Avent teats worst on the market - find out what's best! *updated*

**BellyBelly** · July 15th, 2006, 02:18 PM

At the homebirth conference, there was a talk by a very experienced midwife and lactation consultant. She was talking about nipple trauma and went on to discuss comparisons of some bottle teats to nipples, and you could clearly see that Avent are one of the worst on the market with a short teat. There was a photo image comparing teat lengths and you could clearly see how much difference there was to the recommended teats, which were much longer and better simulated to a nipple for adequate sucking. I will have to ask her which ones she does recommend, but I just find it funny that so many best sellers in their categories are not always the best at all! Having used Avent before I was quite shocked!

**DoulaRelle** · July 15th, 2006, 02:36 PM

Kelly, I have used Avent for both of my boys, and am having trouble with the youngest and his fidgeting with the teat. I will be most interested to find out which ones are recommended!

Kirsty77 · July 15th, 2006, 02:52 PM

OMG!! I never would have picked Avent for being one of the worst!! Hmmm Kelly you've got to find out what are among the top ten picks then.

**Beckibee** · July 15th, 2006, 03:34 PM

I only noticed the difference when I bought another brand of teats and put it on the avent bottle. When you put on the lid to the bottle; the teat on the new brand I bought gets squashed and partly bent over because the avent ones aren't as long.

**belgodfrey** · July 15th, 2006, 05:10 PM

aahhh, maybe that's why Josiah fusses sometimes with the bottle...would be interested to hear what the recommended brand is.

Bel

**jaspen** · July 15th, 2006, 05:14 PM

Becka - just wondering whether the teats you fitted in the Avent bottle were the cheap dept store brands - had thought of getting them but weren't sure whether they'd fit and didn't want to waste the $

Sorry for getting off the subject.

***Efjay*** · July 15th, 2006, 05:14 PM

ABA has known about Avent being the worst style of teat on the market for a little while now. I think the bes tis actually the older style ones. you know the type on the cheap bottles you can pick up from junk shops. Just the plain old ordinary narrow long ones.
I alwasy bought these bottles as a cheap EMB storage option but never realised the teats where also a better option. I too used Avent with Evan when he would have EBM. Glenn would take it from anything so I just used what ever was clean & handy, lol.

**Beckibee** · July 15th, 2006, 05:27 PM

Jaspen, I bought the 2-pack (about $5) of the Heinz VitalFlow teats in '3' size which is the fast flow. They have several different styles, but I bought the one with the wide neck as I figured I'd need a wide neck to fit the Avent bottles properly. Most of the brands available in Woolies (home brand & well known brands like Avent, Pidgeon etc) looked like the neck of the teat would be too thin/narrow and it would leak when put in the Avent bottles.

There were some really fancy looking teats available in different shapes but were anywhere from $8 upwards, not something I was prepared to pay when there was a possibility that Maddy either wouldn't like them or they wouldn't fit. Either way, she seems happy with these.

**Lea13** · July 15th, 2006, 05:39 PM

WOW I can't believe that either! I bought the Nuk ones to begin with as I thought it would help prevent nipple confusion for some reason LOL. I figured since it imitated the nipple it would be best. Anyway they weren't...

I now use the Tomee Tipee teats which I have found to be great. I'd love to hear what is recommended though.

**Astrid** · July 15th, 2006, 05:43 PM

I noticed that lactation consultants and MCHN's I have encountered were anti Avent, but they never explained why. I did buy the cheaper bottles as suggested, but I found they were worse for Maggie than the Avent, so I just used them for milk storage.

**jaspen** · July 15th, 2006, 05:51 PM

both my boys have preferred the cheap "orthodontic" shaped ones which I bought just to try with some cheap slim line bottles I'd been using for storage (the double pack of teats cost a whole $1.50 at the time) but have got used to Avent once they were fimiliar with feeding from the odd bottle of EBM and thus I was like FionaJill - used whatever was handy. Initially though they did seem to have a bit of an issue.

ETA - I never knew how much had to do with the shape of the teat or the flow rate though cause they certainly preferred a faster flow rate than Avent bottles tended to come with - the fastest flow or the III on the variable flow was the only one they drink with.

**EllyBoo72** · July 15th, 2006, 06:01 PM

I would have to agree. I have used Avent teats, the wide neck ones, and DS hated them. There were also some teats on the market that were "drip free" which were a bit silly, as you couldnt test the temp of the milk on your arm with them. The only way to do it would be to squeeze the teat with your fingers, which would not be hygenic.
I found the best teats for DS were the PUR brand. Never had a problem with them.

**BellyBelly** · July 15th, 2006, 06:42 PM

Well if you see pictures of a baby breastfeeding and see how far back they take the breast, you will see it's quite far - something a short teat does not emulate. There was a diagram with angles and lengths measures up and there was certainly less length and reduced angles in the Avent. Just passing on what a very experienced and successful lactation consultant displayed (who is also a MCHN in Melbourne - lucky, lucky women in that area!).

**christy** · July 15th, 2006, 06:59 PM

Matilda hated the avent teats & after I went out & bought 2 bottles & teats when I started using EBM I was shocked that she wouldn't take it. Then in my microwave steriliser was a cheapo bottle which I decided to use once to see & she took it perfectly. It doesn't surprise me, but at the time I was dissappointed that I spent $$ on good bottles & teats.

**Coolabahdee** · July 15th, 2006, 07:24 PM

Wow that suprises me. I used the ordinary ones with DD1 and 2 but have used Avent... everything since DD3. I haven't really noticed any difference, Although I found them the best for coliccy babies. Tommee Tippee, I think it is, has a new flexi teat and bottle out two 150ml bottles and teats and covers for $20 in woolies. They are supposed to simulate the breast right down to the flexi teat and the shape of the bottle. I was tempted to buy a pack, but really have heaps of Avent ones at home. hmmmm makes me think.

**Lea13** · July 15th, 2006, 07:30 PM

Kate ~ Thinking more carefully about it - we changed the teats because Em didn't seem to be drinking fast enough. Sometimes taking a bottle over 2 hours whilst other times only taking 15 mins or so. Everyone else theory was that he was sucking so hard that he was cutting off the milk or something... anyway we tried another one which has helped slightly but he still has LONG feeds and just grazes on and off. Just must be him as baby rather then the teats I think!

**Naomi** · July 15th, 2006, 07:51 PM

Avent was the only brand i used with Nick, so that's pretty scary, but with Ryan i used the Tommee Tippee self steralizing ones and i love them

**Tracey** · July 16th, 2006, 07:26 AM

I breastfeed Indah & have expressed from early on with the AVENT pump & then used the bottles, never had any probswith nipple confusion... so I am happy with them... But interesting to read about it!