Baby formula in hospital ?

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When you go into hospital to give birth now and are bottle feeding - how does this work?

Can you make formula in hospital? Do you need ready to feed? Is there somewhere to sterilise bottles?

I have three children - it’s been different with each one. I remember getting the pre-made formula with the attachable teats for one of them and then having to put it into a different bottle as they hated the teats.

thanks in advance.

I think getting access to a kettle / boiled water / somewhere to sterilise might depend on how busy the ward is, and they’re often very busy. I would bring two options: a small kettle and some sterile bottles plus formula to mix, and as a back up some ready mixed bottles.

Ready mixed ones. You're not going to be able to bring a kettle onto the ward. Not safe and not pat tested.

Id text your midwife about your specific hospital

We were planning on bf so we weren't prepared at all. Our hospital got us a bowl with milton to sterilise bottles and we used ready to feed. Im definitely taking the little ones with the teats included this time just in case

Take a box of the ready made bottles with disposable teats. You don't want to be making fresh formula and sterilizing in hospital, plus the smallest you'd make is 4oz and it's a few weeks before they drink that in 1 go.

My hospital for both DDs (6 years apart with the most recent 18 months ago) provided the ready made bottles on request.

I had a c section so when I buzzed for the midwife to lift DD out of the bassinet id ask for a bottle and by the time i'd changed her nappy the bottle would be with me.

when I had my baby last year they give us ready made bottles with the teats (a choice of a few different brands) everytime he needed a feed, they’d bring in 3 every few hours to use! I was thinking they must go through thousands!

I took starter packs for both of mine. My first had the Aptamil starter pack whereas my second had Hipp Organic. You can find them in most supermarkets and boots. You definitely do not want to be washing and sterilising bottles, especially if you’re in for a very short period. I had a c section and I was in severe pain for 5 days at the hospital - starter packs were a life saver but thankfully my milk came through on day 3 🙂

We took the starter packs with the disposable teats, definitely recommend, they were great!

Our hospital actually provided a microwave steriliser bag and small bottle each day (which you cleaned and sterilised between each feed), which was great as babies only take an ounce or two the first few days, so it meant that we didn’t end up wasting loads of formula (the starter packs are pretty expensive) - we’d decant what we needed into the bottle and the midwives would pop the rest back in the ward fridge.

It seems to vary between hospitals though so definitely worth asking your midwife about!

When I had my youngest there was a kitchen on the ward where you could sterilise things in the microwave and make up bottles. I would recommend the pre sterilised disposable ones for hospital though, so much easier when it hurts to stand for long.