New baby essentials list and whether bottles or steriliser are needed

[Dogdogdogdogdog]

Looking at buying some essentials to have at home for a new baby. What do I need? And if I am planning on only breastfeeding do I need bottles and a steriliser?

There's a good list on the NHS website. You don't need a specific steriliser, Milton tablets in a big bowl does the trick. You probably will need a few bottles. I thought I wouldnt as I planned to breastfeed but you might want to express or combi feed.

I really wanted to breast feed and went with the breast feeding workshop advice of ‘don’t buy bottles as then you’ll be tempted by them’ basically. So I didn’t and she didn’t feed well at all so we had to stop on the way home from hospital to buy them to use for expressing, on a bank holiday, which was all quite stressful!

I had a similar experience with my first baby and was ordering bottles on Amazon from the hospital as we only had one at home which was a freebie from somewhere and we got home from hospital on a Sunday after the shops had closed. With my 2nd I brought the bottles in advance but barely used them.

I have never owned a steriliser. I used Mam bottles which can be sterilised in the microwave and microwave bags for things like dummies and teethers. I occasionally use Milton tablets in a large Tupperware too.

I breastfed but bought a few of the aptamil pre-made bottles just in case.

I wouldn’t buy a steriliser and bottles yet.. you can get them at a supermarket at very short notice or Amazon prime if you need them.

I used Milton tablets in a big Tupperware for sterilising.. I used it for dummies and teething toys, not just bottles so you might want to look into that.

You really don’t know how things are going to be with feeding but you don’t need to splash out on things (especially large expensive items like steriliser) until you know you need them. You can get everything on next day delivery from Amazon so tbh if you are planning on bf I wouldn’t bother.

I planned on (and did) bf and got some bottles free with the pump I bought, but then was totally incapable of producing any milk via pumping, so they were never used by either child. I bf both kids exclusively direct from source as had no other option!

I don't think having bottles/steriliser is necessary if you plan to breastfeed. You can syringe/cup feed a newborn if they are struggling to latch - so could be worth buying some 1ml syringes and small plastic medicine cups online, but I was given these by midwives all 3 times (I did ask). You can express into the cup, then syringe the milk out and into baby's mouth. A sterilised shot glass works just as well if you have one. The syringes are good for antenatally expressing some colostrum too (and later down the line good for syringing electrolyte solution into your toddler's mouth every minute when they can't keep liquids down with a stomach bug!).

That being said, the MAM self sterilising bottles are great.

I also had a similar experience to @harrietm87 and couldn't remove milk with a pump with my first two children (but successfully exclusively breastfed them), I think I got 0.5oz once! Thankfully/for some reason I've been able to express for my third baby so the bottles are indeed being used now!

I didn’t buy bottles, I figured if I really needed them we have a supermarket down the road and Amazon prime.
I didn’t need them until a few months in when we started using some expressed milk

Get some of the pre-filled ones with a teat just in case, then if you need them you can do Amazon prime (Amazon vouchers were the best baby present we.got,.so many things you suddenly need!).

No you don’t need bottles and a steriliser. In fact there is some evidence that if you have bottles and formula in the house then you’re more likely to stop BFing so I’d leave those for now.

If you do decide you want to express, you can buy them easily once LO has arrived

I bought bottles, dummies and an emergency box of formula. Never used them, but having them on hand didn't hurt.

I EBF both mine but I did buy the premade single servings of formula with teat. There was an evening when baby wouldn't stop crying and cluster feeding and I didn't know for sure if she was hungry or something else. Offered the formula, didn't want it and gave me the confidence to rock her to sleep.

It is so easy to get fixated in being prepared, and buy so much baby stuff that you don't ever use. It's easy enough to get some bottles if the BF doesn't work out (but it probably will..) there is sooo much clobber marketed to 1st time parents, most of it useful for only a few months at best. And the one thing that one mum says she wouldn't want to be without, might be totally useless for you... But you won't know til you've got your baby, what is useful for you and what is just a waste of money/space.

I bought some plastic cups, a MAM bottle, hand pump and a microwave sterilizer which was super easy to use (I don't know why I just never trusted the Milton tablet method). It was useful to have the little plastic cups, I sterilized them and hand expressed a bit of milk in them and fed the baby in the first couple of days - my nipples were so sore, I needed a break here and there. We didn't end up using the bottle and pump until after 6 weeks.

The best investment i made was in a lactation consultant though. I had a session at 37 weeks and then she came and visited me on day 1 in hospital and on day 3 at home.

I would not have been able to breastfeed without her. It's really hard.

If you're determined to breastfeed, I would seriously look into it. Almost everyone I know gave up on BF because of "low supply" but the truth is that actual low supply of milk is extremely rare biologically. Assuming a healthy term baby, any supply issues are more likely to do with expectations on how a breastfed baby behaves, technique and in some cases a tongue tie.

