Tips for bottle from the off

[popps123]

I am pregnant with my second child and looking for advice from any mums who opted to giving newborn baby bottle from birth.

With my first, I had a pretty horrific time breastfeeding with severe mastitis twice which meant my mental health plummeted. I can't do that to this child and therefore will be giving formula.

What should you do about boobs once given birth? I imagine they will leak and want to prevent any infection... how will the milk dry up and what's the safest way?

I expressed for a few months with first but also reluctant to this time unless I need to.

Any advice for my boobs after birth and also for baby bottle feeding is so welcome!

Thank you.

For bottle feeding, fill bottles with boiling water and leave out so they're at room temperature. Have several filled.
Add powder and mix by shaking when needed (no need to heat milk up)
Make sure baby gets used to room temperature milk (mine all did) and, presto, no need to heat milk up so easy to have on the go.

Good luck!

Your boobs will sort themselves out

But yes as PP just do exactly that to prepare bottles

I remember if I wanted to warm them up out and about you can just ask a cafe for some hot water in a large cup or bowl to stick your prepared bottle into to warm up a bit or take hot water in a flask to pour in a bowl to warm up your prepared bottle

As for cleaning bottles you can get microwaveable sterilisers or countertop steamer sterilisers

After a while you'll just wash them up like you would any thing else

You can get prepared milk in a little cartons to take out too if it's a long day out or whatever

My DS wouldn't latch on so I expressed for 3 months

When DD was born I breastfed for a week which was a real pain so she went onto Aptamil formula

I really like Aptamil formula

Some babies don't agree with some formulas so if you find it's causing an issue just try another one

DO NOT buy organic formula because they can get away with not putting in all the nutrients your baby needs with it being organic so just remember that

Having a second baby is easier and they slot into your daily life as opposed to us slotting our lives around a first born when we haven't a clue

One tip I'd say is around 3 months or so let baby cry it out in a room to sleep at 7pm whilst you read to your first born. My DD after 3 days of this had a fantastic sleeping pattern and DS got his time with a story so he didn't feel pushed aside by new baby

Good luck

Don't overthink it

You've got this

I can’t comment from knowledge because my milk never came in ever which was lucky really as I decided against breast feeding. I got told cabbage leaves from the freezer help and to keep them wrapped up tight.

Make up the feeds as instructed on the packaging. All formula is made the same by law so dosent matter what you pick.

"DO NOT buy organic formula because they can get away with not putting in all the nutrients your baby needs with it being organic so just remember that"

This is categorically untrue. All first infant formula in the UK has to have the same ingredients that are mandated by law. Hence them all having the same basic "formula". Manufacturers can add extra things if they want and they're safe, but anything that's proven to be beneficial will then be added to the required formula and all formula milks will then be required to include it.

Make the milk as per instructions on tin.

As for feeding, we shared it between us and took turns. For the night feed one of us would get up and make the bottle while the either changed the nappy. The person more awake would give the milk. Usually me because I didn’t have work in the morning.

Boobs, mine never really produced any milk. I remember them being huge for a day and then back to normal the next day. I don’t think you will need to do anything.