Chicco NaturalFit Bottles ~ Review

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Chicco. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.”

If you've been reading this blog at any point over the last few months you'll know that Eleanor is breastfeed and that we've had some bumps in the road.

I do stay home with her so normally I just nurse her; however once in a while it's nice to be able to go grocery shopping alone, or be able to go to an appointment and not need to bring her.  In order to do so I need to be able to leave her with a bottle. 

I've tried most brands and while some have worked, I didn't feel like they were the right ones for her.  The flow was to fast, the nipple would collapse when she sucked, or she would get to much air and wind up gassy.

So when I was given the opportunity to try the Chicco NaturalFit Bottles, I was curious to see how they would stack up.

Honestly, I didn't know Chicco made bottles, but we have other Chicco brand products for Eleanor (the car seat and the keyfit caddy are a few) and we are impressed with them so I had high hopes for the bottles.

The selection I was sent.

The Natural Fit bottles are available in different sizes, and with different nipple flows for different stages of development.   

We tried the 5 oz newborn flow bottle which is designed to be used from birth (stage 1; squeezing).
This bottles has features such as:

• Twin anti-colic valves
• Flexors to improve elasticity
• Ridges to help nipple collapse (and this has been a problem in other brands we've used)
• Angled nipple, which helps keep milk in it reducing air bubbles.
• BPA free

Heating up the milk; fits into a standard size coffee cup.

 

Rob tried to give her the bottle but Eleanor would't drink from it. She would put it in her mouth and try to suck, but would stop and reject the nipple.  I stopped having her take bottles due to my own issues (repeated clog ducts made me nervous to not nurse) and that has become a problem.  

I think I've given her one bottle since she was born (it just doesn't feel 'right' to me), but having her be okay with taking them from me could be useful so I tried myself after Rob had attempted. 

She wouldn't take it from me either.  Rob and I both liked that the bottle was easier to hold because it was wider and he liked the way the nipple was angled.

Rob tried again a few days later.  I didn't get pictures of this attempt because I was distracting her and once I left the room she took the bottle without issues.  Success!  Rob thinks that maybe she forgot how to take one?

The other bottles we received will be useful when she gets a little bigger. Stage 2 are their transitional bottle and are designed for four months and up. 

Stage 3 bottles are designed to encourage proper sucking with an elongated nipple and are recommended from age 6 months and up.

I like that the nipples are designed slightly different for each stage as opposed to just having a different flow.
This is the first time I've seen something like that and because I've learned that a babies latch can change as they get older it makes sense for this to change as well.

All the bottles are available at buybuy BABY for under $10

Chicco also sent a few different pacifiers for us to try.  I've tried almost every variety of pacifier available, and have yet to be successful.  I've tried when she's calm, when she's crying, as a means to help her sleep (instead of comfort nursing), but nothing has worked.

The soft silicone orthodontic pacifiers (bottom right in the picture above) have features such as ventilation holes to allow air flow and prevent saliva build up (and with a super drooly baby this is a plus), a nipple shape to help with proper tongue pressure and other features to help with proper positioning. 

Eleanor would not take these.  I couldn't even get a picture because she wouldn't hold it in her mouth at all.

The deco-orthodontic pacifiers were no different.  Eleanor just doesn't like pacifiers, but I would recommend these anyway.  These ones come in fun designs and patterns, and have the same features as the soft silicone ones.