Expressing, Tommee Tippee and Bottle Sterilisation

[MerryBlessings]

Just trying to get organised in advance of dc1. At the moment I am planning to breastfeed but to express to establish my milk but then also so that Daddy can do the dream feed whilst I sleep.

How many bottles do you think I'll need? I am thinking 2.

Also do you think I will be able to get away with a travel style microwave steriliser that only takes one bottle at a time?

Finally, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature stuff has been recommended to me but I can't figure out which teats I need. Should I go for the anti-colic bottles even though I don't know if the bambino will have colic just to be safe.

Thanks ladies, you're ace! :)

MB xx

If you're only using it for breastmilk, then technically you don't need a steriliser, just use hot soapy water. Breastmilk has natural antibacterial and antiviral properties so sterilising isn't needed as it is for using formula (which isn't even sterile when you get it!). Up to you though.

You'll need more milk storage options than just 2 bottles.

It's advised that you don't introduce a bottle until breastfeeding is established, usually around 6 weeks. But if you can get to grips with it, you can express before then and freeze milk.

I've bought milk storage bags that fit my pump to use for storage, so that I need fewer bottles.

For the occasional bottle, I'd have thought a small steriliser would be fine. But if you want to sterilise bottles (it's definitely down to personal choice with breastmilk) then presumably you also want to sterilise your pump? And a pump won't fit in a tiny steriliser. Do check that the steriliser will take wide neck bottles too.

Oh and fwiw, pumps aren't as efficient as babies at getting or stimulating milk. So the best way to stimulate supply in the early days is to let baby nurse as much as they want. You can express on top of that, but it isn't a comparable alternative.

2 bottles shd be fine but you may find some nights you need both if baby is particularly hungry. I would get a steriliser that fits both bottles because then it doubles as a storage unit to keep the bottles sterile. Once you take them out f steriliser they are no longer sterile. Its a small risk but best to be on safe side.

Tommee tippee pump is great btw. Its had some bad reviews on here but i think its great!

i'd say get more bottles definately!! Just incase! Even if you only get 2 tomme bottles and a couple cheap bottles for emergency,bf might not work out as well as u hoped

I would always sterilise to be on the safe side.
Milk might be antibacterial naturally, but if old milk gets stuck in teats etc it's often worth the soak in the steriliser to clean out any bugs. Even with sterilising ds still got a touch of oral thrush - so better safe than sorry as it's a bugger for feeding if it gets out of hand.

You can use anything to sterilise that's plastic - large tupperware tub etc, as long as it has a lid. Milton takes 15 mins to cold sterilise, no micro needed - all you do is add the solution to the water.

Tomme tippee pump and bottles are great.
I found the teats they came with to be just fine. They do do an anti-colic bottle, but my mum reckons it's the luck of the draw on the colic front. We seem to avoided it by giving a dropper of Infacol before every feed - the stuff was a dream! Never be without it!

If you are organised enough 2 bottles should be enough - we always use 6 (EBF) as 'dream feeds' are sometimes that bottles sometimes end up under the bed never to be found again for a day or two! Just a case of having back ups for our back ups!
Our best offensive was defense!

i saw a tt microwave steriliser £10 in morrisons

I second the tommee tippee breast pump and bottles found the pump really easy to use last time. At the mo toys r us have the pump with bottle and microwave steriliser on offer at £13.49.