Dr Brown's Natural Flow® bottle

Conduct an internet search for 'anti-colic' bottles and one name you'll find time and time again is Dr Brown's. Designed by a physician,these bottles originate in the US and are proclaimed by many mums to have been the answer to their baby's colic problems. On such good references, and after Lily decided to reject the anti-colic Tommy Tippee bottles, I decided to give Dr Brown's a go. Like the Tommy Tippee bottles, these come with an interior vent designed to eliminate air bubbles (although Dr Brown's one is apparently patented so its is unique) and thus reduce problems like colic.

The bottles were an instant hit with Lily. She immediately took to them, drinking her milk in record time! As her milk intake has increased we have moved onto the next level of teat which allows for the milk to flow faster. When Lily is hungry she really wants her milk!!

The main complaint I have seen levelled against Dr Brown's bottles is that some mums find having to build a bottle prior to a feed somewhat annoying. Personally I don't agree. At the end of the day it is only a case of attaching the inner vent to a little wheel (the wheel secures the vent into the rim of the bottle so that it stays in place during the feed) and then the teat to its holder. Not exactly rocket science! Okay so there is a bit more washing up and it does mean getting into all the various components nooks and crannies but you soon get used to it. It's a small price to pay if it means your baby is less distressed with colic surely.

The only thing I would say of not only Dr Brown's bottles but indeed all so-called anti-colic bottles – to seems that most baby bottle manufacturers have brought out their own version – is that calling them anti-colic is a little far fetched. While I am sure these bottles do help Lily with her colic, they haven't been a cure. There are still days when she suffers despite using the special bottles and following health visitor advised routines of sitting her more upright during and after a feed and giving her breaks for burping. As some mums who have had colicky babies have said, sometimes it's just a case of a child growing out of colic. That said, anything that helps lessen the problem has got to be a good thing.