To measure your nipple size, simply use a ruler or measuring tape and measure the distance in centimeters, straight across the middle of your nipple at the base. Be careful NOT to include your areola. Add 4 mm to your measurement and that’s your final nipple size. Make sure to discuss sizing and shield needs with your lactation consultant before measuring.

How to apply Dr. Brown’s Nipple Shield

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• For short trips: Use the included travel disk and keep the bottle upright.
• For longer trips: Remove the parts, collar, and nipple from the bottle and screw on a travel cap.
• For air travel: Changes in pressurization can affect the internal vent system and cause bottle contents to leak. Remove the parts, collar, and nipple before taking off and screw on a travel cap. Once the cabin is pressurized, you can put everything back together.

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Then, we made Options even better. In 2019, we introduced Options+ for both our Narrow and Wide-Neck bottles.

Here’s what changed:

• Enhanced internal vent system
• New breast-like Wide-Neck nipple
• Improved collar and cap

Read more about the improved Options+

How to update from Options to Options+

Narrow Bottle Update: The bottle vessel and nipples for both Narrow Options and Options+ are the same. You can purchase a Narrow 8oz/250 ml Options+ Conversion Kit and keep your current Options bottle vessels and nipples as long as they are in good condition. For 4oz/120 ml replacement kits, please contact customer service.

Wide-Neck Bottle Update: The bottle vessel for the Wide-Neck Options and Options+ is the same. You can purchase a Wide-Neck 9 oz/270 ml Options+ Conversion Kit and new Wide-Neck Nipples and keep your current Options bottle vessel. For 5 oz/150 ml conversion kits, please contact customer service.

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• Wash the bottle, all the parts and – for the first use only – boil the nipple for five minutes.

Everyday cleaning:

• Wash all parts in hot water and gentle detergent.
• Use the included Cleaning Brush to clean the holes in the vent insert and the straw-like tube in the vent reservoir.
• Wash the bottle and nipple using a non-scratch sponge or Bottle Brush.
• Let everything fully dry before storing in a clean place.
• Bottle, parts, and nipple are dishwasher (top rack) safe, but ensure you clean small areas in the internal vent system prior to putting in the dishwasher to avoid mold build-up.

Watch a how-to video on cleaning your bottles

Sterilizing

• The Centers for Disease Control states that, “Sanitizing is particularly important when your baby is younger than 3 months, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system.” In those cases, sterilizing at least one daily is recommended.
• For older, healthy babies, it may not be necessary if the bottle and parts are carefully cleaned after each use. We recommend sterilizing in these situations:
  • Sterilize before the first use of the bottle after purchase
  • Sterilize after traveling with the bottle
  • Sterilize if milk or formula has been inside at room temperature beyond the recommended time period
  • Sterilize if it comes in contact with contaminated surfaces or floors
  • Sterilize daily when baby is sick with the flu or other viral or bacterial infections

Read More About Sterilizing Your Bottles

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Quick Tips to Brushing

• You can start as early as day one with Dr. Brown’s Tooth and Gum Wipes
• Baby doesn’t have to have fully erupted teeth to start brushing
• You only need rice-grain size of toothpaste
• You can start using fluoride-free natural baby toothpaste as soon as 6 months
• The sooner you start them on an oral care regimen, the easier it will be to teach them independent brushing as they grow.
• Flossing may start around 12 – 18 months, or when tooth crowding happens as a result of their teeth coming in.

Read more tips for brushing your little one’s teeth, broken down by age group, from newborn to 18+ months: Oral Care for Babies and Toddlers

Check out the 4 stages to brushing your baby’s teeth, from newborn to 18+ months: Baby Steps to Oral Health Infographic

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• Wash Well: Use hot, soapy water to clean all bottle parts – and your hands – before mixing.
• Follow the Maker: Formula makers have different mixing guidelines, so check the instructions if and when you change formulas.
• Measure Precisely: Too much powder might cause an upset tummy for baby.
• Check for Clumps: Eyeball the formula after mixing to look for clumps. They can get stuck in the bottle nipple, causing frustration for both you and your little one.
• Mark the Time: Mixed formula stays good for two hours at room temperature or for 24 hours if refrigerated.

Stir, Shake, or Swirl?

We recommend gently stirring formula to help minimize air bubbles and pressure build-up. If you shake, remove the parts and use a travel cap before shaking, otherwise your bottles can leak.

Read more about preparing formula

How to warm bottles

Some babies prefer their bottle warmed up before eating. A warm bottle before bed can also help put baby to sleep.

