born free bottles

[Anonymous]

Has anyone used the born free bottles? I want chemical free bottles, but get confused about which ones are truly chemical free. Are the playtex drop ins & medella bottles also free (I have the pump in style pump & wondering if these bottles would be best). I'm a first time mom & all these decisions get confusing!

[Anonymous]

The Medela bottles are BPA-free. We had the Avent bottles, but then I got scared after the news stories about BPA. We switched to the Avent VIA system, which uses the Avent nipple (which is great), but has a disposable bottom that is BPA-free. The box says the disposables are good for three uses, but we found if we put in the dishwasher or handwashed, they are good for a really long time (only thrown away 2 of them in 6 months). If you are breastfeeding, too, you should really think about a wider nipple. Smaller nipples can inhibit a strong latch. We nearly exclusively breastfed for the first two months and then did bottles with expressed milk after in addition to breastfeeding. I tried the Medela bottles/nipples, but baby DID NOT like them. Too small compared to mommy and the other bottles! If you google BPA-free bottles, you will find a lot of resources.

I believe the Playtex drop-ins are BPA-free. A friend uses them. They are nice, because there is less washing involved, although more trash.

[Anonymous]

You can buy Gerber Clearview - 3 to a pack for $3.99 - at Target and Babies R Us. I have also seen single bottles at Rite Aid. They come in both the 5 and 8 oz sixe and hook right onto my Medala pump so I can pump directly into them. I think it is crazy to spend $10 on a single bottle.

[Anonymous]

The Born Free bottles are BPA-free. We like them, but they do have a lot of parts to wash, and they are expensive. (Purchased at Whole Foods).

[Anonymous]

I found this blog with Top Picks, Proceed with Caution and Brands to Avoid.

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/11/z-report-bisphenol-in-baby-bottles-and.html

This older entry has lists of which particular bottles from each brand is safe/unsafe. But doesn't inlcude all the brands in the more recent entry.
http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2007/07/z-report-bisphenol-in-polycarbonate.html

From Baby Bargains:
http://baby411.typepad.com/babybargains/2007/08/consumer-alert-.html
Here are the alternatives that are BPA-free:

• Use glass bottles. Obviously, there is a risk of injury to baby or mom if the bottle is dropped, so glass isn’t a perfect alternative.

• Use bottles made of opaque plastic. These bottles (made of polyethylene or polypropylene) do not contain BPA.

• Consider a BPA-free plastic bottle. Born Free makes a BPA-free clear plastic bottle (Newbornfree.com) sold at Whole Foods. But these cost about $10 each, twice the price of Avent bottles.

• Use a drop-in system. For example the Playtex Drop-in System is BPA free (that is, the bottle liners do not contain BPA). Avent’s Tempo liners are another example.

and
Q. Is there a way to tell if a bottle has BPA?

A. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy. Here’s a general guide:

BAD:
• Bottles that have a #7 on their recycling label most likely are made of polycarbonate (and contain BPA).

GOOD:
• Bottles that have a #2, #4 , #5 are made of polyethylene or polypropylene—these do NOT have BPA.