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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Intending to breastfeed, but do I buy bottles just in case?

43 replies

Snowgirl1 · 21/12/2011 22:58

I'm 39+4 and intending/hoping to be able to breastfeed. But should I buy bottles etc. in advance in case it doesn't work out?? If I buy them before it almost seems like I'm expecting to fail at breastfeeding, but if I don't buy them before and I can't breastfeed, how will my baby feed until I get them?? What have others done?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LadyBeckenham · 22/12/2011 10:43

guinealady don't get fixated on DH doing night time feeds, not for a good while at first. He can, but to maintain your supply you will have to pump at the same time - so you would be awake anyway!

Missgiraffe1 · 22/12/2011 10:44

Arrrgh! Just lost a long post. Summary:

So pleased you raised this Snowgirl
Related questions:

Is there a minimum length of time you should exclusively BF for before introducing a bottle (if wanting DH/DD to be able to do occasional feeds, and assuming expressing works out ok)?
or indeed a maximum, to avoid baby rejecting a bottle?

And, (possibly very dense question

)

How do you sterlise 1 bottle??

Nanny01 · 22/12/2011 11:53

I have a pack of ready to feed bottles in the back of the cupboard they come with teats ready to screw on. I have breastfed all of mine but there have been occasions that I am just to tiered to feed and dh will stay up and do it for me. I will express to.

As for steralising one bottle you can either get a cold water steraliser. Or you can get steraliser bottles from mothercare. I have in the past used a large box and used steraliser tablets working out how many to the volume of water. Mothercare have a sale on at the mo and the Advent microwave steraliser is down to £9.99. You can use it for other things like dummies and bowels and spoons, breast pump.

Expressing is something I have done with in a few weeks mostly as I have a very large milk supply and feel really uncomfortable. I just buy the bags and label them up with the date it was expressed.

Dh also normally gives our babys one bottle of expressed breast milk a day at night so that I can have a rest , take a bath or go out. Most of our babies took to it fine and even dd1 who didn't like it would if there was nothing else.

TeWiharaMeriKirihimete · 22/12/2011 12:12

I mixed fed DD for a year (one bottle a day) My advice would be:

Don't introduce bottles until your supply is well established and you are comfortable and confident feeding, particularly if your baby is having problems latching etc as this is where nipple confusion comes in.

If you have a 'deadline' for when you need your baby to start taking a bottle start the process of introducing one at least one month in advance, this should give your baby time to get used to the idea and for you to try different bottles etc if necessary. If your baby is cluster feeding it is trying to increase your supply at that time so introducing a bottle in the middle of that is probably a bad idea. If you are replacing the same feed everyday your own milk supply will be lower at that time.

If you are planning to express be aware that it can be very difficult to express even remotely as much as the baby can get out themselves bfing. The best way to do it is at the same time as your baby is feeding, and after a long period of not having had a bf (for eg, first thing in the morning if your baby is sleeping for a long period of time)

You can get microwave steralisers that fit one bottle in, or you can boil them on the hob, or use steraliser tablets.

guinealady · 22/12/2011 12:20

Is there a link to the Avent baby club anywhere? If there are freebies to be had, I'm getting them! (just had a look round the Avent site and couldn't find anywhere to register or any obvious place for signing up!)

3inABIRDsnest · 22/12/2011 16:59

Iii was told to wait at least 6 weeks before introducing a bottle.

GlaikitFizzEggNog · 22/12/2011 17:10

I did and I'm glad I did because DS had a TT and didn't latch at all in the hospital. If I didn;t already have them at home DH would have been dispatched to buy some before we were discharged. I expressed for him for 19 weeks. He never did latch even after the TT was snipped.

Astronaut79 · 22/12/2011 17:18

I bought a pmp and bottle before Ds (Tommee Tippee) and new bottles for DD as we ruined the teats by poking more holes in tehm as DS grew older. With both dcs I introduced a bottle of expressed after 4 weeks. Dd is 6 weeks old and I've managed to have 2 nights out already. However, I only express if I'm leaving dd cos to be honest, it's easier to feed her myself when I'm at home. Dh does his share by doing nappy changes in teh night and ealing with earl-bird toddler.

ps If you get good at expressing, freezing on a regular basis means you've always got a good back up for when you go out.

ariane5 · 22/12/2011 17:27

I did with all 3 of mine and will do with dc4 as well, just the one bottle (tommee tippee ones i found were good) i got one 'just in case' and hardly ever needed it (only once or twice for dd2 when had to take dd1 to hosp). I think its handy to have a breast pump, 1 bottle and some sterilising tablets just in case.

