Is It Me, or Are Avent Bottles Garbage?!?

I had the same problem. I called the company and they said that since it is a new seal system you must out it together very specific. First, wet the nipple then put the nipple through the ring then wet the nipple where it will seal on the bottle. That does seem to work. Good Luck.

Hi there-besides not making it too tight, I also read on the Avent website to put the nipples on while they are wet so right after you wash them, put the nipple on the white part and the seal is tighter. Glad it's working! I also recommend putting them in the dishwasher-they seem to work better for me after few washes.

I used the Avent bottles and had the same problem, but learned that I was screwing on the top too tight. If you screw the top on too tight or too lose, they will leak. You need to screw them on until you feel resistance. You can go to the Avent site and they will demonstrate how to properly tighted the top. Once you've mastered it you won't have any more leakage.

Good luck.

NO!! They are great!! When you tighten them, DO NOT overtighten. I called AVENT when this happened to me. Just dot a fingertip tighten. Use the tips of your fingers to turn the cap, as soon as it stops...STOP!! Don't go any tighter!! They will work great for you now!!

I also had problems with Avent bottles in the beginning - the same exact issue - milk leaking everywhere. I soon figured out how to fix this issue. You have to make sure the threads from the cap and the threads on the bottle are completely dry before screwing on the cap. I usually had to wipe them down with a papertowel to make sure, and sometimes (rarely) they would still leak so I would just unscrew it and do it again and that would fix it. Good luck and hopefully this helps!

I used Avent for all three of my kids and I absolutely love them. My kids have all been great sleepers & have not had problems with colic. Avent can only be tightend to the first turn. This is because of the venting system that takes the air out of the bottle before it gets sucked back down. If the top is on too tight the bottles will leak and the vents won't work to keep air out of their tummies.

I've had good luck with the Avent bottles. I think the key is not to over tighten.

But if you're giving up I would try Dr. Brown's. My son has done well with that bottle also.

Also whole Foods is selling a bottle that doen't have some harmful chemical in it. Haven't tried it, but the trib had an article on them.

good luck - I know what you mean about the preciousness of breast milk. You don't want to wate a drop.

A.

When using Avent if you tighten the cap too much the bottle will leak.

I used them, both my sisters used them, my daughter uses them...and some of these bottles have been thru FOUR kids lol. They're great, the trick is not to tighten too much, it causes the nipple to twist.

I've tried those bottles as well and I feel the same way, they were horrible and theirs a million little pieces to assemble!
I've used playtex nursers for both of my kids and they're great, you have tp buy liners for them but they're supposed to be the best for switching from breast to bottle and they have cute designs! You should definetly try them.Hope that helps you, good luck!

I have heard about the same issues with those bottles, and I guess there is a trick to putting on the lid. You are supposed to keep the caps, and use them to screw the lids on. keep your hand on the cap while screwing on the lid, and it will stop where it is supposed to. Don't make it any tighter. I sat through some thing at the Baby Faire one year, and they handed out sample bottles, and showed us how to use them...lol
Hope that helps, and you don't need to get new bottles!

I thought the same thing when first using them - and I'm not sure if the packages say this or not, but you have to turn them counterclockwise till it makes a clicking noise, at least once, then turn clockwise to tighten. They are really very good bottles, but if you don't know about that click, then they can be very frustrating.

Which reminds me, I just sent a bunch of them to my niece - I'd better let her know about that!

I had the exact same problem. We just had to make real sure that the lids were on securely every time we fed. It did seem to be a lid problem and not a nipple problem. We got used to checking but anyone else feed her was at risk for disaster. If I have to buy new bottles this time around, I think I am going with the Dr. Browns.

I used Avent the entire time my daughter bottle-fed, namely b/c I liked the Avent Isis pump. But now that you've mentioned it, yes, the Avent bottles did start to leak after some time. Not even close to every feeding, but just once in awhile the contents would spill all over. I had always just assumed either I or my husband had not pulled the nipple through tight enough but it could very well be that the bottles just stopped working as well. I have no other brands with which to compare, so maybe that's just what happens with bottles?

I had Avent bottles and 2 of them leaked so bad that I threw them out. I got them as a gift, so I didn't really care all that much. I bought a set of Dr. Browns and they work great. I only had one leak and that was because of user error. They were the same price as the set of Avent's too and a class I took on baby care said Dr. Browns are the best. Good luck.

You probably over tightened them and the seal was messed up. They are made of a softer plastic since it has that seal to let the air out. So most likely it's just that you need to get new ones, and be careful not to tighten them beyond where they go without effort.

Hi, go and have look on Avent website. I believe it says you should screw the lid on tightly and then loosen it half a turn. That should take care of the leaking problem. Personally I did not like them and after trying a few brands went for the Playtex Ventaire bottles and these have worked very well for us.

