Hospital feeding

[VDM1420]

I'm due to have baby early March but I'm paniking about hospital feeding.

Due to medication BF is not an option. So I'm trying to find the most cost affective and storage efficient way to formula feed baby.

I have tried to find teats for the 200ml premade formula bottles but this doesn't seem to exist. Just wondered if anyone else has had this issue and found a good way to resolve

Thanks

www.boots.com/aptamil-1-first-milk-starter-pack-ready-to-feed-6x70ml-10175040?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--baby--Aptamil-_-UK_Generic_DSA+Baby&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=CjwKCAiA6aSABhApEiwA6Cbm_9TG5TKO3VddhfUxedsu1ofivxmLpeh3vtnBFA3McJmeMj6-8vJZtRoCFRcQAvD_BwE

Those little fellas (plenty of other brands too, SMA is quite reasonable on Amazon) should see you right til you get home I think?

Cow and Gate do a starter pack which includes 70ml bottles and individually sealed teats. I had those for our twins back in 2015 and they were fab. Boots, Asda & Tesco, Amazon and probably more have these available.

The smaller bottles are more efficient but just check if they can be stored for any length of time once open so you know if you’ll be able to keep any not used.

The ward should have a fridge; but double check with your midwife and/or via whatever style of maternity ward tour is currently on offer.

I forgot to mention im due to be in hospital for up to a week after having baby so its would be expensive to use the starter bottles for such period of time this was my idea until I realised how much milk I'd need for up to a week 🤣🤣 they would be great if it was just the basic 24 hour stay but its not looking likely

The hospital provide the ready made bottles, honestly dont worry about it. I took some in and never used them as the midwives give you them when you need them

I stayed in for nearly a week and just had to suck up the cost and use the little premade bottles. Our hospital do not provide milk.

Try something like the link and take normal bottles in to fill with the cartons. Hospitals are usually really good if you have a longer stay and provide an area you can clean the bottles.
www.boots.com/milton-sterilising-unit-10206698?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc--PLAs--(GB:Whoop!)+Milton-_-(GB:Whoop!)+Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Baby+-+Medium+Margin+-+Mobile&gclid=CjwKCAiA6aSABhApEiwA6Cbm_wuaX9mEx9Mp94BTS5zwgC_KAdt7-zsY7N_tS7GWSTOtRhAgR1DiKBoCflkQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Will you have access to a sink, fridge, steriliser?
If you do you could use the larger cartons and pour what you need into a sterilised bottle and store the rest in the fridge

A lot of hospitals have the premade 70ml bottles that have individual teats on each bottle as mentioned by another poster. I wasnt sure whether i was going to breast feed or bottle and it turned out my baby had a severe tongue tie and wasnt latching so I had to bottle. The hospital had these premade bottles ready and waiting and had the 3 main brands to pick from SMA, aptimal and cow and gate. You need to check with you hospital. They had no facilities to store opened milk and obviously any bottles/teats you bring would.need sterilised which your hospital might not be able to accommodate. Your best bet is to just bring a couple of the 70ml premade bottles with teats they come in 6 packs. If your not in long you wont need that many and then you will be home and be able to use whatever formula, premade size bottles you want.

Well in that case you'd probably be better talking with the hospital as they perhaps have different arrangements for this staying a bit longer than the general advice they would normally give. Maybe with whoever has told you you'll be in for a week (consultant, midwife?)

@VDM1420

I'm due to have baby early March but I'm paniking about hospital feeding.

Due to medication BF is not an option. So I'm trying to find the most cost affective and storage efficient way to formula feed baby.

I have tried to find teats for the 200ml premade formula bottles but this doesn't seem to exist. Just wondered if anyone else has had this issue and found a good way to resolve

Thanks

When we were away for a few days, I used the larger premade bottles and just sterilised bottles as we went. That said, I actually think the small bottles will be more cost effective because there will be so much waste with the big ones.

Just seen your prob in for an extended stay. You need to chat to your hospital. You may find they will provide the bottles as mine did.

Speak to your midwife about it. When I was in I had access to cold water sterilisation so that could be an option? The hospital I was in provided the starter bottles so you wouldn't need to worry but they're all different.

I would buy the small premade bottles. They don't need to be stored in the fridge until they have been opened.
Being a maternity ward I'm sure they will have sterilisers. We were given one when we did a weeks stay in hospital when ds was 6 weeks. It was a cold water steriliser though. They weren't allowed to use steam sterilisers.
Phone your midwife and ask.

@mynameiscalypso makes a fair point. Our twins only drank 1-2 oz at a time when they were born. The big cartons may end up being a waste if you can't get access to a fridge for storing, if a fridge is available it's likely to be a walk away from your bed/room too. I would ring up the ward you are likely to be staying on and ask them what the set up is before deciding which you'll go with. Most trusts don't provide the milk bottles now as it's quite costly to them.

My local hospital do not provide milk, bottles/teats or have anywhere to store milk or sterilise bottles. You would need to stock up on the starter packs. You really need to ask your midwife, or phone the postnatal ward directly and ask them what the situation is.

Surely the 70ml bottles with the teats are fine for the newborn?

When I had my son they didn’t provide anything and you had to make a bottle of formula to show you knew how to do it 🙄

You can get disposable baby bottles in different sizes on Amazon they work out about £1 a bottle this might work if you have access to a fridge but dont want to have to sterilise

@JLM1008

When I had my son they didn’t provide anything and you had to make a bottle of formula to show you knew how to do it 🙄

Why is that ?? We had to change a nappy and put DD in the carseat to prove we knew how to do that too! Surely that's just basic common sense, making sure you know how to take care of your baby? Generally, if you're breastfeeding, they don't like you to leave unless you're confident with the latch, either!

@Ohalrightthen yup, I was held hostage for an extra night to "help" with feeding and it was no help at all. I said I didn't want to stay and they basically said they couldn't make me stay but they would be concerned if I left...

@Ohalrightthen it was my second child and my first born was only 20 months and bottle fed. It just felt like overkill in my opinion when they had left me to it with everything else including dressing, nappy changes etc.

[quote JLM1008]@Ohalrightthen it was my second child and my first born was only 20 months and bottle fed. It just felt like overkill in my opinion when they had left me to it with everything else including dressing, nappy changes etc.[/quote]
Well, it's much better that they do it to every mum and irritate some than they don't do it to every mum, miss one who needs help, and end up with a sick or malnourished baby.

The midwife i saw for DD's growth concerns during pregnancy very kindly explained to DH and I how to read a line graph. We're both educated to degree level, and know how to read a graph, but there are lots and lots of people who aren't and don't, so they have to cater to the lowest level. That's just part of living in a society where there are such glaring differences in education.

Definitely check with your midwife as you are having an extended stay you will need to find out what your hospital allows.
Mine doesn’t provide milk and patients are not allowed to use fridges, kettles etc and space is limited so no sterilisers. If you are formula feeding you just have to buy the 70ml starter packs. But if you know you’ll be there longer they may have allowances so check with them before buying anything.