Colic is often a result of stomach problems, and too much gas makes your stomach hurt. Reduce your baby’s gas issues by using one of the best anti-colic bottles.
Stomach discomfort is considered a cause of colic, and we all know that having gas problems makes your stomach ache. No one wants to have a baby in distress, so bottle-feeding parents need to try one of the best anti-colic bottles to reduce their gas pains.
Colic is no fun, at all. We’ve all heard horror stories of babies crying for hours because of colic pain, or perhaps your baby is a living example of colic. Colic feels like the end of the world for a new parent, but it does come to an end as your baby gets older and his digestive system matures.
The definition of colic is episodes of inconsolable crying for no apparent reason for three hours or more a day. The crying most often occurs in the evening between 6 PM and midnight, but it can take place anytime in the day.
Colic isn’t rare! Around 20% of babies suffer from colic, and that’s the ones that are diagnosed by their doctor. Some parents never bring up the issues to their doctor so that the numbers could be higher.
Colic doesn’t discriminate either. Formula fed and breastfed babies both suffer from colic equally, and boys and girls are similarly affected. Usually, colic begins at one month old and reaches its peak by three months.
Why Should You Use an Anti-Colic Bottle?
Digestive problems cause colic, and indigestion leads to stomach aches. It’s one of the leading causes of colic, and the way that you’re feeding a baby makes them feel that indigestion. The good news is that you can find a comfortable way to feed your baby without adding air to their tummies. Doing so reduces the discomfort and makes everyone, including you, feel much better.
Anti-colic bottles are designed with a system to reduce colic in your baby. That means less air is swallowed by your baby, leading to fewer belly pains.
Do Anti-Colic Bottles Work?
In most cases, infant gas is caused by swallowing an excess of air during feedings, and that air becomes trapped in your baby’s digestive system. If your baby can’t expel that gas through burping or passing gas, it leads to discomfort and a lot of crying. I mean a lot of crying.
The goal of anti-colic bottles is to reduce the amount of swallowed air. It makes sense, when you think about it, to adjust how the bottle works to limit air intake. The bottle needs to work with your baby’s mouth to lower air consumption to reduce the number of gas bubbles in your baby’s belly. All of this means anti-colic bottles reduce tummy problems – sweet!
In my experience, anti-colic bottles do work, but you have to make sure that particular bottle works for your baby. For my oldest child, I had to try three different anti-colic bottles until I found the right one. When I did, our worlds changed, and her stomach problems decreased dramatically. I had a smiling baby, finally!
How to Pick the Best Anti-Colic Bottles
Years ago, bottles were basically all the same, but that can’t be said anymore. Bottles come with different designs and features that are meant to relieve gas and colic problems. Options mean you can find something for each baby.
While trying to pick the best anti-colic bottle for your baby, remember these considerations!
Nipple Flow
If you have a baby with gas and colic issues, a slow nipple flow is the best. Have you ever eaten too much and too fast, causing your belly to get distended and uncomfortable? That happens to your baby when he eats too quickly as well.
However, if your baby sucks on the nipple too hard for the milk, that can cause your baby to intake more air as well. So, you have to find the right nipple flow to stop your baby from getting frustrated but, at the same time, it needs to be slow enough that it doesn’t upset your baby’s belly.
So, pick a bottle system that has several nipple flow options. That means you can find the right one for your baby.
Nipple Shape
Have you ever noticed how many bottles claim that they’re close to a mother’s nipple shape as possible, but they’re all shaped differently?
It can make you chuckle, but all babies are different and prefer different nipple shapes over others. Some babies like to have a wider nipple while some prefer narrow. For breastfeeding babies who use bottles as well, watch how your baby latches onto the breast and see what shape comes closest to breastfeeding as possible.
Shape matters because one might cause your baby to consume more air than other shapes. Ideally, the company designed the nipple to reduce air bubbles becoming trapped in the tip of the nipple.
The Nipple Valve
Some nipples have built-in valve systems that let air back out in a way that doesn’t create large bubbles in the milk that stays in the bottle. Valves help because, when your baby sucks on his bottle, the suction creates a vacuum that builds up pressure. Pressure has to be released for the milk flow to continue.
