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

[Shanti]

On the weekend we bought 4 pack of bottles (Tommee Tippee) for mothers breastfeeding & bottlefeeding. The teat is very similar to the nipple (it says anyway). This is so i can feed our baby expressed breastmilk only. I don't want to use formula.
I spoke to a mother of two in Target at the time who was very helpful and recommended them to me. She said those and Avent were great (for her kids anyway).
And they were on special!

We are not buying formula (unless medically i can't breastfeed but i should be able to) and will buy the breast pump probably once the baby is born.

I won't buy a bottle steriliser (as I don't intend to use bottles all the time anyway, mainly breast!!) and just use the stove with boiling water.

I've decided I will get the midwives at the hospital to teach me how to 'hand express' first before i even try to use an electric pump.

Thanks everyone.

[mbear]

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?

...DONT !. IF you plan on breastfeeding, dont have that mentality of 'just incase'....coz once you come across one hiccup during breastfeeding, esp in the first few days, believe me, you will resort to that 'just incase bottle' you bought.

Great advice by other ladies, no need to repeat myself.

If you intend to be with baby for its first few weeks of life....then IMO i dont think you need a sterilizer, bottle etc. Your boobs will do just fine.

[MantaRay]

BTW, there is no need to sterilise bottles, teats, breast pump etc for breast milk. The health guidelines now state that this is not necessary. Even in hossy with a nb nothing was sterilised (it was for our first use as it would have been used for other babies first, but not in between uses IYKWIM).

[onthefly]

Good idea about learning to hand express - I've heard it's the best way but havn't been able to get the knack myself.

[Shanti]

That's what i've heard Mantaray... that we don't need to sterilise with breastmilk. So that's good to know. The lady i spoke to in the shops just said she just puts them under hot water that usually kills any nasties anyway.

Don't I need bottles if i'm expressing milk though? Otherwise where does it go? If i have excess milk when bubs is born, i would want to keep it in a bottle wouldn't i? Or do you just pump it out and throw it away?? geez I have lots to learn

[sushee]

Everyone has excess milk when their bub is born. Those first few weeks, your body doesn't know how much your baby will need, so produces HEAPS! LOL! That's why you get engorged in those first few weeks after birth.

You don't have to express it. You just leave it in your boobs. That way your body will 'learn' how much your baby will need, and in 3-4 weeks your boobs will suddenly become softer (which is when many new mums start thinking they don't have enough milk) and will only produce as much as your bub needs. Your baby won't need expressed milk if you're exclusively BFing. Your body will provide every single bit it needs.

[MantaRay]

Renstar, firstly, you should always rinse your bottles, pump etc in cold water first, and then warm water. The cold water rinses most of the milk away so that the temp of the warm water won't multiply the bacteria.

Also, I agree with Sushee. Bfing can be difficult in the first weeks/months. Trying to learn how to express, and fit expressing into the feeding schedule you are developing can be really tricky. I'd master the bfing first and then you can think about expressing down the track. When you do express, you usually store it in breast milk storage bags or breast milk storage cups, and baby will drink from the bottle (or a cup). Some people store it in bottles but they take up more room.

You will learn this at the bfing class too.

[myson]

sorry Sushee but i have to disagree there. Not EVERYONE has excess milk.

I never had engorgement, i never had a let down reflex feeling, my milk never "came in" in a big rush.

I also strongly disagree with all of you who say that having equipment of hand is like setting yourself up for failure.

I struggled and battled to breastfeed my DD1. I fought on bravely. I was determined to succeed, i was determined to not give in, i was determined to not have any equipment in the house to tempt me. I think NOT having this equipment on hand is what set me up for failure!

That was a big mistake, and i wont repeat it this time.

I struggled on so long that in the end i couldnt take it any more. I was cracked and bleeding, i was in agony, i dreaded my baby waking up and being hungry, and boy was she hungry! she was not getting enough milk from me. In the end i got a manual pump. (hurt my hands like HELL!) and i was so cracked, and stressed and upset all that i was getting was a bottle of blood and no milk.

I am not telling you this to scare you. I hate it when people just want to fill your heads with the horror stories of what they went through. its mean.

I just want to say that we are all different. Breastfeeding is not easy for everyone.

This time I plan to have bottles and an electric pump on hand because maybe I can use them to increase my supply if its low and maybe i can use them to give my nipples a break if they get cracked and maybe knowing that i have extra support, knowledge and a back up plan will help me to relax and be sucessful with my next baby. and maybe with all of this combined i might actually be able to enjoy bfing my baby.

and if this post sounds excessively outspoken, then sorry... blame the pg hormones but it is something i feel very strongly about.

And GL Renstar! I truly hope you grow yourself a chubby little boobie monster who has that beautiful clean milky baby smell!

[MantaRay]

Myson, I am so sorry you went through that. Did you see an IBCLC qualified LC at all? It is very important for all women to know that they have the ABA 24 hour help line, and IBCLC qualified LCs as resources if they have problems. Sadly this is a well-kept secret.

