Safe Baby Bottles?

Updated on April 12, 2008
K.B. asks from Rowley, MA
41 answers

I'm having my first baby in May and am planning on breastfeeding, but still would like to have some bottles in the house. Recently I have been hearing a lot about BPA in baby bottles, and it seems that all the major brands contain this chemical. Is anyone else worried about this? Or do you know of a "safe" baby bottle (other than glass)? Just want to see if anyone has any insight. Thank you!

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So What Happened?

Thank you all SO much for all the great advise! All of the links and information you sent are so helpful. It's nice to know that other people are concerned about this too and I'm not just being an overly cautious new mom! Thanks again!

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A.C.

answers from Boston on

We use the "Born Free" brand of bottle which you can buy from Whole Foods and which has pretty good shaped nipples for a baby who is breast-feeding and feeding from a bottle too. It is not glass and is dishwasher safe as well. Good luck!

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M.H.

answers from Hartford on

We were using Dr. Browns until a few months ago when we heard about the BPA issue. I did some research and found out that MAM bottles are BPA free. We switched and I am thrilled that we did! Not only do I not have to worry about BPA, but Caden's gas and spit up issues disappeared with the change.

I would HIGHLY recommend the MAM. Since you will be primarily breastfeeding they are an awesome choice, since Wide neck nipples are much easier to switch between breast and bottle for baby.

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M.L.

answers from Boston on

The 'Good Morning America' website has info. Also, Reader's Digest had info sometime in the last 2 months. That may be on their website as well.
ood Luck,
M.

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J.V.

answers from Boston on

Born Free. They make the platic without the BPA hormone in it. They make sippy and training cups BPA free too.Babies R Us carries the brand.

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L.S.

answers from New London on

Playtex drop in system doesn't have the BPA in the plastic liners. You cannot put them in the microwave or use boiling water. I just use lukewarm water for my formula. I don't heat it up in the microwave. He is 11 months old now and isn't picky about how hot or cold his milk is, which is great and convenient, especially if I am not home. It is a great system to use. I just finished breastfeeding a few weeks ago but we started him on formula about a month before I decided I wanted to wean him. It took a few tries for him to like his formula. At first he would only drink an ounce or two and now he drinks 4-6 ounces. He loves the latex nipples fast flow. And we use Enfamil. If you use any other kind of bottle, don't heat them in the microwave. When the water gets hot that the chemicals leach into the bottle.

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A.M.

answers from Bangor on

Medela has some BPA-free plastic bottles, look for the purple stripe on some of their packaging, not all. all the playtex drop-ins liners (bags and shaped drop-ins) are not BPA-containing. my daughter, 3.5 months old now, hated all bottles before playtex drop-ins with latex nipple, so she uses those at daycare, and I pump into glass and medela bpa-free.

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K.H.

answers from Burlington on

Here is an excellent resource for you that many women I work with have referenced (my kids are past baby stage and we used Avent with them, but knowing what we know now, we would've made a different choice). This site has also been updated to include sippy cups, pacifiers. Good luck!
http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/11/z-report-bisphenol-in-b...

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R.R.

answers from Burlington on

Madela's plastic bottles are BPA - free. I use those when I'm away from home, but at home I just use glass bottles. They work great, and I'm not sure why more people don't use them. They're made with pretty thick glass that doesn't break easily. I recommend them.

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J.A.

answers from Boston on

Hi K.,

Congratulations on your baby. Check out zoebonline.com, they have BPA free plastic bottles and lots of other great organic stuff for babies.

Good Luck,
J.

PS I don't know where you live, but I run an organic daycare in Billerica, I am opening in Sept/2008. My business is listed on mamasource or you can visit my website at greenbabydaycare.com

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A.A.

answers from Boston on

K.,
There are still glass baby bottles out there if you look hard enough. I wasn't as concerned about the bottles as I was the nipples because of the risk of nipple confusion when mixing in bottles with breastfeeding. I bought the Breastflow bottles from Babies R Us. The nipples are in two parts and are supposed to mimic a human breast better than traditional nipples. Fortunatley for me, my baby (four weeks old today!) turned out to be a little barracuda when it comes to taking the breast so I'm not even sure it would have mattered, but I am happy with the bottles I purchased. If you want to buy the glass ones I think the brand is called Born Free.
Good luck!

