Its in the bag (Avent Disposable Feeding Set)

Member Name: wishywalshy

Product:	Avent Disposable Feeding Set
Date:	06/03/01 (409 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Convenient, always sterile, easy to use

Disadvantages: Costly, sporadic measurements, needs different teats

Bags of success.

An innovative bottle-feeding system allowing convenient storage and use of formula or breast milk.
Comprising of 8oz sterile bags, ah holder and teat this system can be used in conjunction with one of Avents range of breast pumps.
Claiming to reduce colic, the system cost around £4.00 for one holder 40 bags and one teat with holder and cover. Also included are sticky time date labels and snap lock tabs to keep the bag shut.
Originally Cannon Baby safe, the owner decided that there must be an easier and more convenient way of serving babies drinks.
He developed the wide necked bottle under the Avent name just over 10 years ago, and has, since then gone from strength to strength.

What is the point of disposable bottles?
Essentially they are sterile, and highly suitable for busy or lazy mums (Like me, busy I mean LOL!!)
There is no difficulty in cleaning the bottles as like many others on the market, you are guaranteed not to have any residue, which can cause so many upset tummies and disturbed nights sleep.
You simply remove the old bag and insert a new one, add the liquid, pop a clean teat on the top, remove the tabs on the bags (very important to prevent choking, they are perforated for just that reason), and voila, happy baby.
As the neck is wider than traditional bottles, it is easy to make formula up in it, with minimal spillage of powder or water; likewise it is easy to pour ready-made milk into them.
However the markings although clear are in 30ml or 1 oz measurements, so it makes it difficult to accurately assess how much milk you baby has drunk.
They are however, extremely easy to use and very practical.

How many times have you found that bottle that you knew you had lost previously and due to the mankiness just hurled it into the bin?
Well with one of these there is no need, just remove the offending bag and wash the teat thoroughly.

Washing them, is there a spec
ial procedure?
Not at all, there fair well in a dishwasher, and by hand

What about sterilisation of the reusable parts?
They can be steam or chemically sterilized or even boiled. (All with the bag removed.)

What do they look like?
They resemble any other wide necked bottle, only they have a removable base plate with a hole in, and are slightly taller than Avents wide necked bottles.
The bags do make them look strange, but hey that’s not a problem.
They come in either 8oz or 4 oz sizes, and the bags also come in both sizes, though I have yet to see them readily available.

You say that they are good for travelling how is that so?
Instead of carting leaky bottle around and trying to keep teats sterile, the clasp on the bag ensures no leakage, and the screw on bottom to the teat and cap, (which also doubles as a great first drinking cup) keeps it clean and sterile allowing convenient transportation.

And the breast pumps attachments.
There are no special attachments needed, the bottle bag, in the holder is screwed onto the base of the pump and when finished can be kept if needed immediately or within 24 hours, or frozen for up to three months.
It is very important to note, that the frozen bags full of milk must not be defrosted in a microwave, as the nutrients are not only lost, but there is a considerable risk of the bag bursting.
Defrosted milk may appear more yellowy that fresh milk, but do not be concerted about that.
I especially liked the breast pump system as my daughter was premature and was tube fed for a fortnight, allowing freezing of excess milk and safe storage for her, which was always guaranteed to be sterile.
I also really like the way that the bags are capable of taking up very little freezer space and they create their own shape, Ideal for smaller freezers where space is at a premium.

How does it reduce colic?
As the babies sucking motion empty the milk, t
he bag collapses preventing air from invading the bottle and reducing wind for the baby, and stress for the parents.
In practice they are exactly what they claim to be.
There is an added advantage of the vacuum system in use, when the bottle is turned upside-down the milk stays where it is and does not leak out.

Are replacement teats readily available?
This is where the difficulty comes in. As Avent manufactures two different designs of silicone teats it is of vital importance that you buy the correct ones.
There are only slight differences, one is clear, and the disposable system teats are tinted blue. They are minutely different in the way that they are moulded, the blue ones have a flat rim, and the clear ones have a lip that goes downwards, but if you don’t use the right ones for the bottle, the force of suction pulls the teat inwards and your baby ends up covered in milk or whatever else in the bottle.
The teats cost around £2.50 for two for the disposal system. Silicone generally outlasts latex by far, but they do split very easily.

Extra accessories?
Alternatively Avents wide necked bottles have a new addition to their range in the form of variflow teats that have a laser cut slit which allows different speed of milk flow by rotating the teat accordingly.
They have yet to make these for the disposable system, but I do feel that they would be a valuable asset to the now famous company.

There is a sippy cup soft type teat that readily fits onto either bottle system designed for a slightly older baby. Personally I don't like them as there even when used with the disposable system, the hole is too large for the vacuum to work properly and does not prevent milk from spilling out of them.
They cost about £3.00 for 2.
There are also handles available which are sturdy and easy to fit onto either bottle, or practical for tiny hands to hold. These cost about £3.00 for two.

How much do the
replacement bags cost?
This is the question.
Don't fall over when I tell you that they cost £2.50-3.00 for 40 bags, as I mentioned earlier they are convenient, and you do get 40 when you buy the holder and teat, so they are well worth a try.

Where can I buy them?
Most large supermarkets stock a range of Avent products, and Mothercare and Boots range is extensive.

I have happily used this system for 2 children using the same holders, but different teats for them both.
It is worthwhile to note that the teat that you receive with the starter pack is designed for newborn babies, and will need more holes if used for older babies.

Avent also retails a full sterilization system designed primarily for travelling, which includes a seal able box, sterilization tablets, two teats with locking lower teat rings and covers, a bottle holder and two packets of bags, this sells for around £10.

There is a drawback with using this wide neck system however, unless you have a large steriliser, the bottle holders will be too large to fit and will make sterilisation difficult. Many of the more modern steam sterilisers have taken this into account and accommodate them quite nicely.

Bags of success.

Summary: