My son Jack has been fed exclusively by bottle since he was born in October.
Using bottles has allowed my husband and two older children to help feed and enjoy their own bonding time with Jack, and give me more time to get other things done like prepare breakfast and dinner. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience for our family.
Since Jack is my third child, I had many bottles at my disposal when it was time to feed him. These bottles, though, were standard and came in either small or large size with one type of nipple that comes in slow or medium flow.
After being given the chance to review the new Playtex Nipple Variety Pack I realized how much more sense it makes to be able to choose the type of nipple that suits your baby best. With my other two children I was told that if your baby didn’t latch to the nipple you were using, you needed to switch bottle brands, abandoning your entire bottle system as it would not be compatible with the new one.
With this new system Playtex has created, that is no longer the case!
The Playtex Nipple Variety Pack comes with four different types of nipples in a range of shapes, sizes and textures to fit your baby’s feeding style: Breastlike shape — designed to mimic the breast, Fullsized — designed for wider mouths, NaturaLatch — designed to be most like mother and Angled — designed for upright feeding. The Variety Pack comes in slow or medium flow.
Jack took to the Breastlike shape, NaturaLatch, and Angled nipples seamlessly, not even stopping or acting like there was something strange going on. The Fullsized nipple seemed too big and too much work for Jack to drink from. I ended up switching nipples after Jack became very frustrated. The Angled nipple was Jack’s favourite, he latched to it right away and finished 6 ounces in 15 minutes, and that was with the slow flow! He was able to sit upright, digesting his milk easily, without straining his neck awkwardly while drinking from the Angled nipple. He did not seem to have a lot of gas after I used the Angled nipple and burped easily when done his bottle.
After the Angled nipple, Jack liked the Breastlike shape and NaturaLatch nipples equally. I did not notice a difference in the way Jack took to each of these. As these two nipples are most like a mother’s breast, I think they would be best for someone who was both breast and bottle feeding, preventing the baby from being confused between the two. I introduced the different nipples from the Variety Pack in between feeds where I used my old type of bottle/nipple. Jack never seemed confused or upset by the switching of bottles and nipples and seemed very comfortable drinking from the Variety Pack.
The Playtex Nipple Variety Pack is designed to work with the Playtex Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners and Playtex VentAire bottles, allowing you to also choose the type of bottle that works for you and your baby. Great idea!
I had never used a drop-in liner with a bottle before and boy is it convenient! Throwing the liner away after each use eliminates the need to clean the inside of the bottle. The bottle ring and nipple still need to be cleaned however. This type of bottle would be great when travelling and cleaning conditions are limited, such as in an area where the water may not be safe, a hotel room, airplane, or long travel days. My only fear would be running out of liners. The bottle cap for these bottles also attaches to the bottom of the bottle, a lifesaver. I have lost so many bottle caps with my other bottle system after throwing them aside mindlessly when feeding Jack.
The angled position of the Playtex Nurser bottle promotes semi-upright feeding and is said to help reduce ear infections and colic. I loved the disposable liners and was disappointed when I ran out of them and had to go back to cleaning my bottles!
The Playtex VentAire bottles have an angled design that bends slightly to allow your baby to sit up while eating. After using these bottles Jack never spit up or had a lot of gas. The unique venting system is supposed to keep air out of the milk. The design of these bottles makes so much sense, allowing the baby to feed comfortably, I can’t believe I had not seen a bottle like this before.
Both the Playtex Nurser with Drop-Ins Liners and Playtex VentAire bottles are BPA free, have a Twist ‘n click leak proof seal, are easy to clean and come in small and large size.
No two babies are the same, so why should bottles be? I love that Playtex allows you to choose a nipple and bottle that suits your baby. While the Fullsized nipple was not the right fit for Jack it could be the perfect one for another baby. If choosing to feed your baby by bottle, the new Playtex Nipple Variety Pack is definitely the way to go; making feeding time with your baby an enjoyable, stress-free and individual experience, the way it should be!
Every parent knows that no two babies are alike, so we gathered a group of our #YMCCommunity moms and their friends to put the Playtex Nipple Variety Pack and Bottles to the test.
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Playtex.
www.mommyville.ca
© 2014 Energizer. Playtex and other trademarks are owned or licensed by Energizer or its affiliates.
These delicious squares are a combination of blondies and Smarties cookies. Everyone will love them and they freeze very well. Make a batch for your next get together. I under-baked mine, so the centres were extra soft.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8 square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl make sugar cookie mix according to package directions.
Add in Smarties. Using your hands works very well.
Press dough into pan. Flatten top with hands or spatula.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Bake closer to 20 minutes for a softer middle.
Allow to cool for 1 hour before cutting into squares.
I recommend cutting sides off to make nice looking squares. Squares freeze well.
(Makes 16 squares)
Looking for more easy and delicious dessert ideas? Check out my recipes for Lemon-Lime Cream Pie and Coffee Cake Muffins.
Adapted from Sallysbakingaddiction.com
This crustless quiche is a great brunch recipe. You can put whatever vegetables you like in it, prepare it in advance, and have a great hot dish to serve at your brunch that doesn’t take a lot of work. Even better, this crustless quiche is super healthy and has only 5 ingredients (not including the salt and pepper).
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Heat oil in a medium size skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, cook another 3 minutes. Add mixed greens and cook until wilted, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Place eggs in a medium size bowl, add salt and pepper, and mix lightly.
Add vegetable mixture. Egg/vegetable mixture can be placed in the fridge overnight at this point.
Pour egg/vegetable mixture into pie plate sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake in preheated oven 30-40 minutes, or until eggs are set and lightly golden brown on top. If the top of quiche still appears runny, place under the broiler for approximately 2 minutes and watch carefully.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Leftovers reheat well in microwave.
(Serves 5-7 people)
Find more great brunch recipes here: banana cuffins, peach strawberry crumb bars, barley salad, coffee cake muffins, banana chocolate chip cake, homemade granola, blueberry bran muffins, and zucchini chocolate chip muffins.
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