Feeding - what to buy

[looby1304]

Currently 25 weeks pregnant and trying to get as organised as possible. Just wondering what people bought before birth related to feeding. I'm hoping to breast feed, but am aware that this doesn't always work out. Should I buy bottles/breast pump/steriliser etc before birth or wait and see? It's all a bit of a minefield for a first time mum!

I did as I'm a worrier I got a big set on offer in Mothercare with a manual breast pump, bottles, steriliser etc. Breast pump has been very useful, steriliser used a couple of times. I tried the bottles but DD won't take them now anyway but I used them a couple of times in the early days when I was struggling with the cluster feeding

I hoped to breast feed but for various reasons ended up combination feeding. Hospital supplied formula and disposable bottles whilst on the ward, which gave me enough time to order steriliser etc on Amazon prime for next day delivery.

You could always buy one of those starter packs with disposable teats in them, but if you want to breast feed I'd assume that you will and not waste money.

Wait and see. It's an expensive waste of money if you don't use it, hospital will provide stuff if you need it and there are plenty of 24 hour supermarkets you can get stuff from.

Thanks, I was thinking that the wait and see option would be best but keep having mild panics that I'm not going to be organised enough!

In the same boat, I've bought a set of bottles and steriliser as I figured we would use them anyway. Tescos do have a great offer on. I want to try to BF however probably for the first 6 weeks, and perhaps change to combi. Either way, I would like to express too so DH can feed so I'm not sure if I need a manual pump either- some are only £15 which isn't the end of the world if it doesn't work out so confusing!

Can I just say, don't assume the hospital will provide bottles and formula.

Mine doesn't as a rule.

You have to take your own bottles and formula with you.

I hoped to breastfeed but wasn't going to stress if it didn't work out. Bought a tommee tippee set of steriliser, bottles, bottle warmer, and cool bag things for 50quid on offer. They're nearly always on offer somewhere. Then bought the tommee tippee electric breast pump which came with a microwave steriliser. About £35.

I breast fed till 7 months but all has been wort the money. I started expressing the odd bottle of formula from about 6 weeks meaning I could get some guaranteed chunks of sleep. Didn't keep any formula in the house to avoid temptation.

By 5 months she was having 1 bottle of expressed milk a day which we started to replace with formula.

Since 7 months and switching to formula feeding all the equipment has been used and now DD is 11 months looks like will last till we stop needing at 1. Have had to buy a few extra bottles and larger teats but overall excellent value for money.

That turned out long sorry, hope it helps!

I just bought breast pads and nursing bras (which were crap and I wouldn't have bothered getting), borrowed a steriliser from sil. Bought bottles and pump after 6ish weeks. In hindsight I'd have bought a breastfeeding pillow rather than the bras. I figured if we needed formula stuff dh could get it easily as we live very near a huge supermarket but didn't need them anyway.

I was the same last time and just bought the Avent microwave steriliser and the starter set of Avent classic bottles (4 bottles in it). I got both in Aldi for a tenner each, so not much money at all. As it happened, breastfeeding didn't work out, so I did end up needing them and I was happy with both purchases. We just bought a few more of the same bottles and teats in the supermarket as we needed them and the formula starter sets with premade small disposable bottles were useful in the very early days.

In the same situation as you and asked my midwife this the other day. Her opinion is under no circumstances to buy anything as even having it in the house can psychologically effect your ability to breastfeed.

Not sure if I agree with her but I suppose having no other option, when it gets painful or frustrating, will probably help me to stick it out. She made a good point that if, for some reason, breast feeding isn't possible, DH will just have to pop down the shops!

Hospitals won't provide formula if you're planning to ff, but if you are bfing and need help they will supplement. Best way though is to manually express colostrum in hosp and cup or syringe feed if baby won't latch straight away (midwives will help with this).

Expressing is an almighty faff, babies don't always take bottles and tbh once you've got feeding sorted, it's the easy bit. It's more useful to get dads doing baths and nappy changes or having them take baby for an afternoon walk in the pram so you can sleep imo, rather than spending ages expressing so they can do one feed.

I'm the same as you OP, im planning on buying pump, bottles etc but just going to leave them in the packaging and keep the receipts and if they don't get used you can just return them but I know I'll feel more relaxed having everything to hand if it's needed.

I bought nursing bras, breast pads, a steriliser, bottles and a manual breast pump when I was pregnant . DS didn't take a bottle of ebm in the end but I did try so I would have had to buy them anyway.

I don't think you are advised to pump in the first 6-8 weeks of breastfeeding anyway as it interferes with the supply and demand aspect of establishing breastfeeding (you pump, body thinks the demand is higher, produces more milk than needed etc etc) so I wouldn't say any of those things are necessary to have in and can all be bought at a later date. Of course, many women need to express at the start for a variety of reasons so it's up to you if you want to be prepared for the 'what ifs'.

If you need to switch to formula supermarkets do prepared bottles so it will never be a mad dash to buy a steriliser and formula tins. Though I would warn against having formula in the house if you really want to BF. During one night of hell I convinced DH to get the bottles sterilised and wait until the morning to go to the shops and buy formula. Thankfully I made it through the night and told him not to, but if we had had it in I would definitely have used it and it may have impacted BFing.

I hadn't thought about the temptation of having bottles and formula in the house when breast feeding gets difficult! Makes a lot of sense though, and as a lot of you have said DH can be useful and go to the supermarket if need be! Thanks for all the advice!

If it would make you feel less stressed, you could buy one of the packs of 6 disposable pre-sterilised bottles to keep to hand. That should buy you enough time to send DH out for bottles/formula etc if needed.

Would also suggest buying a bottle of Milton. Milton cold water sterilisation is easy and takes only 15 mins and can be done in a normal mixing bowl or saucepan, any container really, no need for a fancy steriliser.

Oh and you will need to sterilise other things anyway e.g. Dummies, teething toys, so the Milton will come in handy even if you do breast feed.

Lansinoh!

Breast pumps are expensive (good ones anyway) so I wouldn't rush to buy one. You can do your research now but Amazon can get you one in 1-2 days once you've established milk supply.