There are three ways to warm a bottle:

• On the stove
• Under the faucet
• In a bottle warmer

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends never using a microwave to warm bottles. It heats unevenly, creating hot spots that may burn baby’s mouth. It may also change the composition of breast milk.

Read how to warm on the stove or under the faucet

Quick Tips to Using a Bottle Warmer with Dr. Brown’s Bottles

• Be sure your bottles will fit your bottle warmer of choice.
• Remove the internal vent system while warming to prevent pressure build up and leaks. If you keep the collar and nipple on, slightly loosen the collar.
• Use distilled water to help prevent scaling that happens naturally in bottle warmers

The post How to prepare your bottles for feeding appeared first on Dr. Brown's.

• Both types of bottles have the same internal vent system that improves feeding experiences
• Both offer the same consistent nipple flow levels, from Ultra-Preemie to Y-Cut.

There is no wrong choice for bottles; it just comes down to baby’s latch.

Standard/narrow bottles

When you see bottles called “standard” or “narrow” it is the same kind of bottle. These are thinner bottle vessels that feature narrow nipples. Some babies like these bottles because it allows them to engage the entire nipple when latching. Dr. Brown’s Narrow bottles are the most recommended bottle by pediatricians and are often used in NICUs and hospitals for babies with feeding difficulties.

Wide-Neck (wide-mouth) bottles

Wide-neck bottles are also called wide-mouth bottles because they offer a wider, sloped nipple that is shaped like a breast. This makes them great for breastfed babies and babies with a wider latch. Dr. Brown’s Options+ Wide-Neck Bottle, in particular, has a 93% acceptance rate among babies.

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Baby’s digestive system is usually the last system to fully develop, so it’s important to use the internal vent system until you see improved feeding habits. Here are some signs of improved feeding habits:

• They are able to sit up on their own
• They have begun some solid food
• They are not showing signs of colic, gassiness, or reflux

Make sure to speak with your pediatrician before making any changes to your baby’s feeding.

Venting without the Vent System

Dr. Brown’s bottles feature a vent in the nipple that allows for venting even when the internal vent system is not being used. It works much like other nipple-vented bottles; air is allowed to escape through the nipple vent and prevent pressure build-up, helping avoid nipple collapse

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1. Use distilled water in your sterilizer. Any other type of water, such as tap, bottled, and even filtered, may contain deposits in it that can build up around the heating element and result in a shorter product life.
2. Descale the sterilizer for optimal use. If you have hard water, residual build-up on the heating element may occur. You can descale the heating element by mixing 1 oz of white vinegar and 2 oz of water and pouring it directly over the heating element. Turn the unit on, run until the mixture has evaporated and any scaling has been removed. Unplug it and rinse the chamber and removable water reservoir with clean water.
3. Ensure items are clean before sterilizing. Sometimes bottles, parts, and other items can have left-over food stuck on them. Ensure the items to be sterilized are clean and empty before putting them in the sterilizer.

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Most bottles offer various nipple levels that are tied to an age range (for example, 3 months+), but every infant has their own feeding style that is not necessarily a reflection of their age or size.

A majority of Dr. Brown’s bottles come with a Level 1 Nipple, which is a slow-flow nipple for newborn babies and older. That level may be too fast or too slow for your baby and you may need to adjust. It’s also common for baby to graduate to a faster flow as their feeding develops. There is no “right” time to change your baby’s nipple level. They’ll offer signs that the flow is too fast or slow for them.

Signs that the nipple level is too slow:

• Baby is taking longer to finish eating
• They become fussy or irritated while eating
• They fall asleep during feeding

Signs that the nipple flow is too fast:

• Gulping
• Hard swallowing
• Coughing
• Choking
• Milk dripping from the mouth
• Refusing the bottle

Learn more about choosing the right nipple levels

How to clean bottle nipples

Dr. Brown’s Bottle Brush is designed to clean the inside and outside of Dr. Brown’s Nipples. Using the chevron tip at the bottom of the Bottle Brush, clean inside the nipple with hot, soapy water. Use the sponge to clean the outside of the nipple, focusing on the area baby latches to ensure no left-over milk is in the nipple hole. Our bottle nipples are also dishwasher safe (top rack only).

When to replace bottle nipples

Over time, bottles nipples can take a beating. We recommend checking your bottle nipples every two to three months for signs it needs to be replaced. Those signs include:

• Liquid is coming out of the hole faster
• Discoloration
• Residue that does not come off during a wash
• Torn or nicked nipples

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