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H.A.

answers from Boston on

Born Free does not have BPA. Also, PLatex has a glass version. I am in the same boat - good luck!

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A.B.

answers from Boston on

If you're only using them occasionally, I really wouldn't worry too much about it.

Plastics that have this chemical in it are everywhere in your house. It is emitted as the plastics break down, and it takes a very long time for plastic to break down. The hype about it is excessive and unnecessary in my opinion.

If you really want to feel safe about it, you could replace the bottles every so often with new ones because, like I said, the chemical is only emitted when the plastic starts breaking down.

Congrats on your new baby - you're almost there!

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M.H.

answers from Barnstable on

DEFINITELY avoid Bisphenol-A! "Born Free" baby bottles are BPA-free. If you want to avoid plastic all together you can buy Kleen Kanteen bottles (stainless steel). They come with a top that fits Avent nipples. Plus, you baby will look totally hip! LOL! :)

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G.M.

answers from Boston on

Not really what you asked about, but I would wait to have those bottles in the house until your baby is about six weeks old and your nursing patterns are well established. Research shows time and time again that having formula and bottles in the house dramatically undermines breastfeeding sucess (which is why the "Ban the Bags" campaign is so important).

Try KellyMom.com for more information on why those bottles are a bad idea, or try: http://massbfc.org/parents/

Once you are pumping and ready to introduce bottles of breastmilk, the glass ones are the safest, and safety is not really an issue until Baby is old enough to wrest the bottle away from you!

Good for you planning to breastfeed your baby!

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K.C.

answers from Boston on

I know that the Born Free plastic bottles are BPA-free, but they are pretty expensive (about $10 per bottle). The bottles that come with the Medela breast pumps are also BPA-free, I believe. Another option is to use the bottles with liners, like the Playtex Drop-Ins. Hope this helps!

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S.P.

answers from Portland on

Hi K.,
I know that the shiny & hard plastic bottles are the ones with the polybicarbonate. A good alternative is the playtex bottles with the disposable liners. They aren't the shiny stuff so it's better for baby but also, the liners collapse as baby eats so she gets less air, less gas. I hope this helps. I know that Avent was coming out with a safer bottle too but I don't know if that's happened yet. Good luck!

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K.Q.

answers from Boston on

Hi K.,

I recently had my second daughter and upon doing some significant research became very concerned about the bisphenol in baby bottles. I bought my daughter the BornFree brand- plastic free bottles. They also have ThinkBaby as another alternative brand. You can just google these brands online to see what they have to offer. They are a little expensive, but well worth it in my opinion.

Best of Luck!
K. Q

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S.O.

answers from Boston on

Congratulations and I hope you are feeling well! I have a 3 1/2 year old and am expecting #2 in October and had similar concerns, not only regarding the bottles I may use with the new baby but with the sippy cups I currently have for my son. One of my dearest friends is a pediatric nurse practitioner and the mother of an 8 month old and she was the one who told me how important it was to use BPA-free plastics, not only for your children, but for yourself as well if you can. She also reminded me to never put any plastic in the microwave, as it significantly increases the amount of harmful chemicals that can leach into food/liquids. All of that said, I know "BornFree" is a brand that makes BPA-free bottles, in both plastic and glass, and I believe all Medela products are BPA-free as well. I also found a website that listed some good recommendations of brands to choose and brands to avoid - it killed me to toss the scads of Avent bottles I had, but I didn't want to take any chances. The link to the site is below. I hope it helps and I wish you the best of luck!

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/11/z-report-bisphenol-in-b...

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B.G.

answers from Barnstable on

I once heard something about a code written on the bottom of plastic bottles that distinguished certain characteristics - but I have no idea what it is. Sorry.

Maybe someone else will think of this for me.

But I would check your state government website and on there they will have everything including product recalls - so I am sure you will be able to e-mail someone if its not posted somewhere and ask specifically about that.

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F.M.

answers from Hartford on

Hi.
Born Free are appartently a safe plastic bottle. I have a 10 week old, my first baby. I am breast feeding and pumping a bit as I have to go back to work soon. I am using the glass and have not had any problem with it. It gives me peace of mind that there will be no plastic concerns at all.
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy your new baby!

