Hi, Hi,
I didnt want to hijack the bottlefeeding support thread. I noticed your question about how to implement bottlefeeding either one feed at a time or cold turkey.
I think I read that your DS was 3 weeks? From that question, I am wondering if you are b/feeding on demand? This is what is needed to build up your supply to ensure weight gain in a baby. A baby normally loses weight the days following its birth, and at around 14 days is back to its birthweight again. In breastfed babies this often takes a little longer due to the requirement to build up supply. This is completely natural. Although it is right that you and your HV/MW keep a close eye on this.
I'm not out to change your mind if your choice is to bottlefeed then that is great. But if you are choosing to bottlefeed because you think you aren't capable - well that may well not be true. So, I hope you dont think that I am not treading on your toes as such.
I think easiest for you, if you are going to bottle feed is to add one bottlefeed in at a time and express milk yourself at that feed. Do this for a couple of days and introduce another one, but still express. The reason I say this is that you may change your mind in a week or two about bottlefeeding and the expressing will make it so that you can change back more easily. (This has happened before to a few MNers and, even without expressing they have succesfully relactated anyway). If in a couple of weeks you and your baby are comfortable with the bottle you can stop expressing with every bottle feed and slowly withdraw from it - then your boobs wont get sore.
I have also noted the thing about sterilising - if you have already got a steriliser then its a moot point, however, it has been put forward by microbiologists that there is no need to sterilise bottles/teats etc. You only need to wash in hot soapy water (or in the dishwasher if you have one) and then leave to air dry. This is completely safe. This is what is done for bottlefed babies in Neonatal units apparently. Please do google though if you would like reassurance.
Anyway, I hope it goes well for you.