First time mum, recommendations on Baby Bottles & Sterilser??? Help!!

[MumToBe2015R]

So much variety out there really don't know what to go for.

How do you choose what bottle to go for?

Recommendations on Sterilser?

Thanks

I started with tommee tippee bottles with both my girls but ended up moving dd2 off them at 6 weeks as they were terrible for her wind.

We're now on MAM anti colic bottles and they're great. They also sterilise in the microwave without having to buy a steriliser which saves money and space and means they're great for travelling or going visiting because you can just take the bottles and sterilise as you go.
They've made such a difference to my baby's wind and the teat seems to work really well for her.

I've bought the Phillips Avent steriliser and newborn natural starter bottle pack. They came highly recommended by a couple of mum friends although one of my other friends swears by the mam ones. I've heard from a few people that tommee tippee actually aren't that good.

I'm hoping to bf so if all goes to plan I'll be buying the Philips Avent manual pump when baby is a few weeks old so that DH can get in on the act.

We also used the Philips Avent microwave steriliser which was fab. We used the bottles from the same brand. Didn't really like the anti colic teats but the general ones were fine.

One piece of advice I would give is don't bother with a manual pump. I found mine useless and they were not recommended by the breastfeeding advisors I saw. If you're planning to pump regularly, get a decent electric one (we had the medela swing). I appreciate they are expensive but some breastfeeding support services (ours did) will loan you a pump for a few weeks to see how you get on with it.

Tbh I would not bother with an expensive steriliser, as long as you boil the bottles up in a big pan for at least ten minutes, they will be sterilised. Or do cold water sterilising if you don't fancy that.

I had cold water steriliser for both of mine and am using it again. I used Tommie tippee bottles for DS but tbh they are just a fat bottle so for DD I used a standard bottle from boots and am doing the same for this one too (I don't plan on BF so shaped teats aren't a necessity for me)

If you're planning on a microwave steriliser (a bit bucket/pan + tablets is quite possibly better IMO) check the size of your microwave. I never thought ours was particularly small yet there was only one that fitted, the Boots one.

Re.bottles I got on well with avent natural ones but don't think DS really cared- He was mix fed

DS was formula fed from birth and he was fine with the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles but DD was breast fed with the occasional bottle and would only accept the Nuk ones.

I used the Tommee Tippee steriliser with both as I couldn't find a microwave steriliser to fit ours and I hate the smell of Milton sterilising fluid so cold water method was out for us.

Don't buy masses of bottles in advance, because babies can be peculiarly fussy. My DS would only take expressed breast milk from Medela bottles (which were brilliant).

I used avent first time but asda baby sale has the Tommy tippee natural tarter set at half price so I've got that, everything you need is in there, although I will probably get some more bottles at some point.

*starter even! It does have the steriliser too for £60.