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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Should I buy bottles if planning on breastfeeding?

77 replies

careerandfam · 20/04/2018 16:02

Hello, new mum to be here!

I am hoping to breastfeed and haven't got any bottles/steriliser as was hoping to do it exclusively. I'm now panicking what happens if I cannot do it, baby doesn't latch etc.

Should I go and buy all the equipment in case of?! If so what would you recommend I need?

Thank you!

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gingerbreadbiscuits · 20/04/2018 16:05

24 hour supermarkets sell premade bottles and you can order steriliser and bottles etc for later from Amazon Prime.

Totallytopsecret · 20/04/2018 16:05

Do you live somewhere with no shops or Amazon prime? If you do it might be worth it, otherwise you can just get them if you need to.

Isadora2007 · 20/04/2018 16:08

No. I wouldn’t and didn’t.

I liken it to having chocolate bars in the cupboard “just in case” a diet doesn’t work out.

If for whatever reason you decide not to breastfeed, or if you cannot, there are many 24 hour supermarkets or late night shops or amazon next day delivery.

But you dont want a handy bottle for that 2am “I cant do this any longer” point as you might regret it.

Hope that makes sense.

Meet up with some breastfeeding mums now- see if there is a breastfeeding group locally. Read up on newborns stomach sizes (teeny- like thimble sized) to reassure you they don’t “need” masses of milk in this early days. Read up what normal breastfeeding behaviour is- feeding hourly etc and find out local support professionals too- forearmed is forewarned. Hopefully you won’t need all that much support and it will all go smoothly- but your confidence will be higher with that extra knowledge and support.

Good luck.

Addictedtohavingbabies · 20/04/2018 16:09

Yes I would. I planned on beeastfeeding with first baby but it didn't work out for me at all. Just get a few just in case.

Bobbiepin · 20/04/2018 16:09

I got, and ended up using them early on even though I bf. I would recommend getting a couple of MAM bottles that can be sterilized in the microwave without a separate sterilizer. If you don't use them help the receipt and take them back. If you do need bottles, not having loads will help if baby refuses certain bottles.

The ready to use ones are a great thing to put in the hospital bag and have around. Although 24 hour supermarkets will have them, the last thing you want is to have to wait with a hungry crying baby whilst someone runs out to get them.

Hmmalittlefishy · 20/04/2018 16:09

I'm sure you will be fine without any bottles and it's always hard to know what to choose. If it makes you feel more comfortable maybe get one in and one permafrost carton of formula
But please seek help if breastfeeding isn't going well. If the help doesn't work ask again and again. Noone will mind and will want to help. Find the number for your peer support group and have that handy
Focus on one day at a time

Addictedtohavingbabies · 20/04/2018 16:10

Sterilisers are always useful for sterilising other baby equipment too. I use a Milton cold water bucket steriliser. They are the cheapest and simplest to use.

GummyGoddess · 20/04/2018 16:10

Agree with other posters, if there's a 24 supermarket nearby you can grab a set of ready made bottles in an emergency. Would suggest getting shields just in case though.

Hmmalittlefishy · 20/04/2018 16:11

I wouldn't put them in your hospital bag though if you plan on breastfeeding

Bobbiepin · 20/04/2018 16:11

Tbh I think some of the previous responses are quite patronising. You'll make the choice that is right for you and your baby and if that means stopping bf, it's the same choice at 2am and 2pm. I would recommend not making that choice when you haven't slept but it's your choice to make.

Eeeeek2 · 20/04/2018 16:11

Depends? How far away do you live from a large boots store etc? I live very rurally so bought a steriliser when I saw one on offer on the logic if I didn't use it then I could sell in on. It had a couple of bottles included.

Maybe you could pick up one of the pack of premade bottles to tide you over until someone can shop for you or amazon can deliver.

MerlinsScarf · 20/04/2018 16:12

You could buy a pack or two of ready prepared bottles as a standby? If you don't use them it's no great loss as there's no other kit involved. They're pretty much ready to use and disposable, so if you need a solution in the middle of the night you won't be caught out.

ememem84 · 20/04/2018 16:14

We did. I ebf for around 6 weeks then gradually introduced a bottle. For me it meant that dh could do feeds too. Initially I was expressing but at 12 weeks we switched to formula as it just became too tough for me.

soupmaker · 20/04/2018 16:18

I was exceedingly grateful that I'd kept my hand pump and its microwave steriliser along with a couple of bottles and bought a couple of new teats before DD2 was born. She was tongue tied and I ended up having to express and bottle feed until we got her tongue tie fixed. She BF until 17 months old.

