Philips Avent Natural Bottles: Easily Transitioning Between Breast and Bottle

I loved breastfeeding my kids but it was never my plan to do just breastfeeding. I know the benefits of having my kids transition easily between breast and bottle and I think, I know that it was a huge help in making sure that not only was baby happy, but so was I. Enter Philips Avent Natural Bottles.

Once we established a good breastfeeding routine we gently introduced the bottle. We did both pumped breastmilk and formula because with a busy lifestyle we were more concerned about our kids being fed than what and how they were getting it. 

Benefits of Easily Transitioning Between Breast and Bottle

I agree with most specialists that you should start a routine with baby where he/she is breastfed. Bottle feeding is a lot easier on baby and they may totally stop drinking from the boob if you do it too early. That being said if you do it too late you may have a kid who refuses bottles and you will be attached to your LO until they wean. I accepted this challenge and managed to have kids who went easily between boob, bottle and pacifier. The benefits include:

You can breastfeed on you own terms. I loved breastfeeding my kids at night and during the day when the older kids were at school but I found it extremely difficult to do the morning feed when I had to make sure everyone had to get ready to go to school, have breakfast, and out the door. I handed of morning feeds to dad and got to make sure our other children were cared for. This gave me some freedom to make coffee and also gave dad the time to bond with baby.

You can still give pumped breastmilk.  If you are deadset on pumping and only giving breastmilk you can absolutely still do that while giving a bottle. There are no rules on what goes in bottle…actually there are but that’s a whole other post.

You will be able to leave baby to take a nap, a shopping trip, or a much-needed date night. I know you are probably scared to leave the baby with other people as you are the primary caregiver but having your baby accustomed to a bottle will give you the OPTION of leaving and knowing baby will still be fed. Or maybe your kids is like mine and just falls asleep while we are at the grocery store so you let them sleep in the cart. Is it still considered free time if the baby is with you but sleeping?

You can go back to work. I know a lot of people struggle with wanting to do what is best for baby but also need to make a living. If baby can take a bottle you can rest assured that their childcare provider will be able to feed them while you are away. You can pump while at work to keep your supply up. 

Give family members the chance to bond with baby. By the time baby #4 hit our home I was done being overprotective and a helicopter mom. My parenting style is more live and learn and I encourage my kids to try new things as long as they don’t hurt each other. Our oldest kids loved helping out with the babies and they were at an age where they would happily sit on the couch feeding the younger ones while they watched their favourite shows. I think the reason they are so close is because we took a family approach to minding the little kids and they all took part in both the fun stuff and the not so fun stuff (diapers).

Philips Avent Natural Bottle

There are of course lots of ways you can succeed in getting a baby that transitions with ease but I think the bottles you choose make the difference. With our youngest, we found that the Philips Avent Natural Bottles were his favourite. Each baby is different but we found the unique petals on the soft nipples mimicked the breast really well. They didn’t collapse and they forced him to open his mouth wide as if he was on the breast.

They have an advanced anti-colic system that has twin valves that makes sure baby is not sucking on air, just milk. At this point in time my big guy is a pro at holding the bottle but when he was younger we really appreciated the ergonomic design so his little hands could hold it himself. There was a collective sigh of relief in our home when Cy could hold his own bottle. And when he is done we simply take the bottle apart and give the three pieces a quick wash. Ready for next time.

Another thing to note is that the Philips Avent bottles and cups are all compatible together. I know that my little guy has a favourite penguin sippy cup but still loves the Natural Bottle nipple so we mix and match to keep him happy. You can get these bottles in both the 4 oz and 9 oz sizes as well as different colours and decorations. The choice is all yours…until the kids start making all the decisions 😉

Giveaway

 
Philips Avent Bottles Giveaway
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March/April 2017

Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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