which bottle brand is best to start with the odd expressed feed for my BF baby?

[hsmom]

I am hoping for some great advice, please.....
My DD is almost 4 weeks old and is BF well. She was low birth weight (delivered at 38 weeks and was only 4lb). She is gaining weight and the health visitor said that if I want to express and feed her the odd bottle, I should start to get her used to it around 4-8 weeks as optimal time.

I have heard various recco's - someone swears by the Tomee Tippee closer to nature bottles. Another friend bough the most basic latex teats (the old fashioned orangey ones) as she was told these were most like the nipple.
I want to continue to do the majority of feeding from the breast, but want the option of a bit of freedom sometimes.... especially being tiny she is still feeding every 2-3 hrs max!

Any tips would be great.

ALSO.... has anyone used ice cube trays to freeze breast milk? Assume you sterilize first.... any other ways to freeze relatively little amounts?

Thanks a lot, ladies,

I think i left it too late with mine, He's now 4 months and won't take my milk from a bottle at all. We've tried the tommee tippee closer to nature and Avent and some fancy one (was it Medela?) too.
I will probably bypass bottles completely and try a little cup when he's a bit older. Luckily i'm not going back to work in a hurry so can carry on bfing for ever! (joke)

I think the Medela Calma may suit:
www.medela.com/IW/en/breastfeeding/products/breastmilk-feeding/calma-feeding-device.html

I've not used it (or any bottle) but it sounds interesting.

Ive used allsorts and was really impressed with the medela calma, shame about the pricetag though.

I used MAM ones

I don't think it matters :) I'd go for the cheapest, then if he has a problem taking it you can try the special breastflow ones or latex teats or whatever. I think they see us coming a mile off

whitechocolate, my friend had the same problem, the latex teats were what worked in the end for her. I don't think he liked the feel of the clear silicon ones.

Also just to add, OP, your HV wasn't exactly correct in what she told you. I'm not saying don't ever give bottles, if that makes you feel more free then definitely do! But you don't need to start at any time to "get them used to it", and there's no "optimal time" to introduce one, either. If a baby is going to refuse a bottle at 3-4 months (which is the age they tend to, if they do - not all babies do) there doesn't seem to be a correlation between whether they have ever had a bottle or whether they've had a regular one. It just seems to be a stage some babies go through where they realise they have two separate feeding methods, and they prefer the breast. whitechocolate, I expect your baby would be refusing bottles now whether you'd introduced one earlier or not, don't beat yourself up :)

I'd just start with the bottles when you feel you want to. Most BF experts recommend you avoid bottles for the first 6-8 weeks if possible while your supply is getting established. I'd say probably wait until after the first growth spurt at least, but that's JMO.

Tommee tippee ones are really good and durable.

They are often on special offer in the shops as well, as they are so popular.

Oh and I also used the breastmilk bags to express directly into, medela do their own, or boots do an own brand too. You don't need to sterilise anything for breastmilk, though sometimes I gave my pump a bit of a boil

My EBF DD screams at the avent bottle but will tolerate the tommee tippee ones. She uses the size 1 teat. The variflow is too fast for her that milk just streams down her chin. (Or she sucks too hard).

By the way I started at 4 weeks but she was very well established with bf. You are in the best position to know if she is ready to try a bottle and not get bottle confusion.

hsmom,

I've used ice cube trays to freeze small amounts - just check what ever ice cube tray/bottle you go for are compatible as some ice cubes are big and some bottles have narrow necks so you wouldn't be able to pop the ice cubes into the bottle to defrost, you'd need to defrost them separately and then decant.

Kellymom has some guidelines for storing bm for babies with health issues/prem (not saying your DD has any health issues but as she was LBW I'd be tempted to be extra cautious - she doesn't have spare weight to lose to a tummy bug like a 10lber).

thanks everyone... particularly the comment around the ice cube fitting in the bottle!
wish me luck

We've used breastflow and Tommee Tippee ones, my LO seems to have taken to Tommee Tippee ones.

Oddly though we have gone back and fourth over them, he's had several fussy phases where we had to play pick n mix with the bottle selection in the cupboard.

hsmom my LO is 10 weeks old, born at 29 weeks weighing 2lb 11oz. I am BFing but like you wanted to introduce a bottle for ccasional feeds. WE use the medela calma, she wasnt convinced at first but will now take 2oz easily with no apparant confusion when returning to breast.
i expressed and used milk bags when she was in NICU, purely for freezer space......

Thanks moomin156. I have bought a calma and will have a go this weekend.

What does your LO weigh now? My DD was 4lb 13oz at 4 weeks - so a net gain (including getting back what she lost in first few days) of 13 oz.
The HV said its OK, but on the red book it looks like she isnt really gaining ground at all (if anything, she is falling behind expected growth. I am naturally quite anxious - is she not getting enough calories from my milk? I am still feeding every 2 to 2.5 hrs in the day and wont let her go over 4 in the night.
any tips/thoughts?
Thanks
hs xx