Dr Browns are the only bottles that offer a fully vented, vacuum free bottle, which helps to relieve babies suffering with colic and as you know Isla had this in her first few months. We were sent the fabulous Newborn Starter Kit, which contains: microwave steriliser with tongs, 3 x 240ml bottles , 2 x 120ml bottles , 2 x level 2 teats , 2 x level 3 teats , bottle brush and 2 x travel caps. It retails at £49.95 and you can buy it here: http://www.breastpumps.co.uk/acatalog/Gift_Set.html.

So how does the vent system work in these bottles? When babies are given a bottle of milk they suck it through the teat. As the milk leaves the bottle, air enters in through the vent to take the place of the milk. Dr Browns bottles have a patented internal vent that allows the air to enter and directs it to the area above the milk, keeping the air and the milk separate. And this helps babies suffering from colic have their milk with less air in their system.

When we were using these bottles with Isla, I did find that she was less “full of wind” and we didn't struggle to wind her after feeding as much as some other bottles.

We were really impressed with how easy the bottles were to put together, sterilise and clean. We did have a few teething problems, but over come them very quickly. I'm going to explain the issues we had, just incase any of you have had the same problem and think the bottle is broken (when it isn't). Firstly, when putting the bottle together, it doesn't work without the blue vent! We tried putting the teat on the bottle without the blue vent part in place and milk leaked from the top of the bottle. The bottles are designed to fit the blue vent part regardless if you feel you need it or not, so make sure all three parts fit together and you shouldn't have a leak. Secondly, I must be the reason why there is a warning on the bottles at a certain oz level “do not fill over this level”. If you overfill the bottles with an extra ounce then the bottle leaks, I can only guess its the extra pressure and heat of the water that makes the bottle leak the milk. Be sure to keep the bottles to the correct ounces and it will be fine. The last thing we found was that the microwave steriliser didn't fit in our small microwave, but it did when we removed the microwave plate – if you have a small microwave like us, then remove the plate and hopefully it will fit perfectly!

To clean the bottles, you have a bottle brush which is perfect for cleaning the bottles, teats and lids. There is also a thin brush for cleaning the vents, which fits perfectly in the vent. So you can be sure that the bottles are perfectly clean.

The teats on the bottles are about an inch long and a rounded smooth style, which are great for newborns and copy the human nipple, so babies shouldn't have a problem going from breast to bottle. Isla did struggle with the bottle when she was first born and I expressed some milk, because she was just too small, but as soon as she got a few llbs under her belt she used the bottle perfectly.

One of my friends borrowed a bottle for her son, who had been breastfed for over 6 months and was struggling to get him to take a bottle. The Dr Browns bottles were the only ones that he would use, out of the ones she tried! So the babies are speaking for themselves.

MummyConstant Bottle Summary

Sterilising: Put in the microwave steriliser, ping for required time and hey presto. 5/6 minutes to sterilise a few bottles. Overall a efficient process and quick, which is great for us busy mums.

Cleaning: Take apart and use bottle brushes to scrub the bottle in warm soapy water. I spent a little more time cleaning these bottles, as there are more parts and you want to make sure the vents are clean. But I am literally talking minutes more, so it wasn't inconvenient.

Useage: A smooth bottle and a good shape to hold the bottle to your babies mouth and the teat is a good, smooth shape for young babies. The milk flows out at a good rate to feed your starving baby as quickly as possible.

Things to look out for: Do not overfill the bottles. Always use the blue vent, even if baby isn't showing signs of colic any more. If you have a small microwave, remove the plate and the steriliser should fit ok!

You can read more about the bottles on the website http://www.drbrowns.co.uk/index.php. You can follow Dr Browns on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DrBrownsUK and like them on Facebook: http://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Dr-Browns-Natural-Flow-UK/277730807365.

If you would like to buy any Dr Browns products, please visit the breastpumps website: http://www.breastpumps.co.uk/acatalog/Dr_Brown_Feeding_System.html.

What do you think?

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1 Comment
  • mymillsbaby
    Monday, September 24, 2012

    Dr Browns are awesome. We tried them all but there’s none better x