You are also right that some women have supply issues, but it is important to note that for women who are feeding frequently this is very uncommon. New mums shouldn't go into bfing worrying about the possibility of low supply. And when supply is low, feeding more frequently is more effective than expressing to increase supply. So it is still not a given that bottles, pump etc will be needed. The most important tool for a bfing mum is her phone - and the phone numbers of the ABA and a nearby IBCLC qualified LC.

I hope you have more success this time hun.

[myson]

thanks Manta. I left hosp with a leaflet with a phone number on it. WHen the probs started it was a friday night. the one midwife in our little country town hosp was too busy to get back to me and the phone number on the leaflet was disconnected. I felt very let down at the time, and perhaps it has all left me a bit bitter and twisted. I will be better prepared this time!

[sushee]

myson,

I too am sorry for your experience. I do agree with MantaRay though that like most things, the majority of the time everything is fine, but it will never be 100% of the time that exactly the same thing will happen for everyone. I think you're a good example of that. When I said ' Everyone has excess milk' I meant as a humurous response to Renstar wondering if she would have more milk than she needed.

But when I say that having the bottles and formula there is a psychological temptation at a time when you're tired and sore, I'm not making it up. Many times, I too felt the very real pull of wanting to give up BFing, despite the fact that I had BFed before and knew I could do it. It may have been the opposite for you, but in MOST cases, it is true. As a new mum, it's a very real alternative when you're frazzled, in pain and sleep-deprived. It can ultimately also mean the difference between ending up FF when you were otherwise able to BF.

I too don't think you should go into a BFing relationship worrying that you will have low supply, though I do know it does happen (as it did to you). It just doesn't happen very often. And again, it's like buying crutches in case your leg breaks. Some people's legs may well break, but for most, it just doesn't happen.

So not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that for someone who wants to BF, is able to BF and does not wish to bottlefeed, there is no need to buy bottles prior to baby arriving.

[Shanti]

I'm so glad I started this thread.... i'm learning alot.

Aw Myson I'm sorry you went through all that. Thank you for your post its good for me to read other stories so i can understand how some women have managed. I'm hoping you have a much better experience this time around!! And i've heard a few stories like yours where the woman just simply didn't have enough supply.

Mantaray / Sushee - thank you. I've decided i'm not going to buy a pump or anything (besides the 4 bottles i got) until i have the baby and know what i'm doing and i may just find like you said, that i don't need anything!.... after all, feeding from the breast exclusively is my GOAL and I would like to achieve just that for at least the babies first 6-12mths.

I'm attending an ABA breastfeeding class (all booked in) early November in my area and DH is coming with me! I can't wait.......

[myson]

well said sushee. and i like the crutches analogy.

but how do you know if you will be "able to BF". I was so sure i would be great at it. but i sucked (ha ha, i made a funny)

Not wanting to hijack your thread Renstar... sorry mate.

but i am truly excited and grateful to know that all this support will be right here waiting when its my turn again.

[Shanti]

Myson, buddy, you're not hijacking my thread.... no such thing as that.... you are just learning like I am

I have the ABA phone numbers already on my fridge!!

[sushee]

myson,

the simple truth is, the majority of women can breastfeed. Even if it hurts, even if they bleed (I did), even if they don't enjoy it, they can breastfeed if a) they want to and b) they get the right support (most importantly).

But for the small minority that can't, that's why they have bottles and formula. And in most places, you can buy these items from any pharmacy, and in most metro cities, you can find a pharmacy open 24 hours a day if you look.

The other thing I wanted to say is this: breastfeeding is not easy for many women. Just because I BFed 4 kids didn't mean it was easy. I had recurrent mastitis, cracked nipples, bleeding. No, definitely not easy. Many BFing mums will agree - BFing is hard, it takes time to establish and is more often than not quite painful to begin with. But in the long term it is very rewarding, and completely worth the difficult start. Just wanted to clarify that I never said it would be easy.

[myson]

Renstar your a champ, I will make sure they are on my fridge before bub arrives, too.

Sushee. You are right about the support, that was a vital missing link for me. As well as a MIL who keep wanting to help by continuously suggesting formula ( before the probs even started) and a small country town where chemists dont open past 1pm on a Saturday (let alone Sundays, P.hols or 24 hrs)

[christy]

myson, I also second what MantaRay said about the IBCLC lactation consultant. I saw a private LC and it was worth far more than the $90 I paid. It saved our breastfeeding relationship. At 8 weeks I nearly gave up with breast refusal issues, I couldn't get in touch with any ABA councellors in our area as it was Christmas time and 2 were on holidays and the other was moving house! My baby had breast refusal and I was in tears daily... I found a LC and it was fabulous.

Its absolutely demoralising when you want to do something & its not working. I hope you and Ren get set up for support beforehand. The ABA has meetings for pregnant mum's as well to help you get support beforehand

[Janie]

Renstar, the thing to remember is that if you need to use the numbers, make sure you do so! So many people hang around thinking things will just magically get better.

I agree with MR and Sushee.........jsut concentrate on getting the BFing thing down pat before you go worrying about expressing and especially bottles. I know it all sounds so exciting now LOL but really, learning to care for a newborn is enough without expressing if you don't really have to. I'm sure you will find the ABA class invaluable, hope you enjoy it!