I agree and there is so much more to preparing than just buying “things”. OP if you want sone suggestions of ways to prepare, that don’t involve spending then just ask

Other essentials you might want:

• Newborn / 0-3 m size sleepsuits
• Newborn / 0-3m size vests
• Newborn / size 1 nappies
• A safe place for the baby to sleep (cot/next to me)
• A rear facing car seat
• A pram with a bassinet (we got one in a set with the car seat)
• A blanket with holes in (e.g. a knitted one) so the baby doesn't overheat
• Loads of muslins
• A baby bath (the shnuggle ones are brilliant)
• Baby nail clippers
• Baby thermometer

Nice to have:

• A play mat / baby gym type thing
• Some noisy toys (the lamaze ones are brilliant)
• Some black and white books / pictures

Don't bother buying mittens, baby sleepsuits often have them built in!!

Nope, I wouldn’t bother. If you really need to feed formula. You can buy bottles and Miltons at at supermarket you can buy formula, which you’ll need to go out for anyway. If you decide to continue to formula feed, you can Amazon Prime a steriliser if you really want it.

Oh and in terms of preparing to breastfeed, the thing that made all the difference which I wish I’d done the first time was expressing colostrum and freezing it in the last few weeks of pregnancy. It means you can get their blood sugar up enough to be alert and feed and puts weight on them faster than just breastfeeding alone to hand syringe extra colostrum before a feed. It means they latch easier if sleepy and struggling.

You need to buy very little. Focus on resting, having lie ins, spend time with your partner, dinners out, weekends away. You can buy stuff for baby once baby is here and you actually need it. You won’t get the chance to sleep til 9am or go out for a nice dinner together for a long time.

What @mindutopiasaid is so true!!! Lay in go for meals be spontaneous weekends away. Concentrate on that. Once baby is here you can get anything you need. They really need very little. But you will not get that easy no hassle couple time back untill so very long. I wish someone had told me to not worry and enjoy being together as a couple. Even just shopping leisurely is soo nice. If you have funds put it towards a weekend away!

I planned EBF and have successfully. However, I was incredibly naive and had nothing at all for feeding. We are lucky it worked out. All I did was check my local supermarket had the pre-made formula. I guess if we had needed it my husband would have picked it up.

My biggest regret purchase was my travel system / buggy. My baby hated it. She still doesn’t go in it. It’s an excellent buggy, I love it. It has had hardly any use. If I could do it over I would have rented something to try it out and bought if it had gone well. Hindsight is 20/20.

Things you’ll always need:
Milton
Stain remover
Sudocreme
Loads of snacks for you
Boppy pillow (or similar for breastfeeding)
electric nail file - not the Frida one as the replacements are worse than other brands
1000 muslins

If you are planning a vaginal birth:
Peri bottle
Frozen peas
Doughnut shaped cushion
Maternity pads / pants - I went through 30 pants and 20 pads. My healing was not straightforward but also not very complex

Just goes to show that everyone is different and there is no such thing as stuff that you “always need” because I didn’t use Milton (I bf, didn’t use bottles or dummies so no need), sudocreme (my kids didn’t get nappy rash), bf pillow (I used a normal pillow/cushion), electric nail file (had clippers - though electric sounds good), muslins (I had a few but my babies didn’t spit up so certainly didn’t need 100). And other than the maternity pads I didn’t use any of the stuff listed for a vaginal birth either, though was obviously very lucky there.

As for @mindutopia’s suggestion re expressing colostrum - great if you can do it but not everyone can, especially pre birth, so don’t feel disheartened if it doesn’t work out as it won’t impact your bf journey not to have it - I couldn’t do it and exclusively bf 2 kids.

What did you use to clean your change mats, teethers and toys without Milton? We don’t have dummies or bottles either.

I got the boppy in a bag full of second hand stuff from a colleague and it’s so much more comfortable than a normal pillow and I’m quite short. I can’t imagine the discomfort taller people must face or maybe they have arms of steel! I never would have bought one myself but I’ll now recommend them. So comfy.

I think the electric nail files are pretty new or at least hugely improved recently. Once you try it you will never go back to clippers! I was last to buy it from my antenatal group and regret not believing them all sooner! Though, I regret getting the Frida! The replacement pieces for the tommee tippee are much better value.

You sound extremely lucky to have had a vaginal birth and not have needed anything. I would definitely stock up and if you are lucky enough not to need it you can always return, donate or pass on to a friend.

Get some ready to use formula and bottles or the ready to use bottles with a teat. You can never be 100% sure how breastfeeding will go.

Thanks all. Life just seems so expensive at the moment and it’s trying to balance having an easy life versus filling the house with things we’ll never use!

You absolutely do not need a special breastfeeding pillow btw - that would be a waste of money and bulky / hard to get rid of after.