Bottle Vents
Bottle vents are built-in valves that move the excess air to the top of the bottle as your baby drinks. The air doesn’t have to travel through the milk to get to the top, which causes more bubbles to form.
Bottle Shape
Just like nipple shape, bottle shape matters as well. You’ve probably noticed that bottles come in all shapes and sizes. Bottles are straight, curved, angled, and everything in between. The shape matters because you need to consider how your child feeds. Babies who feed while reclined do fine with the traditional shape. If your baby prefers an upright, position, a bottle with a tilt helps to move the bubbles away from them.
Bottle Liners
Colicky and gassy babies do well with bottles that have disposable liners. Liners are thin and flexible, so they collapse on themselves as your baby sucks and eats. That creates a vacuum inside of the bottle.
Unlike a traditional bottle, bottle liners create a vacuum that doesn’t have to be released because it doesn’t stop the baby’s milk flow. You don’t have to worry about the air flowing back into the bottle, creating gas bubbles.
However, the biggest complaint about bottle liners is that you have to purchase the liners continually. They’re disposable. So, if you’re an eco-friendly part and don’t like to create waste, liners won’t be for you.
The 6 Best Anti-Colic Bottles
Ready to pick the best anti-colic bottle? Let’s take a look at our top picks for 2019.
1
Dr. Brown’s Original Bottle – Most Popular Anti-Colic Bottle
The most notable anti-colic bottle is by Dr. Brown’s, and they’re known for being the top-pick by millions of parents. Dr. Brown’s does so well because of their internal vent system. It looks like a straw that connects to a screw top. It hangs down into the bottle.
The difference between other bottles and Dr. Brown’s is that the nipple isn’t the vent, but instead, it uses a nipple collar that funnels the air through the vent and back out above the milk. This system does a great job of reducing air bubbles inside of the milk and prevents the oxidation of nutrients. Oxidation retains more vitamins C, A, and E.
Also, Dr. Brown’s bottles eliminate that pesky vacuum that is created inside of other bottles. Instead, the bottle mimics natural breastfeeding. Is there a vacuum inside of a breast? No!
Philips Avent Anti-Colic Bottles – Best Nipple Vent Bottles
Instead of the internal venting system, the Philips Avent bottles use a nipple venting system that is more streamlined. Any has entered into the holes at the base of the nipple and funnels out and away from your baby’s mouth. When compared to the straw-like vents, it means you have one less thing to clean, and everyone loves that.
We love that the Avent bottles have four pieces – the bottle itself, the nipple, the ring, and the cap. All of the pieces are dishwasher safe and compatible with the rest of the Avent line. All of the parts from their classic bottles, nipples, and toddler cups work together with interchangeable parts.
Parents love the nipple venting system. It helps to push the air back into the top of the bottle and away from your baby’s mouth. Avent tested their bottles and proved that they reduce infant nighttime fussiness by 60%.
The slowest flow nipple is often too fast for some babies.
Sometimes leaks
3
MAM Anti-Colic Bottles – Best Vented Base Bottle
MAM created a unique bottle that features a vent based that regulates the air pressure inside of the bottle and stops your baby from gulping down a bunch of air. These bottles have air vents in the bottom of the bottle, so air bubbles stay out of your baby’s milk, reducing gas and colic. Research on this bottle shows that it reduces colic in babies by up to 80% – that’s awesome!
MAM used their unique nipples that are silicone, soft, and a little flattened. Breastfeeding babies, including my own, frequently love these nipples. MAM uses what they call Silk Teat rather than silicone nipple because it provides a softer feel than silicone.
Parents who breastfeed and bottle-feed often find it easy to use these bottles. They’re great for switching back and forth and reducing nipple confusion. The nipple does work great for breastfed babies!
Just like Dr. Brown’s bottles, the MAM bottles have more parts to wash, but the design means it can self-sterilize in the microwave in three minutes. You don’t have to purchase a separate microwave steamer, which is nice. To use this feature, fill the bottle with water and microwave it for three minutes.
Comes with medium-flow nipples, so you need to purchase slow flow nipples.
