According to many experts, having the right bottle can make all the difference in reducing gas, colic and spitting up in babies.
Keep on reading to learn how to choose a good feeding bottle and soothe your baby’s fussy tummy.
This article is NOT a substitute for medical advice. It contains affiliate links.
Every parent wants to make sure that their little one is as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, tummy problems such as gas, reflux, and colic are common causes of discomfort, fussiness and extended periods of crying in many infants.
My now 5-year-old daughter was gassy right from the start. She would squirm and cry uncontrollably before and after feeds. My husband and I still recall how tired, stressed, and worried we were in the first months of our baby’s life.
It took me a few experiments with several bottles and teats before I found a bottle that worked for my girl. When I found “the one”, I noticed that Haley’s poor feeding improved, her crying stopped, and we could enjoy more hours of restful sleep at night.
If you’re currently dealing with any of these three baby tummy problems, I totally understand how worried you may be and I’m here to help.
Good baby bottle can help prevent and relieve colic, reflux, and wind in your infant. Best anti-reflux and anti-colic bottles can prevent air bubbles from getting into your little one’s stomach and minimize spitting up.
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Top 7 Baby Bottles That Help To Reduce Gas, Reflux & Colic
If your little bundle of your is experiencing gassiness, reflux or colic, your pediatrician may recommend changing the bottle you’ve been using.
Here are my top picks in 2022 that help to relieve gas, spit-up and colicky belly in infants, as well as prevent their tummies from these pains.
1. Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Options+ Anti-Colic Bottle
This bottle is scientifically proven to preserve nutrients in milk and reduce colic as it has a unique patented anti-colic vent system. The vent system sucks the air out of the breast milk or formula, making Dr. Brown’s bottles the best solution for gassy babies in 2022.
The soft silicone nipple that has a breast-like shape allows your baby to latch naturally, and decreases air ingestion. The nipple is also designed to offer consistent flow so that your little one knows what to expect each time they latch onto it.
This feeding bottle is BPA-free and top-rack dishwasher safe. You can get it in narrow or wide neck options depending on your baby’s latching ability and age.
2. Nanobebe Baby Bottle
Nanobebe bottles have a shape that mimics mom’s breast. This makes them the best bottles for breastfed babies since they eliminate nipple confusion.
This slow-flow feeding bottle also has a 360-degree double venting system that releases air, preventing gas in your baby’s digestive system. Perfect for colicky tummy.
The cute dome shape of this bottle means it’s stackable, saving you valuable storage space. Its concave base also makes it easy to hold in baby’s tiny hands.
The large surface area of Nanobebe bottles ensures your breast milk or formula heats up even up to 2 times faster than in standard bottles. This means your hungry infant will be waiting for the bottle less time.
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Moreover, thanks to this innovative design and faster preparation time, there is higher chances that your breast milk will keep its valuable nutrients (which often get destroyed in traditional bottles because of overheating).
Keep in mind you need to carefully attach the bottom part and check if the bottle is closed securely, otherwise it may leak.
This dishwasher-safe bottle is also easy to clean as it has a few parts that can be easily dissembled.
3. Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle
This baby feeding bottle from Comotomo has two anti-colic vents that keep air away from your baby’s digestive system. Good airflow helps to prevent tummy problems like colic, gas, burping, and spit-up.
The wide breast-shaped nipple lets your baby latch and feed comfortably. That’s why Comotomo is a fantastic bottle for moms who want to make transition from breastfeeding to bottle-feeding easier for their baby.
Cleaning baby bottles can be a hard task with all those tiny parts and curves. But Comotomo simplifies this task by ensuring their bottles have wide necks. You can easily wash it with your hand.
The bottle is also made from a non-toxic silicon material that is easier for you and your baby to grip. The material is soft and squeezy, a bit like mom’s breast. 🙂
It also comes in 5oz and 8oz sizes, with the former having a slow-flow nipple for the first 3 months and the latter having medium-flow nipple for 3-6-month-old infants.
4. Playtex Baby VentAire
The Playtex Baby VentAire Bottles differ a lot from standard baby bottles, because they have a unique angled design. It promotes semi-upright feeding which, according to pediatricians, can minimize colic, reflux and thus also prevent ear infections.
The air-tight bottom vent further ensures only milk and no air gets into your baby’s tummy.
The wide-shaped and textured silicon nipple encourages proper latching and thus promotes healthy feeding.
Another big advantage is that Playtex Baby VentAire bottle is easy to disassemble and clean. Furthermore, this BPA-free bottle comes with an air-tight cap that keeps the nipple clean.
5. Philips Avent Anti-Colic Baby Bottle
This anti-colic bottle from Philips has a unique AirFree vent that prevents air build up in the bottle. As your infant feeds, the valve flexes, allowing the air to flow inside rather than into your baby’s mouth.
