Parents Guide: Choosing Safe Bottles for Babies

When shopping for your new baby it's tempting to focus on a designer baby nursery, and monogrammed baby clothes, but don't forget to pay attention to the items that will go into your baby's mouth such as baby bottles. Not all baby bottles are safe for babies.

The safest baby bottles are those made of glass, polyethylene and/or polypropylene. The safest baby bottles are those made of glass, polyethylene and/or polypropylene. Choosing these types of bottles are a good way to protect your infant’s health.

Polycarbonate bottles can leach bisphenol A (BPA), which is a hormone disruptor into your baby's formula and I think we can all agree that isn't a good thing. Exposing your child to trace amounts of BPA could result in a range of health challenges later in their lives, which can include early onset puberty, hyperactivity and decreased sperm count. Check your babies bottles and other plastic baby products labels for harmful chemicals. This can keep you and your family safe and healthy for years to come. By staying with substances known to be safe, like glass, you can know that your baby is drinking from a safe baby bottle.

BPA-Free Plastic Baby Bottles

Unfortunately most major U.S. baby bottle companies use BPA in their bottles. Born Free bottles however, make BPA-free baby bottles. BornFree bottles are made from a safe honey-colored plastic called PES (Polymer) that is BPA-free.

Sassyalso makes BPA-free baby bottles as well as a variety of BPA-free infant cups. Luckily Sassy's line of BPA-free products can be found at just about any drug store, grocery or department store. Moms and licensed babysitters love the fact that Sassy's bottles have wide necks, which makes mixing formula right in the bottle super easy.

Think Baby makes a budget-friendly bottle & trainer cup that are both BPA-free. Their bottles are recommended by Healthy Child.

Glass Baby Bottles

Parents who prefer not to use plastic bottles at all love the Evenflo Classic Glass Nurser. The simple design of this bottle makes it easy to assemble and clean. Parents of gas-prone infants might want to check out a bottle which has air-reduction features such as inner straws (which are plastic). The tempered safety glass means you'll need to be more careful handling them than you would with a plastic bottle, but most parent reviews laud the Evenflo Classic as safe and durable.

Licensed Orange County CA babysitters know not to heat any plastic baby bottles, even those made of a safe plastic in a microwave oven. All baby bottles should be heated by immersing the bottle in warm water.

Breasteeding

If you will be breastfeeding after going back to work, check out this article on Breastfeeding & The Working Mom.

After reading this article, hopefully you now feel confident in choosing a safe baby bottle and you can turn your attention to more fun things like shopping for a designer baby nursery and monogrammed baby clothes.