Good sampler set for the new mom

I'm a new mom, which should I use?

As a new mom, I wasn't sure which brand of bottles to use for my baby. I added this feeding set to my registry to see if I like the Avent brand. I opened this feeding set first to see if the baby takes the bottle. I didn't want to open the other bottles before I made sure that the baby took the bottle first. Glad I did because I've bought strictly Avent since!

Do I need all the stuff that comes in this set?

I didn't want too many of the newborn 4oz bottles, so it was great that this set had 9oz bottles. The nipples are slow-flow for newborns. The bottles are also great for storing expressed milk, so the sealing discs that came with this set also came in handy. Unfortunately, my son never liked any pacifiers at all, so he never used the one that came with this set.

Does it really reduce colic?

My baby was pretty fussy (borderline colicky) as a newborn, and these bottles helped with reducing his gas. When the baby is nursing you can actually hear the air being released through the 'vent', so you can really can hear and see that it works. When I don't hear the air, it usually means that I over tightened the seal, so I just adjust the seal.

Everyone hates cleaning...

As far as cleaning, there are only 4 pieces to clean. Each bottle comes with a #2 nipple, a ring that attaches the nipple to the bottle, and also a clear cap. I've watched my sister-in-law take apart her Dr. Brown bottles and clean every little piece, and I can't help but tell myself - why am I going to waste my time cleaning bottles when I can be playing with my cute little baby! The only downside to cleaning is that sometimes it is hard to clean the thin ridge that goes around the edge of the nipple seal. I've had to buy the Avent brush (you can also use a toothbrush) to be able to clean this, which is fine by me.

The lowdown:

This set is great if this is your first child and you are not sure which brand of bottles to try. All Avent products are interchangeable, and they have many accessories available that will allow you to maximize the use of your bottles. I've had to buy additional nipples as my son got older, but I still use the bottles and sealing discs that came in this set and my son is almost 6 mos. old. I'll still be using them as he grows older by buying spouts so that I can turn the bottles into sippy cups.

Update 7/2/08: I have bought new bottles since I reviewed this product since Avent bottles are not BPA free.