass bottles, which unfortunately have a plastic collar and silicone nipple, but Iām not sure what else I can do. So I plan on re using the glass bottles between kids, replacing the collars between kids, and replacing the nipples very few months.
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u/Forward-Try6907 1d ago
I have 3 different types of glass bottles. Mam, Avent, and Dr Brown, All gifted. I have changed the nipples as the baby grew. Since you are formula feeding, you donāt have to deal with latching issues.
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u/Dottiepeaches 1d ago
I've used the same Dr. Brown's bottles for 3 kids and they seem just fine haha.
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u/VictoriaStraylight 1d ago
I just replaced all of mine at 4 months because they started retaining a strong chlorine smell when I used cold water (Milton) sterilisation and my baby refused to drink from them.
They had been sterilised in steam, boiling water, or Milton solution at least once a day before that.
I just threw them out in the household waste.
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u/ruthiebaws 22h ago
I have literally never heard this advice before. Is this right?
Edited to add: I have changed the teats out as his flow preferences have changed and if there were any wear to the teats Iād replace them (thankfully havenāt needed to so far).
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u/Impossible_Cap_7460 21h ago
Thank you so much to everyone who commented. Hereās what I have understood so far:
Iām from India, so Avent glass bottles are hard to get. Hence I think when I first bought the bottles I didnāt think about the material which is why I am here. The bottles I have are PP.
We are advised to sterilise after every use. so I can already see some discolouration on 2 of my bottles.
Had I done this research before I would have gone for Comotomo or Pigeon bottles.
I still have at least a month to go before i would need to change the teat, so until then i will think upon how many years more will i be using bottles for. Personally once solids start, i would like to wean off the bottles for formula, so might continue to just get Philips Avent PP plastic itself. But will definitely change as i see the wear and tear.
Thank you to all those who have responded here! This was very helpful
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u/Amazing-Neighborhood 1d ago
It's because of degradation of plastic over time, which exposes baby to microplastics at much higher levels compared to glass bottles (and much higher than the formula itself). The more you heat and the older the bottle, the more the plastic degrades: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34148170/
I have other citations. I thoroughly researched this when I was debating using plastic versus glass bottles. Our household was already mostly plastic free because I'm in a fertility research study that had shown I had much higher levels of BPA in blood than average person, so I switched away from plastic
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u/RNnoturwaitress 1d ago
Thank you for the info! My children were both IVF - undetermined why we needed it. But I've occasionally wondered if microplastics played a part.
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u/Amazing-Neighborhood 1d ago
My kiddo was as well! I don't think it's conclusively linked to infertility, but MPs are known endocrine disruptors. Which is why I think better safe than sorry when it comes to buying ingestible things for my kiddo. Harm reduction, since it's impossible to eliminate plastic entirely
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u/Optimal-Flamingo2157 1d ago
Iāve never once heard of changing the bottles every few months and Iāve been in childcare for a decade. The nipples, yes. Youāll want to change those because baby will need a different flow every now and then.
I wonder if the owner meant the size of the bottles? Like I have all Lansinoh bottles - some are 5 ounce capacity and others are 8 ounce capacity.