Overwhelmed - combination feeding - which bottles are best?

[Tilly35TTC15mths]

Hi,

Im so overwhelmed by the choices.

• Brands- Tommy tippy, nuby, mams, Phillips avent …
• teat flow rates,
• bundles or buy everything separately,
• sterilisers - electric, microwave, Milton
• breast and pumped breast, breast and formula,
• warmers, coolers…..
• 1000 other accessories I’m sure I’m forgetting 😵‍💫

I just feel totally overwhelmed Can anyone share their experiences of combination feeding (breast and bottle) and recommend what brand of bottle really worked for you? I have to go back to work after three months so exclusive breast isn't an option - I need to try and get baby used to combi feeding as early as possible so thinking to try and introduce it after two weeks 🫤 and increase my supply with pumping to build up a store. please help. Any opinion is appreciated.

Hello, sorry I don't have personal experience but his page on Instagram maybe helpful xx

@ mother.shaheda
https://www.instagram.com/mother.shaheda?igsh=MXFiOTJ1emplM2VibA==

Individual brands of bottles aren’t really a big deal, but if you want to continue to breastfeed when you’re with your baby but still have them take a bottle when you’re at work (after 12 weeks, yikes, I’m so sorry) then use the slowest flow teats you can find, and look for long soft shapes rather than the short wide ones (the tomee tippee closer to nature are not breastfeeding friendly!) Learn about paced bottle feeding, holding baby quite upright and not tipping the bottle up, but holding the bottle horizontal so the baby has to actively suck to get milk, just like they would from a breast. Obviously if you can pump enough to supply your baby that’s the ideal, formula carries various risk (currently lots being recalled due to bacterial contamination) so if you can avoid it, that’s probably best. If you do use formula the ready made is sterile and carries less risk, and if/when you move on to powdered make sure you follow the safe prep guide on the nhs website. Which pump will work for you is a bit of a difficult question, every person is different, so ask the hospital or your local breastfeeding support organisation if they have any they can rent/loan you to help you figure out what works for you. Find a breastfeeding support group/organisation, they will help you navigate this.