Medela Calma

[longleggedlady]

Hi all,
I have 2 quick questions about bottle feeding expressed milk. Am obviously going to go for breast but just in case....

How many bottles did you buy? What sterilisation method did you use?

Thanks!

Xx

We bought 6 bottles. We used a cold Milton steriliser initially.

We used a steam steriliser later.

I had one bottle and a microwave steriliser - think it was a tommee tippee pump set. Never used in the end.

Friend a few months ahead of my suggested never to buy a 'box set' of bottles and loads of kit, as you never know what your baby will like. She thought hers was a bottle refuser, turned out not to like Tommy Tippee but fine with another brand after trying a few. Some of the starter kits are quite expensive, so I am going to wait until baby arrives, and go with one bottle to start with and an own-brand cold milton steriliser (of course if my baby cannot BF for whatever reason I'll end up buying more, but I live 2 min walk from the nearest supermarket hence playing it cool!).

I have a microwave steriliser from last time but have bought no FF gubbins as u don't want to be tempted at 3am! Also most supermarkets are open 24hours. Last time though I used TT bottles and teats and a couple of Dr Browns

I work in breastfeeding support and I'm really unconvinced by the Medela Calma bottle. It has a particularly long teat and makes it practically impossible to get a good gape on the bottle (which is the ideal in the early weeks if you need to bottle feed). I'm seeing babies who are transferring this tiny mouth back to the breast and there are problems with breastfeeding.

This is based on my anecdotal experience rather than proper research but I've seen enough cases now, I'm getting worried.

Ideally you want a bottle which allows the baby to get a mouthful of 'areola' below the nipple so the tonge is extended over the gum ridge. Think of a bottle as having a nipple and areola like a breast.

Thanks Tamba for that heads up. If you see me in RL I'll be the one in Boots with the tiny baby staring at teats then looking down her top.

tambajam are there bottles you'd recommend for breast feeding pumpers? I'd like to great feed but would quite like to pump sometimes too so DH can have the experience of feeding. Want to get the right bottles. Thank you!

Hard to recommend a brand that works for everyone. I think it depends a bit on your nipple shape. It also matters how you bottlefeed. Worth looking on YouTube and checking out a technique called paced bottlefeeding. Some bottles claim to be harder to get the milk out and 'more like the breast' but if you use paced bottlefeeding, that's less relevant.

Whatever bottle you use, you try and encourage tongue extension and a gape. You try and go slow and get baby to create negative space and use their muscles. You check you are protecting your supply. (That's another reason to hold off initially as just skipping one breastfeed can trigger blocked ducts or engorgement and potentially lead to supply reduction and discomfort).

Also worth holding off until you really feel confident you've got the hang of latching. That may take people less time than others.

I've seen people happily use all sorts of bottles once breastfeeding is established.