Hospital bag / Formula

[letsmakethishappen]

34/40 and packing my hospital bag. Should I include formula? To those who’ve given birth recently, we’re you able to make formula on postnatal ward? Or should I get the ready made one as I can’t sterilise bottles there. Will have a Csection so am not sure how mobile I will be. Am planning to mix breastfeeding and formula from the start.

No, bring it, ready made bottle and a sterilised Mam bottle to put it in, just in case.

The ward will almost certainly be short staffed and probably won’t have time to help you up to go and make up formula somewhere.

I had an ELCS recently and was pretty mobile early on, but you still have to wait for them to take your catheter out etc.

You just need to take the starter pack.

Like this: https://www.boots.com/cow-and-gate-1-first-milk-starter-pack-ready-to-feed-6x70ml-10175041?cmmmc=bmm-buk-google-ppccLIAsAs--Baby---UKSmarttShoppingLIAssBaby&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIg-jm05ya9AIVDZiyCh1DFwOiEAQYASABEgKGSDD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Don't bring the big bottles of ready made as you'll be faffing with sterilising bottles.

We used SMA premade bottles in the disposable bottles with the pre sterilised teets. They're expensive but perfect for the hospital

Im a midwife...all hospital policies are different so you need to check what your hospital policy is with your midwife. Some state that you are to only bring in ready made, some say bring whatever and others provide it all. Depends on what sterilising equipment they have. So you need to check with your midwife.

As above. Ask your hospital (ours supplied it in the case of people planning to bf and needing formula). If you do need to take it, take the ready made bottles.

Thanks for all replies. I have mam bottles. Will sterilise maybe 3 ,get premade SMA to make life easy. I am hoping to stay for one night. Fingers crossed xxx

@Renoqueen1 thanks will ask the midwife this week x

@letsmakethishappen sterilised bottles can (I think but happy to be corrected) only be sterilised 24 hours in advance. You can buy a starter pack from Boots that has little ready made bottles with teats.

Yes that’s true about the bottles, however I was o it in one night so that worked out fine. DH would have brought extra sterilised ones in if I’d been there longer.

Ok thank you xx

I’d just get the starter pack with the ready made stuff and presterilised teats. It’s much easier and you can just warm it up in some hot water then feed straight away. If you bring a sterilised bottle from home it only stays sterilised for 24 hours.

No, really! Look at the starter pack I linked. You're making your life harder than it's needs to be.

We don't recommend bringing bottles at my trust, just the starter packs. I'm sure you community mw will advise.

Also you don’t need to worry about warming milk. Room temp is more than fine.

I had c-section in Aug and was in 3 nights, I went through 3 boxes of the little pre-made bottles.
They didn't allow warming bottles or have anywhere to sterilise bottles. I lost 1.6ltr of blood in surgery and had catheter in until my last day so didn't leave my room (was nice to get my own). Was still feeling quite weak walking down for lunch on day 3 tbh with my iron levels being so low and would have struggled to sort bottles in hospital.
My 1st c-section was much better, felt pretty normal the day after surgery, only lost 1ltr of blood (that was twins too).

If you're planning to mix feed then I wouldn't bother with formula in the hospital. Introduce a bottle once you've got latch sorted, maybe after a week. You'll be home by then.

I would ask your midwife how your hospital works. I'm planning to bottle feed and my hospital will provide everything I need for as long as I am there so I won't be taking anything with me

I have a midwife appointment this week will ask so am organised.

Starter pack of ready made. Based on my experience of having an ELCS last year, please assume you'll be unable to move, unable to pick up your baby, and left alone by the staff. I hope you're now able to have partner present to help you which we weren't at peak pandemic.

Also I expressed colostrum and brought syringes in a labelled freezer bag. The hospital stored them in their fridge and I did need to use as baby couldn't latch (often a problem after c-section).

Like everyone else I took a starter pack in but they will provide it anyway. I just didn’t want to feel awkward asking because of the inevitable ff guilt

@Itsbeen84yearss be careful what you advise people as this is not the case for most trusts. We haven't provided formula for about 2/3 years now.

My hospital had little sterilised pots and tests that you could use. They were a lifesaver. Although wish I had the starter packs as would have saved a lot of time and effort with warming from the fridge (although spent a lot of money)

They have about. 2oz though and baby will probably be on 1oz per feed at the start, I believe, so will be a lot of waste, too.

If you can afford it, do it.

I had to take the starter pack as they would not allow you to sterilise bottles/make up formula on the ward. Best to check with midwife. A lady on my ward, her partner had to go to the boots in the hospital to go buy the starter pack with the pre sterilised teats for there new baby.

Take the starter pack just in case.