Perfect Prep machines

[esw21]

Baby is due 4th November. I've made it clear to people I don't want to use a perfect prep machine. Firstly I don't think they're 100% safe, not enough research on them. And secondly, they're not needed. But MIL keeps going on about me using one and I really feel pressured into having to use one. She also mentioned of getting one for her house to use anyway. I'm really stressing out and having sleepless nights over this. Got to mention, this is my first child and I've been really struggling mentally during my pregnancy. Please help x

How about a flask and ready mad formula for over night that’s what I do. When I hear him stir I just stick his dummy in and heat the bottle through. No crying no waiting. I do have to say though that I have breast fed and formula fed and breast feeding is easier. Even though I had repeated bouts of mastitis and an abscess from my children being tongue tied I still found breast feeding easier. Formula feeding is a ball ache!!

I feel cheated. I didn't know they did different machines that were quieter. Ours sounds horrifically loud in the dead of night

You can cut the wire that causes the beep. Google it. There’s videos that show you how! My DH never used to wake to the beep but I found it really annoying!

DP is on the case, thank you!!

I am another one who has a PP machine but I knew I would need to ff after 4 weeks as I take medication which I can’t bf on

I wouldn’t have bothered for the odd bottle and also found bf easier as less faffing! But if you will be only ff then I would recommend it as so quick and easy.

However if you really don’t want one I think you need to try to explain your reasons why. Eg. You want to try bf first (midwives even recommended to me not to take formula to hospital as it could make you give up more quickly). Or just firmly explain if you don’t feel they are safe/sterile enough. It’s your baby and you can decide what you think is best - it’s not being arsey!

It’s your baby so it’s your choice but as a mum who felt the same as you but gave in and bought one after 3 months, it was the best thing I purchased. Perfect temperature bottle each time, sterile in terms of bacteria in the formula, measured perfectly and ready in 1 minute rather than 10. When doing 4 night feeds, that was an extra 40 minutes sleep I got and it was much needed!

I was in the same position with my MIL who wanted to buy a Moses basket, bibs, towels and lots of other stuff to use when the baby was around hers. Initially I tried explaining that will will have everything we need with us when we visit and that it was a waste of her money but she was adamant.

Of course DS is here now and none of those things are ever used. We pop round for a few hours a week and on the rare occasion she has looked after DS it's been at our house.

It's excitement on their part and the assumption that they will have the child quite a bit to warrant these things. In reality when baby arrives you will want to spend all of your time bonding with baby and other people don't get the time they thought they would.

If she won't listen just let her get it and then rock up every single time with prepped bottles ready to warm or bottles ready to be made up. No need for pp machine then!

FWIW I breastfed for 8 weeks and then bought a pp machine they're amazing but I understand they're not for everyone! I run a cleaning cycle with boiling water every other day and check for signs of mold/mildew daily.

@Smurfybubbles
Thank you for your understanding. I think I need to just chill and realise that I am in control and that no ones going to take that from me x

1. you shouldn't be pressured into doing anything for your baby that you don't want to regardless of who it is that is pressuring you.

2)Is it possible that mil just wants to help make your life easier if you are struggling with your mental health during pregnancy. She is trying to put practical things in place to make your life easier and therefore things mentally easier?

3)Loosing sleep over a perfect prep machine does sound a bit irrational. And that's coming from somebody who did not sleep at all last night because we received devastating news at our scan.

4. What research do you think needs to be done exactly? If you think logically a perfect prep machine is a piece of equipment. It has very basic components inside much the same as a kettle which I am presuming you would otherwise use. They are as safe as you keep them, same as a kettle. They are easy to maintain and keep clean and you can buy replacement filters from the supermarket,

5. Having already had dc, we had dc1 who was breastfed and went onto bottles before the perfect prep came out. We did everything by the book and he developed multiple severe life threatening allergies.
   We got a perfect prep for dc2 and it made things incredibly easy. Especially those first few months in the middle of the night.

Ultimately it is obviously your choice and you are fully entitled to decide whatever you like but I can understand why mil might be miffed if she sees that you are struggling and is trying to make your life easier, it seems like you might be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

I have never used a Perfect Prep as I bf but the majority of my mum friends gave in and bought one at some point in their baby's first year. I would keep an open mind, when you are on your knees with exhaustion (which you will be, and timing feeds with a newborn is a bit unrealistic) you will probably welcome anything that can make your life easier.

Saying that, if you really don't want to use one just tell your MIL. If she won't be told then just nod along and humour her, she'll no doubt forget once the baby comes along and they have a new grandchild to fuss over.

@esw21 exactly! Your baby your choices. As hard as it is let it wash over you as much as you can, it will be good practice for when baby is here and there will be more things she does/says that will drive you crazy

Before I had my first I was adamant I wouldn't have one, would breast feed etc. TTC no. 2 at the moment, already priced a perfect prep machine.

@cactusplant
Wow, you come across as very judgemental. The best thing anyone can do to support a first time parent is to understand and support their decision, what ever it may be. I'm not being spiteful or stubborn, I just would like things doing the way I decide, just like the MIL would have and every other parent. If you read all my posts I briefly explain why I'm struggling to sleep. I'm going through a lot a the moment so it's not just you. I'm asking for support not for other mothers to make me feel worse. And just to be clear, I support any mother who uses ANY type of feeding method. It's important for us to stick together.

OP- did you see that Cactus had some bad news at a scan? Maybe just bear that in mind

@esw21 I completely agree that it's important for us to stick together and for you to feel empowered as a woman and I apologise if I come across as judgmental it's really not that at all. I've only taken the information you provided in your op and tried to give an opinion on that. Like you said I haven't read the rest of your post. You said that you had struggled mentally in your pregnancy which is a big thing to recognise and I'm not in any way shape or form being judgemental.

I tried to give you a balanced opinion considering your mil's motives and why she may be behaving this way, whether she may be trying to support you ( I feel for mils as they can't get it 100% perfect all of the time, she may just be trying to help ). I'm not saying definitely but maybe.

I did say that it was irrational to be losing sleep about. Not because I'm judging you but because it's a bloody machine. You are having a hard enough time and I thought pointing that out might be a pick your battles type scenario where you might realise it wasn't worth losing sleep over.

I gave information about the machine both logical questions and first hand experiences that I thought might help you make an informed choice as a Mum as to whether you thought this might make life easier for you or whether it was worth the worry.

I mentioned all of the above and put it from the devils advocate point of view to maybe consider your mil may be trying to support you and as someone else up thread said if she bought you one at her house it wouldn't be the end of the world it's not like she is insisting you must use it.

I don't know how you plan to feed your baby and have no judgement either way. I couldn't care if you use the machine or not or make any other choice with your baby, that's your business not mine. But somebody trying to give you a gift isn't a normal thing to lose sleep over and doesn't (necessarily) mean they are trying to take control away from you and your child.

For what it's worth I gave the points I did as clearly as I did because you highlighted you were struggling mentally in your op. I have worked in the past in a secure postnatal mental health unit where women had ended up with postpartum psychosis. I'm not for one second insinuating that you have that at all or making any judgement, it just makes me aware of those issues in pregnancy and the need for support and making sure things don't spiral.

I might not be jumping up shouting what you want me to hear but it doesn't mean I'm not trying to offer you practical support op

I think there's a new model now that has a night mode. I liked mine with my first baby and will probs get another one for this one when s/he arrives.

Re: the MIL, just let her buy it. When you go see her, take bottles if you are bottle feeding. It will stay in the box and she will eventually sell it on eBay or whatever. It's not your problem.