Novice Question - which bottles and how many

[MERLYPUSS]

I am due to have my twins (1st kids) by c-sect in 3 weeks.
I really want to try and b/feed but due to my epilepsy and drugs I may not be able to at all or may need to express prior to taking my tabs. Can anyone recommend which type of bottles to buy, I may need to formula feed if drugs are not compatible. Someone suggested Boots are as good as any but what teats and wide neck or what ? Also how many to start?
Sorry if I sound like a complete twit but I have not had any advice for formula at all. Just negativity from NCT who think I am copping out by having c-sect (Neuro's idea to prevent fatigue related seizure) and for even mentioning formula. But maybe I was just feeling a bit blue on that day

My dts are nearly a year old. I used tommee tippee closer to nature bottles (on the advice of someone who I later found out never used a bottle with their baby!). I think they are ok, but generally Avent seem to be more popular.

I hired Medela symphony breast pump via hospital to get milk going, and mix fed for 6 weeks.

Get plenty of bottles - min. 6 per baby. Buy extra, you can always use them if you need to, or take them back if you don't.

Also get 2-3 of the "wedge" powder portion pots, to help for night feeds.

You can get powder and liquid feeds. I would suggest having a long browse in your local supermarket, to get info, and if you go on the manufacturers website, you can also get advise (but you do have to "sign" disclaimer about breast is best etc)

Wide neck bottles are easier to fill.

Nobody knows about having twins until you have them, so try and ignore NCT. Have you got a twins club local to you? You may find them more supportive, and more sympathetic towards twin mummies and will have loads of great ideas.

We've always used Avent - mainly because you can usually buy spare bottles and teats just about anywhere (even our local corner shop sells the bottles!).

We have 8 bottles for DS3

for my ds I used Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles - I had 9 big bottles (bought in packs of 3). I never bought the small bottles as they would not have got much use. I like wide neck bottles as they are easier to clean and easier to get the scoops of powder into.

I used avent bottles with dd but she didnt get on with them as the teat was too rigid but we got round that by putting tommee tippee wide necked teats on the avent bottles and she did much better after that.

Merly I remember you on the epilepsy thread, and I think I remember reading about your drugs and thinking they didn't sound at all compatible, so don't be frightened to make a decision from the start to ff, I know I never regretted that. Of course your consultant will advise you as well.

We use the Mothercare steriliser bottles. You just literally put them in the microwave for 90secs and they are sterile. Wonderful!

You can use any teats with them, so if you find an Avent teat or whatever is better, use that, that's what we did. And no need for a steriliser.
Here they are

Merly, sorry you found NCT negative...was this a specialist trained worker or not? It's a bit of an unusual stance, as NCT class members are as likely as anyone else to have a section.

NCT is prob not the place to ask about types and no. of bottles, though, as we are upfront about not having the info to help with the practicalities of ff (though that would not mean you were not as welcome as anyone to events and so on, of course).

But an NCT breastfeeding counsellor would almost certainly encourage you to question any advice not to breastfeed, because too many women are told this and it is simply unhelpful....I have known a number of women using medication, including anti-epilepsy meds, who have been able to breastfeed (even with apparently incompat. drugs there may be options). That's not being nergative, I hope

Firstly there is nothing at all wrong with bottle feeding babies if that is what you want you are going to be in for a tiring time what with epilepsy a c section and caring for twins. Bottle feeding will mean someone else can take over for a while and give you a chance to get some rest. I'd like to see some at NCT cope as well as I'm sure you will.

I've always used avent bottles and dont bother with the small ones as they will soon need more at a feed than they can hold. I think 8 per baby is a good number so you are not always washing up/steralising. I also used a microwave steriliser which had 4 bottles sterilised in 5 mins (very handy when short of time and no bottles).

I would also recommend getting a powder container thing as mentioned earlier as not only handy for night feeds but if babies will take milk at room temp very handy for when out and about and can not find anywhere to heat a bottle.

With regards to formula I always used SMA as could get at the supermarket we use and the corner shop (was always running out as am not very organised)

Give bf a go but do not beat yourself up over having to use other ways of feeding your children - with regard to bonding/immune system. I bottle fed my ds and we are very close and he is very healthy. I bf my dd as felt pressure to and I am also very close to her but she has an immune system problem!!!

Sorry so long!!

Good luck and trust your instincs.

Thanks guys. Keep it coming. What about fast flow/slow flow teats etc ?
I thought the NCT were fab at all other aspects of their classes and would have no problem recommending them to others. It was just the breast feeding class made me feel worthless. I know I will not be in for an easy ride in the next few months and like I probably said before I have had so much conflicting advice about my meds and b/f it makes me wonder if it is worth risking it at all. Expressing before meds when I take 2 - 3 times a day seems a bit impractical. I would like to sleep and eat as well

Merly, it's horrible to feel worthless...however, the class is a breastfeeding class and it's not really designed to give information on the practicalities of formula feeding. The aim of the class is to build confidence and knowledge in breastfeeding. What might have helped you, do you think?

