Advice needed on: Electric Breastpump, Bottles and Steriliser!

[justmilkpleasenosugar]

Hi,
Just looking for a bit of advice of breastpumps and bottles?

I've been kindly given (new I should add) a Medela Swing Electric Breastpump, do I need Medela bottle too or can I use Tommee Tippee or Advent too???

They seem quite hard to get hold off and the bottles don't come with teats either, which just seems odd to me!

What are Tommee Tippee Steriliser like? And can i used any bottles in any steriliser? I asked the lady at mothercare, but she had no idea...!

Thank you

You can get teats for the medela bottles, my pump came with one. No idea where though. They arent great though, you'd be better off with breastflow or TT closer to nature.

I decant milk from the medela bottles or bags into TT bottles. The pump thread won't match the bottles, I don't know if another brand might fit, but the medela thread is very narrow.

I have the TT microwave steriliser, it's just a glorified box, anything will fit in it.

Sorry FutureNanny whats not great the pump or the bottles??

Thanks

Medela use standard size - not wide neck - bottles. They fit different bottles, but the bottles for more like the breast are wideneck not standard.

A TT steriliser will be designed for wide neck bottles but you should be able to fit others in, just not so well.

Personally I just use cold water and Milton tablets in a Milton bucket.

I have the swing too. I express for one feed a day for which we use an avent bottle as the medela swing one was too fast flowing. I have the avent microwave steriliser which is fine, but not sure if it will take large 300ml bottles. The pump seems fine, I have nothing to compare it to, but i find the bottle leaks at the neck If you tip it and the tubes can be a bit fiddly.

I usually see the medela bottles in boots, fwiw.

I also just use a bucket with cold water steriliser. Keep it next to the sink, wash bottles, plonk in and leave until needed.

I have a different Medela pump (but with the normal Medela bottles). I express into the Medela bottles as they fot the pump, then store the milk in breastmilk storage bags (normally freeze them), and then feed from a Breastflow bottle.

I have the TT steam steriliser. It is quite big, so will fit any bottles I should think. Certainly fits TT bottles (as expected!), Breastflow bottles, Medela bottles and my pump bits.

I know you can get extra Medela bottles online (I think £10 ish for three), but because I store in bags and feed from another bottle, I only use the single bottle that came with the pump.

I express into the medela bottle that came with my pum p, then pour into BM storage bags then freeze. Tesco sell the bags.

DO NOT SHOP at expressyouselvesmums I bought a pump with FREE DELIVERY that cost £85... I added milk bags and spare valves for an extra £15 and DELIVERY WAS ADDED BACK ON BECAUSE THE MILK BAGS DID NOT QUALIFY!!! I did not get told this at the time only on checking the invoice when I had it delivered did I realise I complained and they just said - because I added EXTRA THINGS to my bag I then had to add the delivery - RUBBISH CUSTOMER SERVICE DO NOT TOUCH WITH A BARGE POLE

I had a medula pump - bought 3rd or 4th hand from ebay, so it had lots of bits but only one smallish bottle. I'd microwave sterilise everything - I couldn't face sterilising the pump bits in boiling water or with milton as I'm not organised and the microwave approach takes < 5 mins (I used an avent steriliser) and then I'd decant the milk from the the medula bottle into either an avent storage cup or bottle (sterilised).