Michelle,
I use Dr. Brown's bottles and have the same issue. My little guy had lots of gas so I thought these would be a better fit for him. I don't see much of an improvement. I also would like to know if someone has a GREAT bottle out there! Dr. Brown's leak too. And like you said, I hand wash and screw the lid on super tight and nothing stops the leaking.
Good luck!
L.

I had used these as well when my daughter was first born and I found the trick was not to tighten them too much or else it will cause it to leak. I eventually switched over to the Dr. Brown bottles because my daughter was so gassy. I like the Dr. Brown's bottles much better, but as with the Avent bottles you have to be careful not to tighten the cap too much.

I had the same problem with those dumb bottles!!! I had originally bought them because they were the in thing, but I agree that they are garbage!!! The only thing I did like about the bottles is hat they had a wide opening for formula feeding. I am now pregnant with my 4th child due at the end of April and from experience, I would recommend the good 'ol Gerber bottles....nothing fancy, but they work and I have never had a problem with them.
I never did it and do not know why, but I would suggest writing the company about the bottles. Companies are pretty good about refuning your money if you have a complaint!!!
Good luck to youand enjoy your baby.
A.

I had the same problem with those bottles. I hated them. So I started using the playtex disposable ones and absolutely love them. I dont understand how people can use those avent bottle without them leaking I always had problems.

I noticed if I don't have the lid screwed on just right that they can leak but other than that... I do like the bottles a lot. My kids seem to like them more because the base is bigger than Dr. Brown's. Sorry to hear you are having troubles.

So many responses! You probably don't need one more, but I also started out with Avent bottles to feed breastmilk to my son. He would start to swallow and then let out a big "gulp" and start crying. We couldn't figure out the problem and never could resolve it. We ended up switching to Dr. Brown bottles, and they have worked great (even though my sister-in-law teases me about our "yuppie bottles" - !!).

No, it's not you. They have been driving me insane since day one. I've convinced myself that I've got a strategy in place to prevent leaking, which at this point is basically sneaking up on the damn things and SLOWLY tightening it, and then taking my hands off it, and tightening it again until I've lost the bloodpressure in my upper body.Hang in there.

I love the Playtex Drop Ins...they are slightly more expensive to have, but once you buy the bottle, Walgreens sells their own version of the plastic disposable "drop ins"--a box of 50 is only something like $2-$3.
When you put the drop in in the bottle and then squeeze the plastic drop in, the air is pushed out and your baby will experience less gas...its GREAT!
I have never had an issue with leaking on these bottles, but then, I used the 4 oz Avent bottles and don't remember having leaking issues with those either....Good luck and congrats on the new baby! :)

Hi, Michelle!
I definitely know what you are talking about! I found the same thing SO frustrating! I have two children, 3 1/2 and 1 1/2. I used the Avent bottles with both of them. There is a little trick we figured out, though. When you go to screw on the cap, just tighten until it is snug. I have found that overtightening will cause the leak?! That was our experience, anyway. I DO WISH THAT AVENT WOULD HAVE LET US IN ON THIS TIP, THOUGH, AS WE HAD A LOT OF UNNECESSARY "SPILLS", AS WELL.
Good luck, I hope this works for you : )

Don't twist on the nipple super tight, they leak then. Just screw them on snugly and they will not leak anymore. 11 months later and I still have to make all the bottles, my husband always makes them leaky.

what I have found is that sometimes even though the tops screw on, sometimes you have to readjust them (almost like they don't line up right). I have been using these for almost 9 months now and have been working alright (except those few times where I needed to readjust). It is extremely heartbreaking to lose breastmilk (I think I cried the first time I lost a bottle :) Otherwise, you may have gotten a bad bunch?
S.

Wait - One last possibility. I used Avent bottles through two babies and they worked fine, so I am a fan (I had to get rid of $40 worth of Playtex stuff the baby wouldn't use) - in addition to what's been said about making sure they're in the right place before you screw on the lid - if you have the wrong color nipples for your bottles, they will appear to fit but they will leak exactly as you described. The pale blue nipples are for the bottles that take the plastic bag inserts, but the clear nipples are for the bottles that have no insert. And although they look almost exactly the same, you can't mix and match them.

We never had a problem with the Avent bottles except when they weren't screwed on right, and we used them for the first year. However, we didn't use them a lot, my son only got one bottle a day, occasionally more if he was with a sitter.

Now the Avent sippy cups, those are another story and they were terrible...