Conflicting advice about meds is mainly because there are people who don't think it's important enough to give women the properly researched facts. There are good sources of information out there. I can't think anyone who knew about bf and meds would seriously suggest expressing before taking meds - that's a crackers idea and I don't even see the point of it.

If you want to know where you can get decent advice on meds, then post again. It may well be that knowing the half-life of your meds will help you, in addition to knowing what the effect on the babies, if anything, may be.

I did realise it was a breastfeeding class. I went with an open mind. I just thought they were so pro b/f that anyone who had started to b/f and, for whatever reason, could not continue were seen as a failure.Their choice of wording used too was a bit archaic. Maybe I'm just a stroppy cow ? When I mentioned I would poss combine feed I was shot down with 'you can b/f twins you know' before they even found out my reasoning. Like I said NCT was fab for everything else and the tutor great.

Phenytoin not recommended to breastfeed

I don't want to scare you and of course you must take advice from your consultant , I realise I am probably being a bit pushy, and I do apologise for that, feel free to ignore, but I personally wouldn't risk it.

My friend with DTs used Avent for one girl and Dr Browns for the other as she was just so colicy. Most people seem to swap around to find what works for particular babies once they arrive.
You'll need newborn (slow flow) teats to start, esp if mix feeding.
Friend reckons enough bottles for a whole day for each baby (so 16)so that you can get a bit behind on the whole washing and sterilising thing as life is mad enough with twins as it is.

There was always one avent bottle that leaked. Really annoying. Two other parents have concurred in this observation.

is a scientific, evidence-based assessment of phenytoin used when breastfeeding and it does not justify not breastfeeding...or expressing before taking it. Hope it helps you discuss it further with your doc, Merly.

I hear what you are saying about the breastfeeding class, and this is something breastfeeding counsellors struggle with : how to support the majority of women - who need confidence and information and who are certain they want to breastfeed - and consider the one or two in a class who are wavering or not sure if their circumstances will permit them to breastfeed.

Deep down, some wavers and 'not sures' want us to say 'it is fine if you formula feed and it will make no real difference to your health or your baby's health' and we cannot say that. But that does not mean our confidence-building for the majority of the class should translate as 'you are a failure if you don't' and I guarentee the word 'failure' will not have been used. However, no one should make you feel 'shot down' for asking a valid question, and I think that is, quite simply, not very good teaching. Hope you raised that in the feedback, as it would be helpful for the bfc to know what not to say!

I use the Tommee Tippee closer to nature bottles for my dd and have 6 of the big ones. The small bottles are a waste of time as they don't get used for long. I saw at the weekend that Tesco have a 4 pack on special offer at the mo (half price) if you are interested. dd is 4 months now and still on the first level slow flow teats. We did try using an Avent bottle with a teat for the next stage from 3 months and the hole in the teat was massive. So big that a feed usually taking 10 minutes took 4, most off which flooded down her front as she couldn't keep up with the deluge of milk. Certainly every brand is different as the Tommee Tippee teats for 3months which I have just bought look like they don't have such a big hole.

I also use the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles and really like them (although admittedly haven't tried any others). We have 6 and find that plenty (for 1 child). I particularly like the fact that you can buy little pots to transport the formula that actually fit inside the bottle so you don't have to take a separate container for the formula when out and about. May be handy with twins as you will have enough to fit in your changing bag as it is!

TIKTOK - your link wont work for me .

My neuro says OK to b/f as on small dose, the pharmacist at the hospital say deffo not ok, my GP is clueless and the pharmacist locally says not.
AAAARRRGGGHHHHH !!!!

Merly, try toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/this and do the search on phenytoin or any other drug.

You need to get specialist advice from someone who knows about drugs and breastmilk, and their possible effect or not on infants.

They need to work out the half life of the drug (how long it stays effective in the body), how much transfers to the milk (depends on properties such as the size of the molecule, but not just that), whether it is destroyed by the gut (if your meds are given by injection, for instance, then this would imply the gut destroys it, and the same would happen in the baby's gut), what effect if any the transferred dose has on a baby (is this med given to infants direct? If so, in what quantities? Neuro might know this).

We know that formula has risks, and these are quantified in many respects. You have to balance that against any putative risks of the meds in the breastmilk, and how easily you might avoid them.

It sounds as if you can have a view yourself on this, once you have the information, and it can be your choice.

toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/ is the link, sorry.