How To Pick A Bottle; What To Do If Baby Doesn’t Like It?

When choosing a bottle for your baby, look first at the nipple flow rate and shape — these are the aspects that tend to make the biggest difference as to whether your baby accepts it. If baby rejects the bottle, switch the nipple shape, flow, who’s feeding the baby, and if all else fails, the bottle. 

In this article, we’ll dive into what matters when choosing a bottle and give you tips as to what to do if your baby is refusing it. 

Table of Contents

• What Actually Matters When Choosing a Bottle
• Bottle Materials: Glass vs. Plastic vs. Silicone
• What to do if Baby Refuses the Bottle

TLDR

Choose a bottle based on nipple flow rate and shape first - these matter more than brand or material (all bottles must be BPA free in the US). If baby refuses a bottle, work through the fix in order: try a different flow rate or nipple shape, try a different person offering it, and only then try a different bottle entirely. Material (glass, plastic, silicone) is a secondary decision that comes down to weight, durability and cleanup preference.

What Actually Matters When Choosing a Bottle

Babies are notoriously picky when it comes to baby bottles. For the best chance of getting it right, first look at the nipple flow rate as well as the shape of the nipple. 

Nipple Flow Rate Explained

You’ll notice that bottles are labeled slow-flow, or medium-flow, or fast-flow (or some equivalent of that), but what does that mean exactly? 

Nipple flow rate is basically how fast liquid comes out of the bottle during feeding, determined by the number and size of the holes in the nipple. Bottles are typically labeled by stage - newborn or slow flow, medium flow, fast flow – rather than an exact number, and the right flow scales with your baby’s age and feeding ability rather than the type of milk you’re using. 

One thing worth knowing before you buy: flow rate isn’t standardized between brands, so a “slow flow” nipple from one brand may not match another’s exactly. If you switch brands, it’s worth watching for the same signs of a flow mismatch even if the label says the same stage.

Signs the flow is wrong include:

• Too fast: choking, gagging, milk leaking from the sides of baby’s mouth, gulping

• Too slow: frustration, falling asleep mid-feed, taking an unusually long time to finish a bottle

Breastfed babies sometimes do better with a slower flow than the box suggests, even past the newborn stage -- since bottle flow can feel very different from the pace of nursing. This is often the first thing worth adjusting if a breastfed baby is resisting the bottle.

Nipple Shape & Breast to Bottle Transition

Nipple shape is the second big factor after flow rate, and it matters most if you’re moving between breast and bottle. Two shapes cover most of what’s on the market:

• Wide-base nipples: These are shaped to mimic a natural latch more closely, which can make the switch smoother for breastfed babies who are used to a wider mouth position. These tend to be the default recommendation for combination feeding.

• Narrow/traditional nipples: These are shaped closer to standard bottle nipples of the past - often what a baby who’s never breastfed or who transitioned early, will take without any adjustment period. 

Neither shape is universally “better” per se: Some breastfed babies take a narrow nipple just fine, and some take a while to accept even a wide-base one. If you’re troubleshooting a bottle refusal and flow rate isn’t the issue, shape is the next thing to look at before switching brands entirely. See Breastfeeding vs. Bottle Feeding for a fuller picture on setting up a combination feeding routine.

Bottle Materials: Glass vs. Silicone

Material is another decision you’re going to make in choosing a bottle, although this is secondary compared to flow rate and nipple shape. The material affects daily practicality - weight, durability and cleanup. 

Glass is the most durable against wear and tear and doesn’t hold odors or stains the way plastic can over time. However, a glass bottle is heavier and breakable, which matters if you’re handling multiple bottles one-handed during night feeds or traveling often.

Silicone bottles are lighter than glass and flexible enough to be forgiving if dropped, though these are the priciest of the three. 

It's part of why our own bottle picks below lean silicone - it's the material that best balances weight, durability and everyday practicality for most families.

What to Do If Baby Refuses the Bottle

If baby refuses the bottle, first look to the nipple flow rate and the nipple shape. It may just be that they need a slower or faster flow nipple, or would prefer a wide or narrow shape. If you can find an alternate nipple that fits the bill you've found your match. 

It also could be the person feeding the baby. Sometimes babies will go on strike from being bottle fed by the person who breastfed them. To test if this is the case, see if someone else has better luck. 

Your last option is to change up the bottle. Don’t buy too many of any one bottle until you know that they like it.

Best Bottles with Babesta

At the end of the day, you need to find the best bottle that your baby will take at mealtime -- but as we covered above, material matters too. 

Babesta sells some of the best rated bottles out there, and our picks  (Boon, Comotomo, Mimijumi, Elhee, and a.kobee) are all BPA-free silicone, striking the right balance between being lightweight and durable. 

Once you've found the right bottle, round out the rest of your feeding station with our Feeding Station Checklist.

You don’t have to lose your cool shopping the baby & kids market. Shop Babesta.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my baby refuse the bottle?

It tends to be a flow rate or nipple shape mismatch rather than a problem with the bottle brand. Babies can also refuse based on who’s offering it, especially if it’s the breastfeeding parent.

What flow rate bottle should a newborn use? 

Newborns typically start with a slow-flow nipple which mimics the slower pace of breastfeeding and helps prevent choking or overfeeding.

Is a wide-neck bottle better for breastfed babies?

Often, yes - wide-neck nipples are shaped to feel closer to a natural latch which can make the switch between breast and bottle smoother for some babies.

How long should I try before switching bottles?

Give it several attempts across a few days before switching - trying a different flow rate or a different person offering the bottle often works better than jumping straight into a new brand.