Planning to BF, but should I get bottles in preparation?

Laska · 2011-03-11T16:56:48+00:00

I'm planning (and really hoping to be able) to breast feed for the first 6 months. I have got an electric breast pump (no bottles) and wondered if I should buy a steriliser and some bottles in advance? Is this good prior planning in case of any problems, and also because I'd like to learn to express so eventually fella can feed on occasion as well (he'd like to do this). Or should I just wait and see how BF works out before buying any kit? Also, I am totally confused as whether to buy Nuk, Mam, Dr Browns or Breastflow bottles - which are the best for a predominantly BF baby?

greeneone12 · 11/03/2011 17:01

Hi there

I would get at least one bottle in case in the early days you need a break. I did this as I was so tired! It didn't affect DD's latch and gave me some much needed rest.

Secondtimelucky · 11/03/2011 17:02

You'll get conflicting views on this, but personally I would strongly suggest waiting. By all means do some research, but I'd hold off doing the spending unless you live in the back of beyond and can't get to shops.

Having a baby is expensive. It's frustrating if you spend loads of money on bottles, etc that you never use (DD never took a bottle, so I expressed a handful of times), it's frustrating if you spend loads of money on 'kit' for breastfeeding expression and then find you switch to formula early (though you've already got an electric pump, which is the main thing I'd be thinking about from that perspective).

If you're struggling with breastfeeding in the very early stages, you may be advised to cup feed or use a syringe, so in that case you wouldn't need the bottles right away.

Oh, plus if you only give EBM once in a while, you might not want a steriliser. A very hot wash (particularly if you have a dishwasher) is good enough as far as many people are concerned with EBM.

Far better preparation, in my view, is finding out about breastfeeding groups or counsellers in your area.

Just my view, others will say otherwise I'm sure.

japhrimel · 11/03/2011 17:08

I'd suggest waiting. Nipple shields are a better emergency stand-by IMO.

5DollarShake · 11/03/2011 17:22

"Far better preparation, in my view, is finding out about breastfeeding groups or counsellers in your area."

Absolutely agree with this, but it depends really, on how determined you are to b/feed.

When I struggled in the early days with DC1, I took myself to a couple of NCT breastfeeding cafes and got advice, asked the midwives, etc.

I suspected that if I went down the 'just try a bottle' route, it might be a slippery slope.

But obviously this approach won't be for everyone! :)

japhrimel · 11/03/2011 18:00

Totally agree with the above! My local NCT BFC and the BfN clinic really helped us, but we were so determined to make this work despite our issues!

irishqueen · 11/03/2011 20:23

I would personally get a miicrowave steriliser that comes with a few bottles ... Phillips one is only a tenner in asda and tk maax and comes with avent bottkes. If you olan to express you will need one at some point and this takes up hardly any room. I would however def reccomend lanisoh cream ... Its expensive but will save your nipples... I promise. I wish I had it with my first 2. No 3 is 10 days old and breast feeding like a dream but the lanisoh saved me on day 3 when I started to get really sore. Good luck

irishqueen · 11/03/2011 20:23

I would personally get a miicrowave steriliser that comes with a few bottles ... Phillips one is only a tenner in asda and tk maax and comes with avent bottkes. If you olan to express you will need one at some point and this takes up hardly any room. I would however def reccomend lanisoh cream ... Its expensive but will save your nipples... I promise. I wish I had it with my first 2. No 3 is 10 days old and breast feeding like a dream but the lanisoh saved me on day 3 when I started to get really sore. Good luck

NinkyNonker · 11/03/2011 20:51

I wouldn't personally.

YesPleaseDrChristian · 11/03/2011 20:55

I'd get steriliser, and a couple of bottles/teats etc and a manual breastpump all on standby. Bepanthan nappy cream is excellent for nips too. Maybe a couple of readymade formula boxes just in case.

I BF'd but found I needed all these things in the first week as things did get a bit crazy.

VeronicaCake · 11/03/2011 20:58

You don't have to have bottles in the house before you start. I didn't. Whether you want to or not depends on whether you feel personally having bottles in will affect your resolve about feeding in the (sometimes) difficult early days. Only you know that.

But if the long-term plan is just to give the occasional bottle of expressed milk then you don't need more than 2 bottles. I'd just buy a single cheap one initially and see how your little one gets on with it. No point buying expensive breastflow bottles if you don't have to.

As for sterilising we just did cold water sterilising. £1 or so on a pack of sterilising tablets and a deep plastic basin we had already and we were away, there is no need to buy a steriliser unless you are going to be making up a lot of bottles.

carve133 · 11/03/2011 21:02

I had vague thoughts of doing this (including getting a pump) before DS arrived but never bothered. BF went well for us and I still didn't bother. I don't even own a steriliser, so spent the money in baby gap probably saved quite a bit. I figured that Tescos was open 24 hours so if there was an emergency we would be fine.

toddlerwrangler · 11/03/2011 21:13

I would very strongly reccomend that you do. As others have said for £10.00 you can easily get a microwave steraliser that comes with a couple of bottles.