Xmasbaby11 · 22/12/2011 17:53

I feel the same as you OP and I've got some in anyway. I would hope to express at some stage, so the bottles would be necessary then.

puzzletree · 22/12/2011 18:34

I got a cheap microwave steriliser which came with a couple of bottles. Bf both of mine, the steriliser was used loads, mostly for random bf paraphenalia that I ended up needing to use even from the start (nipple shields, breast pump), the bottles were only used on a handful of occasions (for expressed milk) but I liked having them there just in case.
So I'd say, if you see a cheap steriliser/bottles set get it, even if you don't use it you can sell it/pass it on.

ViolaCrayola · 22/12/2011 19:00

I didn't, and am glad I didn't, as we had a few panicky moments at the beginning and having a supply of bottles etc wouldn't have helped me to persevere.
Actually, if I was to do it again I wouldn't bother ever trying with expressing and bottles at all. Such a faff and expense, and DS never took a bottle really. I would just BF exclusively for six months all being well and then move onto a cup and solids after that, combined with BF. But that's just me.

Lindax · 22/12/2011 19:14

I had a steriliser on standby (passed to me 2nd hand from friend), but never bought any bottles/formula as there are so many 24hr supermarkets now, if you do need anything you can get it easily enough.

had a few bad nights in the first few weeks and if we'd had bottles/formula handy dh would have (thinking he was being supportive) encouraged me to use them which wouldnt have helped.

claireinmodena · 23/12/2011 09:37

A different take here: I didnt get any but dd1 was a very difficult feeder, think gigantic boobs + tiny mouth that would not open and you the picture: cracked bleeding nipples, mastitis, neverwnding feeds (she could be on the breast for up to two hours). Dh went to the shops to get all the equip once we got home.

Midwives were brilliant coming everyday to help with latching on etc, but it was so painful I'd feel like running away every time shed wake for a feed. What saved me (and my nipples) was the occasional top up bottle (could have been ebm or ff) and it didnt affect my milk supply nor did she ever develop teat confusion. Within a few weeks I stopped the top ups and breadtfed til 8 months when she basically weaned herself off the breast.

Just to say all babies are different and so are breastfeeding experiences.
Best if luck with the birth!

MiauMau · 23/12/2011 10:28

My sister advised me to get a bottle and some formula as she ended up having to bottle feed, but, I have decided to hire a post natal doula because, I really want to bf and I feel that with her support I'll definitely will be able to do it. Unless something goes terribly wrong sigh

Iggly · 23/12/2011 10:38

I had bottles with the breast pump I bought but no formula in. It got tough a few times in the first few months but didn't think about using formula.

imip · 23/12/2011 22:01

Great advice here. Wish I had read it before dd1! I got a bottle with my breast pump. A breast pump can be useful even if you don't intend on expressing, to increase supply, get through engorgement and if you get mastitis. I've bf my three dds for 10 mths, 11 mths and 19 mths, stopping only to get pregnant again (I needed my period, in my late 30s at the time). dc4 is coming in a months and I have just brought a new breast pump for £15 - nuk on sale at waitrose. It comes with a bottle. For my first 2, breast feeding hurt for three months, turns out I am just one of those women whose babies should make a 'slurping' noise for. With DD3 I didn't unlatch her everytime she slurped, and we got over the pain in the first week. DD2 and 3 never used a bottle, I ended up passing them onto formula feeding mums, but it was good to know they are there. Incidentially, what some mums have said here, not to give a bottle too early, really is true. If you get pressure to bottle feed in hosp, demand a syringe. I think this didn't help me at all with dd1. I had no idea breast feeding could ever hurt. I syringed with dd2 and dd3, really helped.

thedogwalker · 23/12/2011 22:14

I bought in a couple for DS as I planned to express. I never bought any formula. I bf my DS til he was 9 month and having the bottles never tempted me to quit. I was just so sad when he self weaned. Am due DC2 next June and will have bottles again on hand so that DH can give one expressed milk feed per day, this so helped with their bonding.

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