Hi Michelle....I was going to suggest not over-tightening the bottles as well so glad it worked. Another note about over-tightening the bottles I wanted to share (that our Pediatrician told us) is that it makes it more difficult for the baby to drink. I think it has something to do with air circulation. So, not only might you not have a soaked baby, you might also have a happier, more full one :)

I found the Avent bottles were too large for my premie son (now an 8 month old, 22 pound butterball!)

As much as the extra components are a pain in the butt, the Dr. Brown bottles are excellent. We also had luck with Ventaire (I think they're made by Playtex.)
Good luck!

Others have probably already said this... but your putting the lids on to tight! If they are super tight, they will leak. Just put the lid on and when you get resistence STOP!!!!

I used Avent for both my girls... now 3 and 15 months!

J~

I would agree Avent bottles do not work well. I've also found they are too fast for breastfed babies. If you are switching between breast and bottle, you want to use a bottle that requires a little more work...if bottles are too easy for your baby, then they may start to prefer the bottle over the breast.

I've been BFing my son for a year now and work full-time so he gets bottles every day. I've used the Playtex nursers - they have worked best for me. I've always used the slowest nipples, I never upgraded to a faster flow. My son has had no trouble switching back and forth between bottle and breast.

I use these and have for over a year for my son-- he was all breast milk fed his first year even though I work full-time. I wonder if you have the lowest flow nipples with your bottles? Make sure you have number "1" nipples--and stick with these as long as you give him breast milk from the bottle. Babies are used to working harder for their milk when nursing with you--so when feeding them a bottle its good to simulate this too (and it makes it so they don't drink the whole bottle in 30 seconds). Good luck. I also used the vent aires with my first baby and those worked well too.

K. S.

you are putting the lid on too tight.

I used them,my sister and friends only used Avent bottles and sippy cups. We all loved them and had no problem at all. I washed them only in the dishwasher with no problem. I didn't tighten them really tight.

You're absolutely right, they're garbage. Try Dr. Brown's or the Playtex bottles w/ the plastic liners, they're much better. Congrats on your new baby & good luck!

I agree with you about the Avent bottles. I to breastfeed and pump milk at work. While my son is away from me I use the playtex drop-ins.

On a side note....I to was born on 2-14...Hints the name. Congrats. Also, if you need help or advise on breastfeeding please let me know. My son is now 8 months and has been an exclusive breastfed baby since day 1.

Same problem...don't screw the lids on so tight. :)

Hi Michelle!

I have used both Avent and Dr. Brown bottles. I have noticed that on occasion I have the trouble you have described with the avent bottles, though defintely not to the extreme you are experiencing. I have, however, started using the Dr. Brown's exclusively because I noticed that my son has a lot less gas with these bottles. They are expensive and a pain to clean (I resorted to the dishwasher now!), but they are excellent and definitely cut down on gas!!

S.

We had similar problems with the Avent bottles. We switched over to Dr. Brown's and absolutely loved them. There are a few more pieces to clean, but they really do work well. Plus they help cut down on gas!! My husband especially liked using the "wide" style. (We used them for feeding pumped breastmilk as well.) Congratulations and good luck!!

They are garbage! I experienced the same problem with my son, who is now 4. I tried all of the more expensive bottles and had problems with all of them. I ended up using the plain Gerber brand bottles with a silicon nipple and they were wonderful!

My son was big with spitting up and the late night/early morning feedings left me with lots of spills & leaks too. I switched to Dr Brown's bottles. I've seen them at most stores like Target, WalMart & Burlington Coat Factory-Baby Depot, Babies R US, etc. We used the wide mouth version and they worked great! Held up great in the microwave & dishwasher. I know we're not supposed to use the microwave, but in a hurry, it's a life saver. Good luck. I'll use them again if we
have baby #2. -Judy

I hated Avent personally and I read all the other responses. For me, Playtex was awesome because they have the soft linings that you can push the air out of. I am not sure this did anything to decrease gassiness in my kids, BUT it was an AWESOME feature when the kids were learning to hold their own bottles. When you push all the air out, the milk stays up at the nipple no matter what direction the bottle is held. So the kids didn't need to figure out how to tilt the bottle up-- only to keep a hand on it. MUCH easier, and they held their bottle much earlier than kids I knew who drank from Avent. Good luck!

Hi Michelle,

i found the same problemwith the Avent bottles. They werefine one day, then the next...leak leak leak. and I foudn if I just unscrewed the top, then put it back on, the problem was solved. No explanation of the cause tho...
my second son didn't like the avent bottles, so am using cheapo evenflo with him. they work fine mostly...somtetimes also a little leak from between the nipple and what I call the "collar" that goes around the neck; but not as bad as the Avent...more like a drip drip...

Hope this helps!!
L.

