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I’m often asked about the best bottles for breastfed babies. When it comes down to it, the shape of the bottle’s nipple is the most important factor to consider.
For optimal oral development, look for a long, cylindrical nipple, as this closely mimics the breast during breastfeeding.
We want bottles for breastfed babies to resemble nursing at the breast as much as possible. A symmetrical, cylindrical nipple encourages tongue cupping, which is the natural tongue position babies use when nursing. Look for this nipple shape when choosing the best baby bottle for your infant.
Keep in mind:
Even if your baby is not breastfed, nipple shape still matters for oral motor development.
Price: 4 for $24, $6.00 per bottle Sizes available: 4 and 8 oz. Material: BPA-free plastic, glass option available
The Dr. Brown’s Options+ narrow bottle is one of the best bottles for breastfed babies. It checks all the boxes with its long, narrow, sloped nipple.
The Dr. Brown’s narrow bottle nipple closely mimics the shape of the nipple when babies are actively breastfeeding. This is exactly what we want!
Take note: not all Dr. Brown’s bottles are created equal. We do not recommend the Dr. Brown’s wide-neck bottles, as their nipple shape is different. It has a wide base and a shorter nipple, which does not mimic the shape of the nipple when actively breastfeeding.
I like the Dr. Brown Options + narrow bottles because they allow for better control of milk flow. The venting tubes are optional but can help remove air and reduce burping and gas.
While these bottles come with a Level 1 slow-flow nipple, you may want to consider using Dr. Brown’s preemie flow nipples or transitional nipples if your baby needs a slower flow or was born prematurely. A slower flow supports a more paced feeding that closely resembles breastfeeding. The slower the flow, the less likely baby will develop a bottle preference over breast if a mother desires to go back and forth between breast and bottle feeding.
Keep in mind you can always increase the nipple flow level as your baby grows, but it’s not necessary.
Price: 3 for $18.69, $6.23 per bottle Sizes available: 5 and 8 oz. Material: BPA-free plastic, glass option available
Lansinoh baby bottles also rank among the best bottles for breastfed babies due to their sloped nipple shape. The nipple is designed to make transitioning from breast to bottle and back more seamless.
The silicone nipple is soft and flexible, stretching slightly with each suck. This closely mimics what happens during breastfeeding. This nipple also requires less compression than the Dr. Brown’s Options + narrow bottles. This can make feeding a bit easier for babies who may have difficulty with bottle feeding.
One important thing to consider is nipple flow. When nursing, your baby controls the flow of milk, starting and stopping as needed. When selecting a nipple flow or level, choose a slow-flow option that allows your baby to stay in control.
Lansinoh bottles come standard with a medium-flow nipple. I recommend purchasing extra slow-flow or slow-flow nipples instead, so the milk flow more closely mimics breastfeeding.
Price: 6 for $19, $3.17 per bottle Sizes available: 4 and 9 oz. Material: BPA-free plastic, glass option available
Evenflo Balance bottles have a long, narrow, sloped nipple, making them another great option for breastfed babies. They come in both a standard neck and wide neck option, but the difference is minimal so either option is recommended.
When it comes to nipple flow, these bottles come with a slow-flow nipple, which is the slowest flow Evenflo offers. However, Pigeon nipples are compatible with Evenflo Balance bottles and offer an extra slow-flow option.
Another bonus is how easy these bottles are to pump into. The standard-neck bottles twist onto most breast pumps, making pumping more convenient. Just be sure to follow proper breast milk storage safety guidelines when pumping directly into bottles.
An Infant Bottle Nipple Compatible with Most Baby Bottle Brands
Price: 4 for $23 Compatible Brands: Avent, Evenflo, Lansinoh, MAM
If your current bottle isn’t working well for your baby, you may want to try a different nipple before buying more bottles. Pigeon nipples promote tongue cupping and are compatible with several popular bottle brands.
For example, MAM bottles do not have the preferred nipple shape for optimal latch and oral motor development. Instead of purchasing all new bottles, you can simply use a Pigeon slow-flow nipple with your existing MAM bottles.
These nipples help create a more seamless transition between breast and bottle and are compatible with most Lansinoh, Evenflo, Avent, and MAM bottles.
Other Slow-Flow Baby Bottle Nipples
While a narrow, sloped bottle nipple is recommended, you also want to focus on the flow of the bottle nipple. These are the baby bottle nipples we recommend.
Each bottle system/brand has different ways of identifying flow levels. Some brands are labeled with levels or numbers, and others use descriptor words like slow and fast.
When nursing, your baby regulates the flow of milk, starting and stopping as needed. So when selecting a nipple flow or level, you want to pick a slow flow that allows your baby to be in control of pacing.
Looking for more?
However you feed your baby, you can find our breast and bottle feeding must haves – all approved by a feeding specialist and lactation consultant!
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Most parenting resources come from a single expert's perspective, but development doesn't really work that way.
You can't fully understand feeding without input from both a dietitian and a feeding specialist. You can't properly address milestones without OT, PT, and SLP perspectives working together. That's why every Eat Play Say resource is created collaboratively by our entire team — giving you the most comprehensive guidance possible, all in one place.
MS, SLP
Founder of Eat Play Say, Speech-Language Pathologist, Feeding Specialist, Play Expert, Mom of 2
Jordyn Koveleski Gorman
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and toddler speech-language, play, and feeding development, and curating a team that provides expert help that feels like a reassuring text from that one mom friend
EDUCATION: Jordyn received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Bloomsburg University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “The first true smile, it’s the sweetest!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, oral motor dysfunction, starting solids, infant and toddler speech, treating oral motor disorders
EDUCATION: Jessica received her BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pennsylvania State University in 2015 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University in 2017
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “Baby’s first wave! What a fun first communication gesture!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Breast and bottle feeding, tongue ties, starting solids, infant and toddler speech development
EDUCATION: She received her BS in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2014 and a MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Ball State in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “My favorite baby’s first is their first true smile that just warms your soul knowing they are smiling at you. My other favorite is their first word. I love watching their language explode!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Bilingual development (Spanish-English), supporting multilingual families, infant and toddler speech
EDUCATION: She received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014 and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology with an English-Spanish Specialization from Marquette University in 2016.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: “It’s the first slobbery kisses for me!”
SPECIALIZES IN: Infant and pediatric nutrition including breastfeeding, formula feeding, and starting solids. She also specializes in prenatal and postpartum nutrition.
EDUCATION: She received her BSc in Biology in 2014 from Life University, and her BSc in Dietetics from Life University in 2019.
FAVE PARENTING FIRST: ”The first time they say ‘mama!’”
This checklist was created with input from a Speech-Language Pathologist, Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist and has been downloaded over 20,000 times by parents worldwide. Learn the important milestones to pay attention to, and keep it in your digital back pocket during the baby + toddler years!
Comprehensive Milestone Checklist for gross motor, fine motor, and speech-language milestones for 0-36 months,