are you still buying bottles and formula if planning to breastfeed?

[topaz22]

or a bottle making kit? also i've heard you don't need to sterilise breastfeeding bottles and equipment. not sure what to buy

I assumed breastfeeding would work and so didn't get any bottles or formula. If you need them, you can get them at the time.

I'm not. If you decide that you want to ff once baby is here you need bottles, a steriliser and formula. All of which can be bought from Tesco, or any other 24 hour supermarket.

Unless it has changed since I had my youngest (age 3) you still were advised to sterilise all breastfeeding equipment. You can just put it in a pot of water though and boil it (obviously only the bits that get sterilised!) so you don't need to buy anything special. Same goes for bottles, dummies, teats, etc. I didn't buy any formula or bottles with any of my kids. Apart from the one that came with my pump.

thanks everyone i will just wait and not buy anything. think i'm just panicking incase breastfeeding doesn't go as planned

My midwife warned that bf could be tricky at first. She said if I had formula and bottles in the house it wd be too easy to use. All are available pretty instantly in supermarkets, corner shops, pharmacies if needed quickly. She was right - bf was not easy, but I'm glad I took her advice and persevered. Wishing you well with the rest of yr pregnancy. 

I bought a pump because I got a good deal on an Amazon Prime sale day, and it came with a bottle. I needed to do expressed top-ups for DS for a little while as he lost a bit too much weight at the start, so it was handy to have already. Didn't buy any formula though. For sterilising we either boiled it for 5 mins or used the microwave steam bags which aren't very expensive.

I've got some used bottles from a neighbour, bought new teats, and 2 small bottles of aptimil. I'm going to try breastfeeding - but If I didn't have them in I'd just worry.

I have bought bottles and a steriliser. Won't be buying formula. I figure if I manage to breastfeed then the bottles may come in handy if I express. If I don't express then I'll just give them to someone else

We didn't buy anything at all. DD needed a couple of top ups in hospital for jaundice but they provided the formula and teats. When we got home I was keen to persevere with bf so stubbornly didn't buy anything and therefore never used it. If you're having a bad night I think it's too tempting.

I bought a couple of bottles/steriliser for dd but did not buy formula. Bf worked but did express so sterilised pump parts and odd bottle that she had.

This time around I'm just getting a Milton cold water steriliser and a new pack of bottles as I will pump again so DP can do some feeds/take baby out.

I wouldn't buy formula as every shop/petrol station sells it. Our local 24 hour supermarket even sells pre sterilised disposible bottles with ready made formula in.

We didn't get bottles or formula then regretted it in the middle of the night on a Sunday (day 2) when no where was open, petrol stations didn't have any, my husband drove around for hours and finally sat outside supermarket until it opened at 6 am. It was just to get through a terrible night after two days of labour, breast fed successfully. If have another would definitely get some in just in case

We bought bottles, a pump and a steriliser in case I wanted to express some for DH to feed the baby. Didn't buy any formula.

I actually regret getting the bottles as DS never really took a bottle even when we tried and he went straight to a sippy cup when he was about 10 months old.

Steriliser is good for other stuff though - dummies, spoons, bowls, calpol syringes etc. Although you don't really need to sterilise anything after 6 months.

I'm planning on repeating what I did with DC1 for DC2; expressing with a pump in the mornings and introducing a bottle of expressed milk in the afternoons/before bed. From what I remember there is a window which is recommended for introducing bottles (not for the first month or so). Using bottles gave my DH the opportunity to do a feed, and ensured DC was happy to take a bottle when he went to nursery at 10 mos. I did introduce formula at about 8 mos when I wanted to stop breastfeeding. Saying all that - I haven't bought bottles yet, though will keep an eye out for sales in the next month.

I have done this time. I didn't last time and we ended up having to go out for emergency formula in the middle of the night (we thought she was starving.. Don't think she actually was though cos she didn't really have a y formula), anyway 24hr tesco was shut because it was Saturday night! So we had to go round all the garages trying to find formula. Not fun.

I've just got one of those newborn starter kits this time with the teat on the formula.

Also you do need to sterilise breastfeeding stuff.

I did and in really glad because we didn't end up breastfeeding and the last thing I would want to do is be stressed about buying bottles and formula after just giving birth!

I bought one of those new born starter kits with the ready made milk and the pre sterilised teats you can just screw in. I ended up in hospital for a week and ds did have some formula before breastfeeding was established as he was poorly at birth. I think it's worth having some in just in case. I think it takes away the fear!

No! Supermarkets are all 24hr in an emergency. Best not keep that option at arms length

Formula no. I have bought 3 different bottles in the sales as I would like to ideally be able to express and let my husband give the last bottle before bed. He is an evening person, I'm not so if it works out that way then great. If not then it was only three bottles as a bit of an experiment.

If breast feeding doesn't work out at all then I'm banking on online shopping and next day delivery (we are rural so just popping to a shop to get supplies is not easy).

You should sterilise all bottles as long as you formula feed. And things like teething rings need to be sterilised until baby is 6 months.
You'll get different opinions on this. Some would say get a starter pack of formula to take to the hospital (assuming you are having a hospital birth), in case you breastfeeding doesn't work out, and at least you have it. Then if you decide to continue ff you can buy bottles, a steriliser and formula tins afterwards. But others will say don't bother even buying a starter pack unless you really need it.
It was different for me, I knew I didn't even want to try breastfeeding or expressing. So I had my bottles and steriliser ready for when we went home. And I had a starter pack of my chosen formula for the hospital.
I don't know much about breastfeeding equipment, but I think it also needs to be sterilised.
Some people swear by the bottle making machine, personally I think it's a waste of money and I didn't like the idea of it. And I wanted to make my bottles the old fashioned way. I made them in advance and stored them in the fridge. Which was fine.

I would, as well as a breast pump. Almost every mum I know has had to pump a bit to begin with. I don't agree it's tempting at all to have formula in the house. It's the absolute last thing a struggling breastfeeding mum wants to use but sadly it's sometimes a necessity. Neither of you should be going out looking for formula in the middle of the night when you've not slept and you're already incredibly stressed.

Like buckyou above I bought the sma ready bottles just in case I needed them and I didn't want the stress of having to manage a starving baby if breastfeeding didn't work.
As it goes didn't need them but I was greatly reassured by knowing they were there. Good luck!

I've never sterilised anything in my life. I breastfed so no made up,bottles of formula to grow bugs. Clean dry bowls and spoons don't grow bugs so they were fine. Baby beakers went in the dishwasher

You are definitely advised to sterilise all feeding and pumping equipment. I had planned to breast feed and hadn't bought formula. Breast feeding did not go well at all and I had to give formula top ups and eventually bottle feed. Luckily I had bottles with my steriliser or we would have been panic buying. Might be worth buying a couple and some ready made formula, just in case. That's what I plan to do with DC2. If I never use them then I will donate them.

Also to everyone saying supermarkets are open 24 hours. Not when you arrive home from hospital late on a Sunday. The hospital did send me home with formula though which I was very grateful for.