Q: Does the Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR baby bottle really work?
A: Yes it does. When babies feed they suck milk or formula from the bottle through the nipple. As the liquid leaves the bottle, air enters in through the vent to take the place of the milk or formula. Our patented internal vent allows the air to enter and directs it to the area above the liquid, keeping the air and the liquid separate. Because there is no vacuum to inhibit the flow of liquid, babies can feed at their own pace. Click here to see how the technology of the Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR baby bottle works.
Q: Why is it good to prevent a vacuum from developing in the bottle?
A: There are two major problems associated with most traditional baby bottles: air and vacuum. Air ingested by babies can cause discomfort, sleepless nights, gas, spit-up, cramps, and other symptoms associated with colic. A vacuum in the bottle can transfer air to a baby's middle ear and can encourage fluid to be drawn in. Traditional and restrictively vented bottles tend to develop vacuums when babies feed from them because babies need to suck progressively harder to get any liquid from them. Babies seal their lips to the nipple when they nurse, but as the vacuum increases they ingest air through a weakened nipple seal. Air enters the bottle through the vent in the nipple and aerates the formula; this air is ingested.
Q: Can the bottle be used to heat formula in the microwave?
A: We do not recommend using a microwave oven to heat the formula, or the bottle. To check the temperature of liquid in the bottle, test the nipple by pulling on the bulb portion, and replace if nipple shows any signs of wear.
Q: What is the difference between the Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR standard baby bottle and the Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR wide neck baby bottle?
A: All the Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR baby bottles share the benefits of the patented internal vent. Many breast-feeding mothers prefer the Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR wide-neck bottle as the nipple has a broader base, which can avoid nipple confusion for the baby. The standard Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR bottle carries the standard bottle nipple.
Q: Is that a straw in the Dr. Brown's baby bottle?
A: No it is not a straw, it is a reservoir tube and it's the part of the vent that allows air to enter the bottles and be directed to the area above the liquid, keeping the air and the liquid separate.
Q: Can I sterilize the Dr. Brown's bottles?
A: Yes, you may put them in a sterilizer or boil them in water.
Q: Will Dr. Brown's bottle connect to breast pumps?
A: Most breast pumps are designed to connect directly to bottles shaped like Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR baby bottle, model numbers 150 (4oz) and 250 (8oz). The Dr. Brown's Natural FlowR wide neck bottle will only attach to breast pumps that have been designed to fit larger neck bottles.
Helpful Hints
What to do in the unlikely case of bottle leakage. When liquid gets into the venting system, it can sometimes leak out around the nipple collar. This can happen three ways.
(1) If you heat your bottle with the nipple collar securely in place, the liquid will be forced up into the vent as it expands. To avoid this, either heat the bottle without the nipple collar or loosen the nipple collar one-half turn after heating to allow the pressure to equalize. Then, re-tighten it before feeding.
(2) If you use powdered formula and mix it by shaking the bottle, liquid can get into the vent. The solution for this is to mix the formula by stirring it with a spoon rather than by shaking.
(3) If you overheat the liquid in the bottle, the vapor will rise and condense in the vent. To prevent this, avoid warming the liquid beyond body temperature.