The bottle’s nipple has a rounded shape, and a ribbed texture meant to prevent the nipple from collapsing and ensure secure latching. No need for you to have cleaning brushes as this bottle has only four parts and the wide neck ensures there’re no hard-to-reach areas.
Philips also provides six different nipples with this bottle that differ in nipple flow for growing infants and their changing needs and preferences.
6. Tommee Tippee Advanced Anti-Colic Bottle
This anti-colic bottle from Tomme Tippee has a unique venting system that keeps the air away from getting into your baby’s tummy. The star valve in this bottle reduces air bubbles by preventing the milk from traveling up the tube.
Late-night bottle warming was always challenging for me, but this bottle makes it easier thanks to built-in heat sensing straw inside this bottle. It basically shows you when the milk is warm enough for your baby.
The breast-shaped wide nipple encourages your baby to latch on the bottle correctly, leading to fussy-free feeding.
This bottle is 100% free of harmful BPA, and it’s clearly marked on the side for accurate measurements.
7. MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic Bottle
The MAM anti-colic bottle has a vented base that reduces the air your baby swallows. Moreover, it ensures stress-free feeding for babies, because they can drink at their own pace, not too fast, not too slow. And that obviously helps in reducing colic.
The bottom can be unscrewed while the top has a wide opening for easy washing by hand.
The spill-proof lid doubles up as a measuring cup as it has an integrated scale. Besides, it ensures that after washing, the nipple remains clean and free from dust – ready for the next feeding.
The elongated silicon nipple also gives your baby a familiar breast feeling and prevents nipple confusion.
Final Assessment: What Is The Best Anti-Colic Bottle For Gassy Baby In 2022?
After the extensive research I came to the conclusion that the best bottle to reduce colic and gas is the Dr. Drown’s Natural Flow Options+ bottle. It’s an anti-colic bottle with unique venting system designed to reduce the amount of air that baby swallows while feeding. Lots of parents who have been using this bottle agree that Dr. Brown’s bottles really help with gas and colic in infants.
Choosing The Best Bottle To Help Colicky And Gassy Babies – Most Important Features
The right feeding bottle can make all the difference when it comes to gas, colic1, and acid reflux issues.
Various baby bottles have different shape, nipple flow and vent system that are designed to prevent the baby from swallowing air bubble while feeding, and that’s why changing bottles can help with gas.
When I was looking for the proper feeding bottle for my daughter, I had to try out several of them as I didn’t know what features to look out for. This led to a lot of guesswork. To make your job easier, I prepared this guide.
Here are important features to look out for when choosing the perfect bottle for colic, gas, and reflux.
Nipple Flow
One of the best things about breastfeeding is that babies can eat at their own pace. It’s best to find a bottle that allows for the same. We don’t want the baby to drink the milk too fast or too slow.
That’s why a good bottle should have a controlled nipple flow to allow infants to feed at their own pace.
Parents often wonder is a faster or a slower flow teat is better for colic and wind. The truth is that you need to a teat flow that will suit your baby, and that often means experimenting with different nipples.
A faster flow teat can make reflux worse and lead to spit up. It also increases risk of overfeeding which can result in discomfort. When baby is feeding too much, he/she is also swallowing air, which leads to increased gassiness, discomfort in tummy, fussiness and crying.
On the other hand, if the nipple is too slow it also means that your baby sucks in more air than milk. Generally speaking if the baby struggles to get the milk out of the bottle, the air ingestion will be increased which of course means discomfort in the belly.
That’s why it’s so important to choose bottle with the right nipple flow.
You can learn how fast your baby takes the bottle by observing him/her. Bottle feeding, just like breast nursing, should last for about 10-20 minutes. If your baby finishes the bottle in 5 minutes or less, they may need a slower flowing nipple.
Similarly, if it takes 40-60 minutes for one bottle feeding session, it may be time to get a faster-flowing teat that will require less effort from the baby.
Properly chosen anti-colic bottle with the right nipple flow can also help with reflux. It will ensure the baby is not eating too fast (or too slow) which could result in spit-up, as well as not gulping too much air, which could lead to gas and painful colic.
Nipple Shape
When the nipple isn’t the right shape and size, your baby won’t latch properly. This causes air rather than milk to enter your baby’s mouth and tummy which in turn may lead to digestive problems.
As you may have already noticed, most of the bottles have “breast-like shape nipple” but they don’t look the same. In fact they differ a lot in shape and size. That’s because babies have different preferences. And just like moms have different nipples, bottle teats also vary.
