Really starting to worry

Is anyone using the regular Dr. Brown's? We are still on the 4 oz. size and they
do not offer a BPA free version. We did purchase two glass bottles, size 3.5 oz.,
but those will only last for another couple of weeks or so.

We planned on buying the BPA free bottles in the 8 oz. size. I read on Babies R Us
reviews that some people say these have a weird odor to them. Anyone else
experience that?

We would be open to trying a different bottle, but have been using the Dr. Brown's in
hopes that it is truly helping with their reflux issues. Now that they are on medicine
I wonder if the Playtex Drop Ins would be fine (we have a ton of those).

I'm seriously worried if we've done any damage to the girls by feeding them with the
Dr. Browns. It's only been four weeks, but still!

 

i am confused--what is BRA free. I use dr browns with my 3 month old twins--please enlighten me

april

 

Here is some info on BPA from the FY Handbook Sticky.

And to the OP: I never noticed a smell and I used the original Dr. B's for an entire year of feedings.

 

Well, I used the bottles 4 yrs ago....so no help. But my boys are ok

 

My sister has been using BPA free Dr. browns bottles with her son since he was born in May. she has never mentioned anything about a weird smell.

 

Are Dr. Browns nipples/rings/parts not a standard size? We switched to the evenflo bpa-free bottles ($3 for 3 8-oz bottles) and use the same rings and nipples from our other bottles. I know Dr. Browns has a lot of parts so this may not be possible.

 

I have the BPA free ones. I do not notice any weird odor. You can use the BPA free ones now, they just go up to 8 oz. I started using them when my girls still only took 4 oz.

You've only been using the regular for a few weeks- don't worry. I used regular bottles for a couple months, and I really didn't want to.

 

You can purchase the cheap BPA-free Gerber Clear View plastic bottles (available in many grocery stores, Walmart, Walgreens) and use the Dr. Browns inside parts -- which contain no BPA. You have to match up the 4 oz Dr. Browns insides with the 8 oz Gerber bottle because the inside part of the Dr. Browns is longer than the short Gerber bottle, but this worked wonderfully for me for the entire time my girls were on bottles. Plus, after having invested a decent amount of money in Dr. Browns bottles, all I spent was $12 and I got 12 Gerber bottles.

Please consider this rather than spend all the money on the new Dr. Browns bottles.

 

I use regular Dr. Brown's bottles for my twins and intend on keep using them with my next one. I notice no odor. I am not terribly worried about the bpa but I've always handwashed them and the parts and they don't get heated in the microwave.

 

QUOTE(jillangel @ Jul 31 2008, 01:04 PM) [snapback]906876[/snapback]
I use regular Dr. Brown's bottles for my twins and intend on keep using them with my next one. I notice no odor. I am not terribly worried about the bpa but I've always handwashed them and the parts and they don't get heated in the microwave.

Same story here.

 

QUOTE(idril @ Jul 31 2008, 01:56 PM) [snapback]906743[/snapback]
You can purchase the cheap BPA-free Gerber Clear View plastic bottles (available in many grocery stores, Walmart, Walgreens) and use the Dr. Browns inside parts -- which contain no BPA. You have to match up the 4 oz Dr. Browns insides with the 8 oz Gerber bottle because the inside part of the Dr. Browns is longer than the short Gerber bottle, but this worked wonderfully for me for the entire time my girls were on bottles. Plus, after having invested a decent amount of money in Dr. Browns bottles, all I spent was $12 and I got 12 Gerber bottles.

Please consider this rather than spend all the money on the new Dr. Browns bottles.



We have the widenecked Dr. Browns bottles. Does Gerber offer this style as well?

 

I noticed a smell both in the Dr. Brown's and the Born Free bottles when we would boil them to sterlize them. I was nervous about the smell so we went back to Playtex Drop-ins (what we used for DS1). However I don't know what kind of plastic the drop-ins are made of.

 

QUOTE(pamallhoney @ Jul 31 2008, 03:32 PM) [snapback]906941[/snapback]
I noticed a smell both in the Dr. Brown's and the Born Free bottles when we would boil them to sterlize them. I was nervous about the smell so we went back to Playtex Drop-ins (what we used for DS1). However I don't know what kind of plastic the drop-ins are made of.


Platex posts on their website that dropins are BPA free.

 

The child I babysit uses Dr Brown's, his mom exchanged all of her bottles for the BPA ones and besides the color being a little different and them labeled for 9 ounces instead of 8, I don't notice anything different. I have not noticed an odor at all.

 

We used Dr Browns regular the entire time my kids took bottles (1 year) ... i think it's a whole lotta drama about nothing, and I wouldn't even switch.

