Looking for milk bottles and pacifiers for your baby, but are you still confused as to what good milk bottles and pacifiers are? Maybe some of the tips below can help you in choosing milk bottles and teats.
Maybe some mothers think that all milk and pacifier bottles are the same for babies, it makes no difference. But make no mistake, there are several types of milk bottles and teats to suit your baby's needs. Not only that, you need to be careful in choosing milk bottles and pacifiers. Choose milk bottles and pacifiers with ingredients that are safe for your baby, don't even cause a chemical reaction when hot water is poured into the bottle.
How do you choose a safe milk bottle?
Many milk and pacifier bottles with various models and brands sold in Indonesia. The milk bottle and pacifier are designed in such a way as to make it easier for the baby to suckle with a bottle. So, you can't arbitrarily choose a milk bottle and pacifier for your baby, choose one that is safe and suitable for your baby's needs. Here are the tips.
1. Choose safe milk bottle ingredients
There are various kinds of milk bottles made from various different ingredients. Milk bottles are usually made of glass, silicone, plastic and stainless steel. However, most of which are sold are milk bottles with plastic materials. Plastic material has its own advantages compared to other materials. Its lighter weight than other ingredients makes milk bottles made from plastic more comfortable and suitable for use for babies. In addition, milk bottles from plastic are also cheaper and easier to find than other ingredients.
However, many people are worried about the chemicals in plastic. Yes, there is indeed a plastic material that is safe and unsafe to use as a food or beverage container. For that, in choosing a milk bottle, you should choose one that contains the label "BPA-free". The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned BPA (bisphenol A) in making all baby bottles in 2012.
Besides choosing milk bottles with "BPA-free", you should also choose milk bottles made of plastic with number 2 or 5. Avoid choosing milk bottles with plastic number 7 or having information on PC (polycarbonate) because they contain a lot of BPA. Also, choose a plastic milk bottle that looks rather blurry. Usually this bottle is made of polyethylene or polypropylene and does not contain BPA.
You should also not boil your baby's bottle because heat can cause BPA from plastic to break down and mix with your baby's milk. Even though your baby's milk bottle is claimed not to contain BPA, you should still do this as a preventative measure. Washing milk bottles before and after use using warm water, soap, and a special bottle brush is enough to make your baby's milk bottle sterile from bacteria and germs that attach.
2. Choose the appropriate milk bottle shape
There are various forms of milk bottles sold. Some are taller, shorter, and some are straight and curved. This depends on your likes and baby's. Choose a milk bottle with a shape that makes it easy for the baby to hold it.
Also choose the size of the milk bottle according to your baby's feeding needs. Usually babies with a small age need less milk compared to older babies. Choose a milk bottle with a size of 50 ml for your baby who is still small and increase the size of the milk bottle to a larger size (120 ml or more than 200 ml) for your baby that has started to grow.
How to choose a baby pacifier?
Just like a milk bottle, baby pacifiers are also not arbitrarily chosen. There are various types and shapes of baby pacifiers and can be tailored to your baby's needs.
1. Select the material
Baby pacifiers are usually made of latex or silicone. Dot from latex material is usually softer and flexible, but its use cannot last long. In some cases, babies can have allergies to latex ingredients. Meanwhile, pacifiers from silicon are stronger and more durable.
2. Select the shape
Usually baby pacifiers are shaped like bells or domes. There is also an orthodontic dot that is designed to adjust to your baby's palate and gums. This dot has a ball that is flatter and rests on the baby's tongue. Dot with a flat or wide end is more like the nipple of the mother's breast, so the baby is more comfortable. You can choose pacifiers with this form during the transition from breastfeeding to bottle milk.
3. Select the size and flow
In addition to its shape, another thing that must be considered when choosing a baby pacifier is the size and flow. There are pacifiers that have slower and faster flow. Premature babies or newborns need the smallest dot size with slower flow.