Planning on Breastfeeding... do i still need to buy bottles etc?

[Shanti]

Hi,

I'm planning on breastfeeding our baby and hoping all goes well, won't be needing any bottles etc.... what do people do? Do I still buy a couple of bottles, teats, steriliser just incase i need it one day? As in, would I need to start expressing and needing a bottle for this?

I have no idea!! What did you girls do to be prepared?

Can anyone recommed a great breast expresser/pump??

I'm thinking I won't buy anything and just wait and see how the breastfeeding goes as i am determined to breastfeed and not use bottles.

Input from experienced mothers please? TIA

[maz]

If your going to bf babe then get a decent expresser to help you out in the first 6 weeks. You'll get 2 bottles with it to start with and you'll need a steraliser for the breast pump anyway. Oh and I bought the new Tomme tipe bottles that have a teat that looks like a nipple....AWESOME babe! We had no confussion issues between nipple and bottle at all....god mateauz still latches on once week....I think he tries to remenise a bit lol

I got told at the Royal childrens that if I wanted to help build my supply up (which was pretty poor to start with) that I should express and hour after a feed and straight after a feed until we get our flow happening...just a little hint that i wanted to share that worked for us.

good luck with it chicki

[Beatrix]

I recomend that you do have a a couple bottles and teats.. plus sterilzer JIC.... you dont want to be running around at midnight stressed out searching local petrol stations for what you need.

I also keep a satchet of formula (just one or two in the cupboard). til you can get up a EBM stock

I have found this to be helpful when i just couldnt cope in the middle of the night .

Best of luck with your brest feeding jorney


ETA- having formula on hand is not recomended but i did it for my reasons ( i was unable to bf my older two children)... I have actually only used it once in 5mths. I just was just sharing what i did.

[~clover~]

With DD1 it wasn't til I got a hand pump at about 3 weeks & got 2 bottles with it that I used them, but I had probs feeding & only got to 6 weeks.

With DD2 I had the bottles & formula jic. I didn't want to get caught out & stressed about my baby starving again.

With DS I had a heap of stuff given to me, including 8 Avent bottles & a steriliser. I've used them on occasion. They are handy to have.

[Shanti]

(Mods i think this is in the wrong section sorry please move if need be)

Thanks Maz!

Ok, so the teats can mimic the nipple therefore the baby doesn't really know the difference? I'd be so scared to give our baby the bottle/teat only to find out that it doesnt' want to attach back to my nipple!! I've heard some stories of that happening so it kinda worried me.....so i just have to make sure i get the right 'teats'?

What breast pump can you recommend Maz?
I've read that in the first 2 weeks when my milk supply is regulating and coming in, that it's recommended you don't express milk (unless you have a premmie or other medical reason) is this correct??

Thanks Beatrix, i think i will make sure i keep couple of bottles and sterilisers on hand after reading this.

[Beatrix]

Ren- the breast pump i use is a medela swing!!! absolutly fantastic.. stringly endorsed by the ABA as well

not to sure about the expressing... sorry

[Shanti]

Beatrix, can you get a discount if you buy one through ABA or do they only hire them out? I am subscribed to ABA. where did you buy yours? thanks chick
And are they good for beginners? haha

[maz]

I bought a cheap one of ebay....its was electric and a brand name I had no idea of...but **** it saved my hands from pumping away for hours and it was small enough to take in my handbag..adaptor and all (it came to the mercy hospital with me) - I paid $30 including postage for it....will try and find it and PM you the details.

i highly recommend the tomme tippee bottles...chemist warehouse has them for $16 for 2 and the teats are $7. No trouble what so ever between nipple and teat...we had the same concerns as you did. We had Advent bottles and Mateauz hated them so we bought the tt ones.

[Beatrix]

just pmed you babe

[MantaRay]

Personally, I wouldn't buy any. If you need them you can get them then. I had to express in hossy for DS1, but they provided everything I needed anyway and then DH got what I needed for home. I can see that there is some use in having these things in advance, but I also think it a bit like setting yourself up to fail.