4
Comotomo Baby Bottles – Best for Breastfed Babies
We know that breastfed babies are notoriously picky about the bottles that they’ll use. If you’ve only noticed fussiness when your breastfed babies switch to bottles, then you need a bottle that not only has anti-colic features but also closely resembles breastfeeding.
Comotomo bottles are uniquely designed because they’re made from flexible silicone. Unlike traditional bottles, the silicone design allows babies to continue to eat uninterrupted if the pressure isn’t released. The bottle can collapse if necessary, just like breastfeeding. The nipple has dual anti-colic vents that allow the air and pressure to be released back into the bottle inside of being swallowed by your baby.
Parents love the extra-wide neck because it’s easier to clean, and the flexible shape lets you reach all parts of the bottle without a brush. You can put all of the pieces into the dishwasher to get them clean.
Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottles – Best Low Flow Bottles
Tommee Tippee is a brand that my babies have enjoyed using. These bottles come with low-flow nipples that help to regulate the speed that your baby is drinking. Your baby won’t be able to guzzle with these bottles, so you can be sure you aren’t feeding your baby too fast, causing an upset stomach. Stage 1 nipples have a valve that allows pressure to be released.
Tommee Tippee bottle has a broad base that lets your baby latch onto the nipple just like he would latch onto the breast. The reduces the risk of a shallow latch or swallowing too much air. On the tip of the nipple, the silicone allows it to flex, just like a natural nipple because it mimics a breastfeeding experience.
Playtex Ventaire Baby Bottles – Best Angled Bottles
If your baby prefers to sit more upright while feeding, you need an angled bottle. Sitting in a more upright position helps to open a baby’s throat and discourage air swallowing, reducing indigestion and ear infections. Playtex created an easy to hold, comfortable, angled bottle that has micro-channel vents that funnel air up and away from your baby, letting the air escape from the base.
You’ll find that the Playtex bottles help to keep symptoms of colic, gas, and indigestion away, plus holding the bottle is more comfortable with an angled bottle.
Playtex used a BPA, PVC, and phthalate free bottle that works with a variety of nipple shapes. That allows you to find the right nipple shape that contours to your baby’s mouth. You want to make sure your baby has the proper latch on the nipple to stop any air from being gulped.
Using the right bottle is only part of the solution to reduce colic. Try a few of these tips to minimize colic even further.
Keep Baby’s Head Above The Belly
Perhaps the most important thing you can do to help reduce colic and tummy discomfort is to change his feeding position. Your baby shouldn’t be reclined. His head should be elevated above their tummy to allow gas bubbles to escape. Keeping your baby at an upright position during feeding also reduces acid reflux.
Pick the Right Bottle Angle
If your bottle angle isn’t right, then you might be getting air trapped in the bottle or nipple while feeding. You’ll need to tilt the bottle more to let the air escape.
Make Sure Baby Is Latched Right
A lousy latch on a bottle nipple causes your baby to gulp in more air. Your baby’s mouth should be open wide and attached at the base of the nipple, not just the tip. If your baby is sucking hard on the tip of the nipple, then it’s not a good latch, and it’ll cause more air to enter his mouth.
Use The Right Flow Nipple
Is your baby sucking loudly or very noisy while eating? If so, that might be a sign that they’re not getting enough milk fast enough to satisfy them and need a faster flow nipple. If your baby is coughing and spitting up milk, that means he is getting too much milk at one time, leading to a tummy ache. Switch to a slower flow nipple.
Burp Baby Regularly
Burp your baby every few minutes instead of waiting for the feeding to be finished. Burping reduces gas building up in your baby’s belly.
Heat and Pressure
Another way to make your baby feel better is heat and pressure. If your baby is crying and uncomfortable, use a warm compress on his belly. You can also lay belly-to-belly with your baby to apply pressure. That’s why some parents lay their babies across their lap because the pressure is soothing. A warm bath helps as well.
Nothing you do can get rid of colic entirely, but the little things can add up and make quite a difference. Using the best anti-colic bottles ensure your baby isn’t swallowing too much air, leading to gassiness and misery. No one wants to experience that, including your baby.
What’s your favorite anti-colic bottle? Let us know in the comments.