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G.D.

answers from New London on

We have the Klean Kanteens for everyone in the family. The go from bottles to sippies and right up to a 40 oz kanteen for adults. We love ours! Our DD thinks she is so special with her sippy cup like our kanteens. My friend has the baby bottles and loves them. You can find them online or at organic stores. Glad to see more people caring about these things!

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E.M.

answers from Boston on

Congratulations!
I felt the same way, I nursed my daughter for a long time!
But we did try bottles with her, too. Whole Foods sells bottles called "Born Free" that are BPA free. I found the bottles after my daughter was off bottles, I used their sippy cups.
Good Luck!
E.

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N.E.

answers from Boston on

K., if you go onto www.iatp.org and click on "smart plastics" there is a list of the unsafe stuff and the safe stuff....i think it's on like the 2nd or 3rd page. it's amazing and scary once you start reading it. hope this helps! N.

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C.R.

answers from Boston on

Hello! They do make bottles without the chemicals in them....however, it's my understanding that unless you put the bottle in the microwave, the bottles are all safe. Glass bottles work also, but they tend to hold a lot of air/gas.

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M.C.

answers from Boston on

I'm sure others may have already responded, but more and more companies are catching on to making safer bottles. Dr. Brown's is coming out with a line of safe plastic, and the entire Born Free line of bottles is safe, as is the newer brand Adiri.

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S.S.

answers from New London on

Since you plan on primarily breastfeeding, there is a bottle called the Adiri Natural Nurser that doesn't contain the chemicals and it is actually shaped like a breast to minimize nipple confusion with babies. I myself don't have one of these bottles, but they seem like they would be great. Another bottle you can get is the Kleen Kanteen. You can get them with a nipple top and then later on you can get a sippy top or regular sport top for it. It is made of stainless steel. Again, I don't have that one, it's just something I've seen in a natural baby store.
The Adiri bottle is available at a store near me that happens to also have an online store. www.papoosebebe.com
The women at this store are so helpful and knowledgeable about everything they carry.
Congrats on your upcoming birth!

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T.M.

answers from Boston on

Born Free makes bottles without BPA and they come in plastic and glass. You can find these bottles at Whole Foods markets (one located in Hingham at Derby Street Shoppes).

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R.R.

answers from Boston on

Our son liked the Born Free bottles(they come in glass or BPA free plastic), in fact now that he is one, he also loves their training cups. I have also heard that Adiri bottles are good for nursing babies who occasionally use a bottle. Both brands are a bit pricey, but worth it. Congratulations!!!

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L.L.

answers from Hartford on

Born Free bottles & cups are great. I used them for my 1st 2 years ago and then they were difficult to find. I had to order them over the web. Now with more information being readily available about BPA in bottles they have become available at places like Whole Foods, Target and Babies R Us.

http://www.newbornfree.com/

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C.L.

answers from Boston on

Hii
for the most safe plastic bottle (not glass) that are free of BPA and other free of bad chemical which is

Born Free

Medela

Green to Grow

Ariti or it is Adiri (i am not sure how to spell that but that bottle shape like half bottle and breast mixed, i am considering get that bottle and born free for pumping breastmilk)

there are some other new bpa free bottle that i dont know yet. i prefer those brands. Babies r us start to sell born free bottle now. i usually see it at wholefood store. Green to Grow, you can find it online.. i think it is www.greentogrow.com i am not sure. for adiri , you can find it a wholefood, right start or online.

i refuse use those other brands.
and congrats on ur baby on way, hope u try these bottles.

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C.R.

answers from Portland on

Check out Born Free's website for some more information and research on this. We will try Born Free bottles and Medela's breastmilk storage and bottles with our next baby.

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A.D.

answers from Springfield on

Born Free bottles are BPA free, available at Whole Foods Markets in MA. Google results also show it available at Target (although I haven’t seen it in our store), and Baby’s R Us. Also, colored Gerber and Evenflo bottles are promoted as BPA free, according to http://www.healthobservatory.org who has an internet brochure available on what’s safe and what’s not. Another BPA free nursing system is made by adiri, http://www.adiri.com. We use the Born Free bottles and are very happy with it.

By the way, in Germany BPA is not allowed in baby bottles. There you get Avent bottles without it..... The European Union has higher restrictions and safety standards regarding baby products than the US. When you are buying toys, watch out for the letters CE on labels or packaging. That means the product is allowed to be imported into the European Union, matching those higher standards!