What I would do is join the ABA now and attend a bfing class. This is the best preparation you can do for bfing. Then you will be a member, so you can hire a pump if you need one (in the early days if you need one an electric one is going to be really handy). You will also know who to ask for help!

ETA- whoops just saw that you are an ABA member already. Great stuff.

[SamiH]

Another swing user here too

With DS my hubby was in Iraq from 3 months so never expressed as there was only me to feed him anyhoo - but at 7 months I tried to express when he got back and was so hopeless, couldn't do it !!! I fed him until 12 months .......

With DD I expressed occasionally from about 4 weeks just so I knew I could, and so if I wanted to get my hair done wouldn't have to make sure I was running out of the salon with foils still in cos she needed to be fed

So, whilst I really understand you are hesitant to give bubs anything other than breast - IMO after the first 6 - 8 weeks if you need to get out, or have a break o/n - express and give it an occasional go.

We put so much pressure on ourselves - bubs will still have your milk hun!

[~clover~]

Just wanted to add that my MCHN loaned me a pump when I had probs at 6 weeks. So that could be a back up.
I thought about the setting myself up to fail thing too, so I refused to buy formula til I needed it. I've had a tin in the cupboard since JIC, but usually have to throw half it out coz its open for too long without being used.

[aussienic]

I agree with MR..

I personally wouldn't buy them unless you need them..

[danniellabella]

I was planning to only breast feed and not use bottles or formula at all. I wasn't going to buy any bottles but my mum said even if I don't use them, it's a good idea to have some on hand JIC. I'm glad I took her advice. When DD was 6 weeks old me & DH wanted to go to a friends engagement party without DD. Friends of ours babysat and we sent DD with bottles and formula. It was also great when I needed a break coz DH could feed her. She was breast fed about 99% of the time until she was about 4.5 months and started full time daycare because I went back to work.

[Jac]

I agree with MantaRay. I did not buy anything at all, nor did I need to (including an express pump). Later down the track (ie. few months) I borrowed a pump so that I could give an EBM feed on occasion. You really don't need anything if you intend to breastfeed in my opinion and you especially don't need any formula in the house, at least initially. Good luck and don't stress about being prepared.

[Shanti]

Wow thank you all so much for your replies!! Sooooo helpful..

Daniellabella - so your DD didn't get turned off breastmilk after having formula a few times?? I hear stories and it worries me!!

Yep, i'm going to attend an ABA breastfeeding class early November in my area! So that should be good..... perhaps I should wait til then and talk to the ladies there and see what they recommend aswell? Before i go and start buying stuff....

I'm pretty keen to have a pump, bottle and steriliser on hand however not sure about having formula in the house (just yet)

[Lucy]

I didn't get anything before hand. I planned to BF and I didn't want to spend $$ on stuff I may never use.

That said, once the BF'ing was established, I then went and got a Madela mini electric to express with. But that wasn't till Olivia was about 7 weeks old.

Eventually, after all 3 babies, plus sharing the thing around between friends between times, my Madela Mini Electric has been used for about 9 babies and is still going strong, LOL!

Bottles and teats for expressing are a funny one.....each of my 3 babies had a different "preference"...Olivia liked the NUK orthodontic ones, Charlie liked Pigeon Peristaltic and Lexie was content on the bog standard cheapies from Target.........go figure.......


Either way, they were exclusively BF for 6 months........the bottles were for EBM on occasion....Charlie more so for some reason. I purposefully didn't buy any formula.

GOOD LUCK!

[smiles4u]

I had an AVENT manual breast pump & I found it useless. I was later recommended by the baby health nurse that electric breast pumps are much easier to use (by the time I got this advice I no longer had any milk supply & bub was on formula at 5mths to my disappointment)

I started with TWO little AVENT bottles !!

And i purchased a BigW brand (Dymples) microwave bottle steriliser (was clear lid & white plastic bottom) for about " $10 " in 2006 & it lasted me for ages & is now packed away in brilliant condition.

(Would have loved an electric sterisler but I didn't have the bench room (believe me you won't want to be pulling it out of the cupboard several times a day

ALL THE BEST ... and don't let the subject of breastfeeding concern you - You can only do what you can do