Hi Michelle,

I would contact the company and voice your complaint to them. Maybe they can advise you on using their product. I never used Avent, but I know they are a popular brand. Could you be over-tightening the cap? As for other bottles..... I used Dr. Brown's bottles to put breastmilk (and later formula) in. I really liked them. There are a few pieces to them. The additional pieces are supposed to reduce the amount of air that gets into the baby's tummy. I only have good things to say about them!

Michelle,
The AVENT bottles ARE garbage! They leak all the time. EVERYONE I know with kids udes them and they all had the same problem. One mom even called the company and they denied the bottles had the problem- never even apologized, either. my sister is expecting in the summer and she has already bought another brand.

I was going to say the same thing about not overtightening them. And all the Avent bottles I got DID actually have a little insert that says, "Don't overtighten!" So save your breath about contacting the company. They are great, though. I got extra pump parts for free, and a replacement funnel when it melted in the sterilizer. They also send me surveys once in a while and will reward me with free bottles, nipples, disposable breast milk storage containers, etc. One time I actually got a whole VIA nurser system (the adapter to transform a blue storage container into a bottle for drinking) for free! Great company! And when you move up to sippy cups, all the parts are interchangeable!

Congratulations on the birth of your son. I love the soothie bottles!!! I think they are wonderful...they did not have them when my son was born a few years ago ( Avent was what they reccomended for babies being both breastfed and bottle fed back then)...but this time round with my daughter I discovered these, and I love them, minimal leakage, even being washed in the dishwasher. Of course there is always a little, especially if you have a get down to business eater like my daughter LOL. If you like a smaller bottle, Br. Brown's are really nice as well, that is what I ended up using with my son, a bit expensive, but worth every penny. Hope this helps, and enjoy your new baby boy!

I hated Avent bottles. Try the doctor Brown's they are excellent and there are many types. I know how annoying leaky bottles are and I have not had a problem with DR. Brown's and my son is almost two (he still gets a nap time bottle),

Good luck!

Hi Michelle,

I had the same problem. But one day I actually read the instructions and it states to make sure not to pull the nipple too much or it can cause leaking. You almost have to be particular on how you pull the nipple through. Not too tight, but tight enough. It may take a few tries and you'll get a feel for how you should put it together.

After that, I had no leaking issues with those bottles.

Hi Michelle,
I used Avent bottles after I had problems with other brands leaking with my first daughter. I'm using them again with my 2 month old, and yes, they do sometimes leak. It usually happens when I test the temp. of the formula. If I unscrew the cap and put it back on, it always helps. Sometimes, if the cap is screwed on too tight, it'll leak! I know it sounds weird, but if you loosen the cap slightly, that sometimes helps. I've used Playtex Ventaire and evenflo bottles and they all leak. I've stuck with the Avent, because I've had the least amount of problems with them, and they're usually fixable. Good luck with yours!

My Avent Bottles have always seemed fine. You can always go to the avent site and report it and they will usually send you a replacement for free. They have been great for me.
B.

We used to use those too. Sometimes if you screw it on too tight they leak. I know it sounds stupid, but I believe if you read the instructions that come with the bottles, it says that.

We use Dr. Browns now because of gas and we love them. Just in case you are looking for a change!

good luck!

Well I know that you probably already heard what to do to correct the probelm. But I am going to let you know as well. I started to use the Avent botteles a few months ago for my second child. (She had been breastfeed eversince birth and now trying to wean her off the breast). Well I mentioned my similar probelm to a friend and she told me that it also happend to her and that she called the people at Avent and they told her that once the cover (the clear one)turns on its own, then the top is just right. I tried it when I went home and it worked. Hope this helps.
Good luck and congratulations on your new addition.

i used dr. brown's bottles. i know i tried avent bottles and i believe they landed up irritating me also. my son was colicky, and i fell in love with the dr. brown's bottles.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one. I got so many of them as shower gifts with my first child and HATED them!!! Every where you see Avent bottles, Avent sippy cups, Avent pumps, etc. I have to say that I haven't had any bad luck with the sippy cups, but not that I've had another baby, I won't even bother to try using one of their bottles again.

I had the same problem... but it doesn't sound like it was as bad. I noticed a leaking problem the most when the nipples were not COMPLETELY dry before I used it for the bottle. Once I figured that out, the leakage almost never happened. I stuck with Avent the entire time (b/c the shape of the nipples suited my daughter best), so I can't recommend any others. Good luck & congrats on your 1 month old!

Hi Michelle

I'm sure you have already heard this, but... I called the Avent company myself awhile back. They said if you over tighten the necks on the bottles, they will leak all over and you loose the anti-colic effect of the bottle. They said to prepare the neck, nipple, & cap as one. Then place on the bottle and tighten just until closed. I did this and I had no problems. I plan on using the Avent bottle again with my baby due in April. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Jen