A.

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S.R.

answers from Boston on

Hi K.,

Congratulations on expecting your first baby in May - very exciting! I have a one-year old and shared your concerns when news of the BPA study came out. Throughout my son's first year, I breastfeed and used Playtex Natural Latch Drop-In Bottles. These bottles were recommended to me by a lactation consultants because the nipple is supposedly similar to the human nipples and cause less "nipple confusion" when you wish to breastfeed and bottle feed. Also, the bottles have a disposible plastic "drop-in" which holds the milk and does not contain BPA. If you would rather not use a bottle with disposible parts, the brand Born Free makes a bottle that is BPA free. You can buy these bottles at Whole Foods Stores. Good luck and let me know if you have any additional questions!

S.

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A.H.

answers from Hartford on

Medela baby bottles and Born Free bottles are BPA free. I switched my daughter to the glass Evenflo bottles and she has a Born Free sippy cup.

It's only recently that BPA has hit the mainstream news media. I found out about it about over a year ago after having purchased Avent bottles for my daughter. I emailed Avent after finding out about BPA and they sent me this really dismissive form letter about how BPA is safe, blah blah blah. I think its a real concern. My husband has a son that we think might have some of the developmental/hormonal side effects from BPA. Hard to prove though.

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L.P.

answers from Boston on

Hi, we found the Playtex nurser (slow nipple) to be the slowest flow for a new baby (we nursed but had to supplement at three weeks) - Avent also makes the Tempo disposable liner bottle & I like their nipples now that he's not so small. For larger, non-disposables we bought the Sassy MAM bottles - they are inexpensive, vented at the bottom and easy! BPA is in clear hard plastic, the MAM bottles are colored. Congratulations!

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T.G.

answers from Boston on

Hi K. - I agree, that Bisphenol A is scary and disgusting. Try Born Free products at www.newbornfree.com, supposedly available at whole foods, babies r us, cvs, and other stores. you could also try "green to grow" bottles, which I saw at http://www.ourgreenhouse.com/foundations/store/shopdetail...,
Also - nurturepure glass bottles are a bit cheaper (www.nurturepure.com) but i don't know how breakable they are. The other thing to keep in mind (you probably know) is canned food and nalgene water bottles, through which adults get most of their exposure. A few brands of canned food use a vegetable based coating instead of PBA, but until I figure out exactly which ones, I'm avoiding all canned food.
Congratulations! Good luck!!
T.

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A.K.

answers from Boston on

Born Free bottles are great! Yes, they are more expensive, but you just buy less bottles and wash more often. THe Playtex Drop-Ins are so-so (good in a pinch) because the liner part is BPA-free, although not the shell. Here's a helpful website: http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infa...
Good luck!

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C.K.

answers from New York on

Don't Avent and Dr. Brown also have BPA free bottles? I think almost every company has BPA free bottles now, so it makes choosing a bottle very difficult! I am still second, triple and quadruple guessing my choice. There doesn't seem to be much in the way of good reviews to go by. If there really are so many BPA free options out there, how do mom's make a choice???

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M.K.

answers from Boston on

I agree with Liz. Playtex drop ins are wonderful!!! Very easy for making formula or heating breastmilk. When I go out for the day I just put the right amount of powder in a bottle and take a water bottle with me on the road.

As for warming milk, its so easy because the plastic is thin. I just would thaw the breast milk, pour it into the bottle with liner, then place the bottle in a bowl of warm/hot water. It will heat up in minutes. My recommendation is to buy the 8oz bottles/shells right away. I registered for the 4 oz. but only used them for short time because my son started to eat more than that quickly at each feeding. Saves a little money.

PS SOO easy to clean as well! Def. plus!!

Hope this helped.

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S.K.

answers from Boston on

The labeling is slowly getting better. There is a brand that sells itself as green and has none. The cheapie Gerber colors (or fashion tints - can't remember the exact name) are also free of BPA. The kind of bottle that usually has it is the hard, clear plastic. Even the collection bottles of the ameda pumps have it - although medela pump collection bottles don't and the threads fit on the ameda. Finally, if you use plastic bags, like the drop-ins or the ones for milk storage that can then fit in a feeder there is no BPA there.

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