Best bottle for combination feeeding - new born

[biscuitsndtea]

I'm preparing my hospital bag for my second baby and planning to exclusively breastfeed this time.

With my DD1, I had a tough time breastfeeding during the first month—it took a while for her to latch properly. So I expressed milk and used a bottle /cup to feed her during that period.

This time, I want to be better prepared in case my newborn doesn't latch immediately after birth.

Which bottle would you recommend to avoid nipple confusion? Or should I consider feeding from a cup instead?

I will be having a C-section this section. If there is a delay in the milk coming , can i pump to trigger the milk supply after the baby is born ? Clueless :)

I had to combination feed from the start due to breast hypoplasia. MAM bottles worked for us from the get go. DS never refused either breast or bottle. Maybe we just got lucky I don't know but he seemed to like those ones.

Could you start hand expressing before the birth to have a little stash in syringes for the early feeds if latching is difficult again this time? Then request to see a lactation consultant ASAP to see if you can get the latch sorted.

Cup feeding is fine short term if it's a case of slow to latch or low blood sugars or something, but would be difficult for more than a couple of days really.

If milk is delayed by c section it's usually only by 1 day so not by much. I find though in women who have breastfed before, the delay is less likely compared to someone on their first baby. It's recommended to hand express only for the first 2-3 days as the pump can be too stimulating, and colostrum is thick and in small quantities so tends to get lost in the pump.

I second the Mam ones. We also had success with Tommy Tippee Closer to Nature ones. Combination feeding worked well after initial latch problems. Beauty of both is you can sterilise them in the microwave without a steriliser, too. God send!

On the milk front, as far as I'm aware (not an expert), any stimulation of the breast will encourage milk but it's probably advisable to get the baby on the boob as early as possible and work on the latch. I had a lot of problems first time around but second time went much better (both c section).

Congratulations!

I used Minbie and they worked well for my combi-fed baby.

Another vote for Mam bottles!

My first didn’t take bottles. Second refused mam and liked Tommy tippee closer to nature. Latest baby has taken a mam bottle during first week and is bf too

We liked nanobebe bottles and baby did combination feeding for first few months. I wouldn’t bother pumping straight away.

My milk came in the next day (c section) I just remember soaking up all the newborn cuddles and it all happened for me. Maybe I was lucky but I wouldn’t worry too much. You can buy ready made tiny bottles from the supermarket worst case scenario.

Thanks xxx

has anyone used Medela calma bottle ?

@Lavenderandlemons unfortunately couldn't express earlier due to low lying placenta

I had a c section and my milk took 6 days to come in. Baby was totally fine feeding on colostrum. I wasn't totally fine as obviously it meant he was essentially cluster feeding the entire time and I was hallucinating from the sleep deprivation. But we survived it.

Pump is not recommended as colostrum is sticky and thick and gets lost in the pump parts.

We used Philips Avent bottles from around 6 weeks, totally fine. Still use them now at 9 months, he takes bottles in the day while I'm at work and I breastfeed at home.

For combo feeding with a newborn, I’d say keep it simple — look for a soft nipple + slow flow. That makes it easier for baby to switch between breast and bottle without confusion.
Also, anti-colic design baby bottles really help with gas and fussiness since they reduce air intake during feeds
I’ve personally leaned more toward simple, soft, everyday feeding options (similar to what you see on Bubs Universe) - nothing too complicated, just comfortable and baby-friendly.
Every baby is different though, so sometimes it takes a bit of trial to find the one they like

We needed to combi feed from the start - mixture of breastfeeding, expressed milk, and formula. We used Medela Calma teats for expressed milk as we had a Medela pump so it was easy to screw the teat straight on the bottle. We used Lansinoh with a slow teat for formula, because we preferred glass bottles for the high temperature liquid. Baby took every option very happily.