It might take some time for you to figure out the right nipple shape for your baby. Pay attention to your baby’s latch and get to known which shape he/she latches onto better.
Nipple Valve
A nipple valve helps to keep air out of the nipple when your baby is drinking from the bottle. This reduces the chances of suffering from tummy discomfort, burping, farting, spit-up, and painful colic.
Bottle Shape
The best feeding bottles are those designed with the breastfeeding experience in mind. If your baby is colicky or gassy, changing bottles can help. For instance, angled-shaped bottles are said to be suitable for colicky babies.
Bottles that are broad in shape are easier to clean compared to narrow bottles. On the other hand, slimmer bottles are easier to grasp therefore they may be more convenient to use for your little one.
Bottle Vent
Some bottles have extra valves that work like straws directing air bubbles away from the milk when the baby is feeding.
According to many experts the best bottles for gas are those equipped with special venting system as they prevent the baby from swallowing air bubbles.
The vent system also allows your baby to feed at their own pace, reducing reflux and spit-up2. While such vents systems are helpful, they also need to be well-cleaned, which might mean extra cleaning on your part.
Tips For Parents – How To Relieve Wind, Infantile Colic & Acid Reflux in Babies
You’ll agree with me that colic, gas, reflux and spitting up are every parent’s nightmare.
Here are a few simple solutions that helped me deal with my babies tummy problems.
- Consulting with a pediatrician (the doctor may prescribe gas drops or probiotics to help relieve gas and pain caused by gas bubbles, as well as recommend changing bottle for the baby; it’s important to see a doctor to rule out other medical conditions)
- Feeding the baby in more upright / semi-upright position (during bottle feeding the baby should not be completely reclined, baby’s head should be above their belly to release the gas.
- Using anti-colic feeding bottles that prevent the baby from swallowing air
- Burping the baby during and after feeds
- Using the right shaped and right flowing nipple (both too slow and too fast flow teat can cause colic)
- Feeding the baby with angled bottles that allow for a more vertical feeding position
- Ensuring that baby’s mouth is latched correctly during a feed
- Maintaining good diet – when breastfeeding, it’s important to watch what you’re eating, it’s best to consult this with your doctor (e.g. excluding caffeine from your diet, reducing eggs, wheat, nuts, cow’s milk and dairy products may help)
- Switching formulas – when supplementing with formula, it’s crucial to check if baby has any intolerance or allergy to any ingredient in the formula that could cause colic. The doctor may recommend parents to change the formula3.
- Rocking – that gentle motion may be soothing for infants and reduce crying
- Learning how to massage baby’s stomach after feeding to encourage gas bubbles to escape and help the baby to burp the air bubbles up or fart them out
- Putting crying baby in a relaxing room with soft lighting to help them relax
- Using warm compresses (warm water bottle wrapped in a cloth) to relax a tense tummy
Sources of pictures:
- Picture of Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Options+ belongs to Dr. Brown’s.
- Picture of Nanobebe bottle belongs to Nanobebe.
- Picture of Comotomo Natural Feel bottle belongs to Comotomo.
- Picture of Playtex Baby VentAire bottle belongs to Playtex Baby.
- Picture of Philips Avent Anti-Colic belongs to Philips Avent.
- Picture of Tommee Tippee Advanced bottle belongs to Tommee Tippee.
- Picture of MAM Easy Start Anti-Colic bottle belongs to MAM.
The purpose of this article is informative. It’s not a substitute for medical consultation or medical care. Remember: safety first! Consult your doctor/pediatrician in case of any doubts. The author of this article does not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here.
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Hello Moms! I am Zooey. I am a wife and a mother of three amazing kids: almost 5-year-old Haley and 2-year-old twins Jesse and Matthew. I am a jogger, cooker and blogger.If you have a question or a comment, do not hesitate to write to me! 🙂
Thank you for this article. I’m currently breastfeeding my 2 month old. She spits up quite a bit and has reflux. She fussed a lot during feedings. I want to switch to bottle feeding breastmilk in hopes to bring her more comfort. Your tips will help me find the right bottle for her.
Hey Zoey
I have a 2month old granddaughter with very bad collie an acid reflux an consolation my daughter law was breast feeding an changing her diet no dairy she also changed the formula specifically for her issue Is recommend the miracle tea an she got a little better than now still the same she is also hungry they have to feed her a lot so the doctor recommended Oatmeal through the bottle I brought her the plaited vent collie reflex bottles which she liked to bottles but they need at the right nipple that the whole as to big she was choking is there any nipple to go wit those bottles where she won’t choke an she still can get the oatmeal to feel fulfilled an hopefully be out of pain so appreciate your help thank you for your time an my name is carol I am not good at email but we are all so desperate to find the right nipple for our sweet girl