 

QUOTE(caba @ Jul 31 2008, 07:24 PM) [snapback]907325[/snapback]
We used Dr Browns regular the entire time my kids took bottles (1 year) ... i think it's a whole lotta drama about nothing, and I wouldn't even switch.



Well I'm glad someone else feels this way. I'm sticking with the bottles I already had and felt a little guilty because everyone is making such a big deal about it. But I figure people have been using them for years, and their babies are fine.

 

QUOTE(jennstwins @ Jul 31 2008, 08:56 PM) [snapback]907496[/snapback]
Well I'm glad someone else feels this way. I'm sticking with the bottles I already had and felt a little guilty because everyone is making such a big deal about it. But I figure people have been using them for years, and their babies are fine.


I think this is being over-hyped. We used regular Dr. Brown bottles for the first year (and we still do for the 2 bottles they take a day). BPA is also used in the plastic linings of formula cans and other food packages. It's also found in water bottes, etc. You've likely been exposed to BPA throughout your life, and if you're formula-feeding, your LOs are already getting exposed.

Have you read the research and the FDA's statement of BPA? http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bpa.html

ETA: I also ran mine through the dishwasher (top rack) every day.

 

QUOTE(jennstwins @ Jul 31 2008, 09:56 PM) [snapback]907496[/snapback]
Well I'm glad someone else feels this way. I'm sticking with the bottles I already had and felt a little guilty because everyone is making such a big deal about it. But I figure people have been using them for years, and their babies are fine.


That's what I thought too! I just brushed it off, like every other scare on everything out there! But, then all of these posts started coming up about unsafe bottles and I thought, am I being stupid and is this something I really should be concerned about.

Thanks for all the replies and advice!

 

I think it is probably a whole lot of hype about nothing, but since BRU was doing an essentially free exchange program, I thought why not, and why risk it? We use the 8oz BPA free Dr. Browns (and started when the kiddos were taking 4oz because the smaller ones leaked a little when filled them all the way to 4oz). I noticed a smell when we first got them, but after a first washing and sterlizing I haven't smelled anything since.

 

Used the regular ones with the boys and I'll be using the same bottles this time around(and I mean...the same ones...I save them). I handwashed all my bottles and only microwave sterilized prior to the first use, so I'm not too concerned about.

 

I use regular Dr. Browns. I just don't heat them up. My girls are fine.

 

I asked my pedi about this, as I use the Avent bottles. I trust my pedi INHERENTLY, so take this FWIW. She said that in everything she's read, she's not been too overly concerned with the BPA issue. She told me that she didn't recommend heating the bottles in the microwave or putting them in the dishwasher (basically exposing them to high heat), but that I'd be fine just washing them with soap and hot water. She told me I could use the Avent microwave sterilizer every now and then for the nipples, but that's really all that was necessary.

Again, this is just what my pedi said. So, FWIW....

 

How do I know if the Dr. Brown's I'm using are BPA free? I just bought them at walmart....over a year ago..don't remember it saying anything one way or the other about it..?

 

QUOTE(2BUSYGs @ Aug 2 2008, 08:00 AM) [snapback]909781[/snapback]
How do I know if the Dr. Brown's I'm using are BPA free? I just bought them at walmart....over a year ago..don't remember it saying anything one way or the other about it..?


It will say on the box, but the BPA free ones are not clear(they are a more "milky" color), and the ones w/ bpa are clear.

eta: if you bought them a year ago they have bpa in them. Dr. Brown's just started making bpa free bottles and started selling them in April/Mayish.

 

It is only a concern (apparently) if you heat the bottles that is when the toxins are "released" into the liquid. We heat ours in the microwave in a ceramic mug then pour the water but we only get it to room temp (our fridge water is cold) and that way it doesn't involve any heat with the bottles. I think it is great these companies are exchanging out bottles for BPA free but I too agree it is a bunch of hype about nothing.

To the OP, the playtex drop ins are suppose to be the most helpful with gas/reflux. We use the soothies bottles, I don't notice air bubbles in those at all.

ETA: Oh yeah, the BPA isn't just in the bottles we use, but most plastics that food is stored in (even the liquid formula bottles have it) so it is everywhere!

 

QUOTE(caba @ Aug 1 2008, 12:24 AM) [snapback]907325[/snapback]
We used Dr Browns regular the entire time my kids took bottles (1 year) ... i think it's a whole lotta drama about nothing, and I wouldn't even switch.



Ditto! We started with VentFlos, but Carlie had bad gas so we went w/ Dr. Brown's. I didn't switch either. I didn't feel the need to.