Albrecht · 11/03/2011 22:53

It always seems to split MN this one!

Depends what kind of person you are, if you don't mind having unused stuff (our ds is another bottle refuser) and can afford it, it might reassure you to know you have back up. On the other hand, if you feel you might be tempted to use them and then feel its interfered with the breastfeeding, might be best to leave it in the shops (unless you live in the middle of nowhere).

You can also sterilise by boiling bottle in a saucepan, if its just for the odd bottle of expressed milk.

breatheslowly · 11/03/2011 22:59

I'd go with the microwave steriliser pack too. I guess that if you never have to get it out of its pack you can sell it or pass it on. I had this and did end up FF, but I had to send DH out to get formula. So its availability was not the reason for me switching to FF. I had anticipated using it to sterilise a pump and storage for EBM. But it did save on DH returning with the most expensive steriliser in the shop or the only one in the local pharmacy. If you really want to switch to FF at the time then not having bought a steriliser would seem to me to be too easily overcome to act as a real deterent and would only add to the chaos of having a newborn.

Original poster

Laska · 12/03/2011 18:11

Thanks for all the responses all - would offer flowers but mumsnet is bereft so instead!!

I think having considered all the responses, I will wait. I hadn't considered the fact that having this stuff on standby might make me yield to temptation faster, but that's a really good point. I've had a recommendation of a lactation consultant so will keep their details to hand to be my first port of call.

Thanks again for the advice - it's much appreciated.

OP posts:

minimuffy · 14/03/2011 14:05

hmmm, i would buy in preperation.

i really really wanted to bf, but when DD was born she ended up in intensive care for three weeks. so i never got the chance to establish bf although i did express for that time until the stress got way to much!

i was glad that i had bottles and milk in the house so that we could spend the night as a family without having to divert to tesco or have other people bring it over etc..

minimuffy · 14/03/2011 14:05

** first night home

japhrimel · 14/03/2011 14:34

FWIW microwave sterilisers melt pump parts sometimes (know a few people this has happened to repeatedly) so if you want a steriliser for expressing, get either electric or do cold water.

Re babies in SCBU, etc, I think just assume all will be fine unless you already know thst your LO is high risk.

PaisleyLeaf · 14/03/2011 14:39

I agree with waiting.
I didn't get anything in and I think that helped me with making it work.
You can see how you go and what you might need as you go on.
Expressing never went well for me, but I don't think it's something you want to be getting into straight away anyway.

RuthC85 · 14/03/2011 14:51

I would highly recommend getting a cheap steriliser that comes with at least 1 bottle as i was adament wen i had my 1st i was going to bf til dd 1st bday sadly that did not happen due to a taumatic birth i wasnt making any milk and she was unable to latch due to a tongue tie i have however been able to bf both my sons but i didnt hav anything in when dd was born so was a mad rush on route home from hosp as i had no way to feed her. hope everything goes well for u xxx

doblet · 14/03/2011 17:29

I agree with getting steriliser and bottles as a standby. You will use them anyway if expressing so not a waste of money. I also got a few cartons of formula (friend said to get them in for peace of mind) and I am glad I did. We had feeding problems the first few days and were using formula top ups to make sure dd didn't end up back in hospital. Luckily I had a fab midwife and was soon breast feeding exclusively. I have come to expect the unexpected with babies and thus plan for all scenarios! Good luck and hope that you don't need those bottles immediately!

theborrower · 14/03/2011 18:59

As someone who wanted to breastfeed and was all read up on what to do, what to expect etc, I did not expect to be sent home with a baby that couldn't latch and a cup to feed her with. So at the very least, I would say get a bottle of sterilising solution and a carton of formula so that you have the very basics in the house should you need them when you get home. But I really hope that you don't. We had to go out and get all the bottle paraphenalia the next day (steriliser, bottles, tin of formula) but at least we got through the first night home with those.

LotteryWinnersOnAcid · 14/03/2011 19:40

I would. Just one or two bottles and perhaps a carton of ready mixed forumla if you don't want to buy a tub, you don't need a steriliser yet. My milk came in late and my DS spent the fourth night of his life screaming painfully ALL NIGHT because he was so hungry and colostrum wasn't satisfying him. It was a Sunday night so none of the 24 hour supermarkets were open and DP didn't realise this until he'd been to all of them. He managed to get some formula from the local Co op at 7am after we'd all been awake all night and I felt so glad for the second hand bottles I had been given that were stashed away at the bottom of the wardrobe as we hadn't expected to use them. We used a pan of boiling water to sterilise one and DS finally ate. My milk came in the following day and all was well but I seriously regretted not having some emergency formula just in case! He is EBF now so it hasn't affected anything long term.