I think being prepared is no bad thing. The odd bottle of formula when you are knackered in the middle of the night in those first few weeks won't be the end of the world as we know it. Make choices that work for you and your LO.

Good luck.

FranticallyPeaceful · 20/04/2018 16:20

Really just depends on you. If you’re adamant you want to breastfeed then I don’t see why you’d need to? Nobody ‘fails’ to breastfeed despite common belief, well, it’s EXTREMELY rare. If you’re not sure if you want to or not yet then it’s a different story and should prepare for not wanting to Amazon prime/Prime now are super speedy though.

FranticallyPeaceful · 20/04/2018 16:26

Also don’t worry about latching, it’s something they will check for in hospital! It’s rarer than you think and doesn’t mean they won’t latch, rather just that they struggle to at first unless there is a cleft palate or something similar (which will be checked for in hospital if you’re having problems)

Mousefunky · 20/04/2018 16:31

With amazon prime and 24 hour supermarkets you really don’t need to have a back up. You can get same or next day delivery if needs be.

londonloves · 20/04/2018 16:34

Because of course formula is the equivalent of chocolate... and giving it to your baby is like "caving in" on a diet. Ffs.
Seriously, get some ready made ones. I wish I had, When my severely tongue tied Baby screamed all night on a Sunday night and it was obviously to me he was starving.
It might go really well for you and you never need them. I hope it does. But having some int he cupboard for emergencies is not going to compromise your breastfeeding goals or make you "give in to temptation".

FranticallyPeaceful · 20/04/2018 16:40

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userabcname · 20/04/2018 16:44

I managed to ebf my 10mo to 6months and he still breastfeeds now alongside solids. I would recommend having the pre-made bottles of formula in your hospital bag (first feed had to be formula for my baby as I was in theatre for 7 hours after birth) and also those early days when you may need someone to take over so you can shower/nap/eat. Ime it provides a bit of peace of mind to know there is a back-up if needed!

shirleyschmidt1 · 20/04/2018 16:44

I would get a couple of bottles and a ready made formula or two. Don't bother with the sterilizer as the kettle can do that if you do end up using them. I'm exclusively breastfeeding and on our first night home (a Sunday so not exactly loads of shops open!) he fed relentlessly for over 7 hours to bring in my milk and i was finally so exhausted and sore that I cracked open a ready made formula to conk him out for a bit - it gave me a break when we were both getting very tearful and my milk still came in the next night in abundance. I was so glad to have the option at 3.30am on a Sunday! It didn't affect breastfeeding at all.

RosaBaby2 · 20/04/2018 17:05

I’m not buying bottles/steriliser as I know I’m weak and will give in if I’m particularly tired etc. That’s not to say everyone is the same.

I bottle fed my first after about a week and am in no way against it if I need to, but as most people say it won’t be difficult to get hold of if it comes to it.

Flutist · 20/04/2018 17:08

Imo it's better to have a few bottles and a pump so you're covered for every eventuality. You might decide to go out for a few hours, or you might be ill and unable to breastfeed (this has happened to me with flu and food poisoning). Or your baby might be ill and off his food, or not eat as much one day, and you desperately need to pump to relieve the soreness of full breasts.

I use a hand pump (cheapest option because I don't pump regularly), some milk storage bags (which can be frozen), some 50ml Medela breast milk bottles with slow flow teats (formula bottles are way too big for the typical amount of milk a bf baby eats), and a steam steriliser.

I have a few bags of breast milk in the freezer and also have a couple of bottles of long-life ready-made formula (3 month best before date) in the cupboard in case of a last resort emergency. When I had food poisoning my DH had to feed the baby frozen milk for two days.

Pompom42 · 20/04/2018 17:10

I didn't and managed to breastfeed luckily. I bought some sterilising tablets for dummies

Pastaagain78 · 20/04/2018 17:14

No, unless you live somewhere very remote. Save your money. If you do want/need them get them then.

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