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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

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Original poster

six weeks to go - need advice

19 replies

adoptivemother · 10/03/2006 17:38

Hi there,

I have just come across this site and need some advice as I'm new to all this.

We are hoping to become adoptive parents to a newborn baby in about 6 weeks time and I am getting so excited, however, we will obviously be bottle feeding him and need some advice.

What are the best bottles to get and how many should I buy? what size? what flow teat should I get?

Any recommendations would be greatfully received.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 10/03/2006 17:43

I think you'll get loads of different recommendations!! I wonder if it may be best to buy just a coupl of a variety of bottles and see which suit your baby best?

Welcome to Mumsnet :)

SenoraPostrophe · 10/03/2006 17:45

bottles are labelled as to the suitable ages (well, the teats are). personally i don't think it really matters but tend to prefer glass to plastic just because you know where you are with it, scratched plastic being a bit dodgy).

I didn't bottle feed a newborn, but they need 6 feeds a day so you'll probably find you need 4 (or more if you don't like washing up).

congratulations and good luck.

soapbox · 10/03/2006 17:48

Gosh how exciting! I think Soupies idea of getting a couple of varieties is a good one. Perhaps the hospital would let you know what kind they use?

People I know who have bottle fed like the nuk bottles and teats, if that helps! I would think you will need about 6 bottles and a dozen teats, you get new born ones I think!

Good luck!

sniff · 10/03/2006 17:51

you can buy loads I buy Avent because I breastfeed and for expressed feeds they are meant to be closest to having the breast

some teats are variflow and some teats are graded 1 2 3 for different flow rates but I would have thought the social workers would tell you how much the baby is feeding and how quickly

If you buy a steraliser make sure it fits the type of bottles you buy in though !! I bought avent bottles and a different steraliser first time round bottles didnt fit!!!

congratulations to you x look forward to seeing your posts all about him

Coolmama · 10/03/2006 21:11

Congratulations - how wonderful and exciting!!! Here's what worked best for me - I went with the Dr Brown's anti-colic bottles and initially only used the smaller 4 0z bottles and the level 1 teats - I never got the hang of the variable flow teats as I could never work out which end was supposed to be where! Also, they fit into the Avent sterilizers and so I had 6 small bottles because that way I didn't have to wash bottles every 5 mins and now with DS being older, I still use the small ones for water in bag etc. Also, figure that one or two bottles will go to the Bottle Fairy in the sky never to be seen again! Best of luck and in case you are interested - once you have stopped using your sterilizer for bottles, you can use it to make the most fabulous steamed artichokes....

Elf1981 · 10/03/2006 21:33

congratulations adoptivemother.
I breastfeed by DD but have bottles for when I give her expressed milk and for when she starts at the childminders.
Originally I brought loads of Avent ones and Tommee Tippies but my daughter did not like them.
I'd suggest buying one of so many varieties and seeing what they prefer. My daughter settled on Nuk ones.

RedTartanLass · 10/03/2006 21:53

Oh how exciting for you I use Avent because I was breastfeeding as well.

However I think the advice Soupdragon gave to buy a couple and try them out, is probably the best idea. Unless, as sniff says, the social workers tell you what he used to.

Oh please keep us updated!!

teacups · 11/03/2006 11:13

just wanted to add my congratulations adoptivemother - let us know how it goes.

K7 · 11/03/2006 22:13

I found the Mothercare vary-flow teats great for my bubba, because you don't need to keep turning them round like the Avent ones. (The Avent teat has three different settings, depending which way up you're holding the bottle. I kept forgetting and putting her on slow-feed, resulted in frustrated, windy baby and guilty, tired mummy.)We used Mothercare pretty much from month 2 and still do six months later. Buy six teats and bottles, though, because then you should really only need to make up a batch of bottles once a day, with any luck.

RedTartanLass · 11/03/2006 22:36

OMG K7 is that right about the Avent teats? Never knew that!!

Poor wee dd,probably doesn't know if she's coming or going!!

milward · 11/03/2006 22:37

just to wish you all the best xxx

moondog · 11/03/2006 22:39

Oooh,couldn't let this one pass by without wishing you the best!
What wonderful news! Yes, do keep us all updated!

I b/fed but when I expressed,dd and ds seemed ok with Avent.

popsycalindisguise · 11/03/2006 22:39

wow - what exciting news!

ds1 used nuk then avent teats
ds2 is breastfed but use MAM ultivent teats on wide neck bottles when I am at work

expatinscotland · 11/03/2006 22:43

well first of all congrats, adoptive! that's fab!

we bottlefed dd1 from about 1 day old. she started on the newborn teats. we got her dr. brown ones. they're sort of fiddly to clean, but if your baby is a bit colicky, they're a dream.

i was given two of them for newborns - 4oz. - for dd2, but we didn't end up using them as she went on the brest, although they have been opened and washed.

if you'd like them, i'd be happy to post them to you, free of charge.

just email me at kaperkaillieATgmailDOTcom.

feel free to ask away whatever questions you have!

welcome aboard.

KristinaM · 11/03/2006 22:48

Congratulations AM! If you are in the Uk I guess your new son will actually be at least 6 weeks old, so I would ask the foster carers what bottles, teats and formula they have been using. It best to try and minimise the number of changes for the baby. You shoudl also check on things like brand of soap powder, nappies etc

KristinaM · 11/03/2006 23:22

Forgot to say, make sure that only you and your Dh feed the baby - no passing him round for others to hold or feed. It doesn't matter for babies who are with their biological parents, but they have at least a 10 month start on you in the attachment stakes!

And welcome to mumsnet!

laundrylover · 12/03/2006 20:03

Wow adoptivemother how exciting for you.
I agree with the last post about trying to minimise change - how old will he be? My niece was adopted very early like your son and the foster parents had done a great job of getting her into a routine etc. She was sleeping through the night already - bliss!
By the way why not join the relevant ante natal/post natal thread too? We are a friendly lot on the Due March one!!

Gem13 · 12/03/2006 20:16

No advice (breastfed), but wanted to offer my congratulations.

Do post an announcement when he/she arrives!

PrincessPeaHead · 12/03/2006 20:23

congratulations, that sounds wonderful. I would get a few types of bottles and teats as everyone says. I've got 4 children, all eventually on the bottle, latest one is 6wks old and on the bottle very quickly. I've found that none of mine liked Avent because the teats are quite hard and difficult to manipulate for a newborn. I've recently used MAM ultivent bottles and teats - the teats are great, lovely shape for a newborn mouth. I started on newborn slow flow but moved to medium flow within a week (but mine was a big baby).
Previous babies have been fine on tommee tippee wide necked bottles, but the teats are somehow quite big for a newborn - have a look at the ultivent ones and you'll see the difference. HTH.

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