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I'm planning on exclusively breastfeeding as long as possible, but I'm aware of the possibility of "needing" to switch to formula or expressed milk at some point. Since I'm sure people will want to buy me bottles etc. for my baby shower, I thought I may as well ask for a specific kind (or sell what I don't want on eBay and buy what I do want ;))
So what kind of bottle is closest to natural? If it's the EBM situation (more likely) then I'd want to be able to go back to normal bfing
if you plan on exclusivley bfing then you do not need bottles, any time you may need to express just use a sippy cup instead.
IME also when having bottles in the house if it gets a little tough often people feel its easier to just get a bottle rather then continuing with bm so if you dont have them then your more likely to push through and get help.
It's like breast pumps...hard to say exactly what you will need until you're there...
I ended up EE for my DD2, but I tried for weeks to get her back on the breast, so we have ended up using Pigeon wide necked bottles with the peristaltic teat, designed for BF babies, they work for us so we have just stuck with them even though not trying to BF anymore.
But if we had gone the bottle route from the start I probably would have gone with narrow neck bottles.
My sister tried three different kinds I think before finding one to suit her bub.
If you are wanting them from your baby shower, a gift voucher might be a better idea?
HTH :)
The Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles are terrific and you can get a Tommee Tippee breastpump so the bottle will fit into the pump, no need to decant from one to the other. My breastfed DS would only take these bottles, flatly refused all the others I tried.
If you are worried about BPA (chemical in polycarbonate bottles) then Mam Ultivent are a bit fiddly, but good, I used them with DD. I still liked Tommee Tippee better, they may now be BPA free.
But truthfully, if you want to exclusively breastfeed I wouldn't even have them in the house. Too tempting if things are a bit rough in the early stages.
I bought a very expensive electric breastpump for myself and I could never express...my breasts just wouldn't respond to the pump at all. It would take me 30 minutes to get 30ml no matter what I tried and I was always gobsmacked at women who could get 150ml in 10 minutes. So I would recommend hiring a pump first and see if you have the time, ability and inclination to express before spending the $$$ to get one of your own.
(In case you are wondering, the bottles I gave my DS had formula in them - I introduced a bottle of formula a day at about 6 months because I needed to be able to go out without him for longer than a couple of hours and leave his babysitter a bottle, but I still breastfed till he was 20 months).
Hi,
It does seem like bottles are part of the cultural package that comes with a baby. When it comes to breastfeeding, largely it is all about confidence. Bottles play a large role in undermining a mother's confidence!
There are great alternatives when it comes to really useful gifts for a baby shower. A membership to the Australian Breastfeeding Association is a must. For an extra $20 you can do a class as well - it really helps to understand how the process works and to get a support network in place. No new mother should leave hospital without a baby sling - a soft front pouch or a ring sling is great.
If you need a bottle, ever, it is probably best to get something to suit your needs at the time. Any normal bottle is fine. Don't buy into the marketing hype - it's just that.
Yeah, you're all right - it was a "just in case" thing. I don't expect to have to use bottles at all, but I wanted to be prepared for it anyway. Like if i got sick and couldn't bf for a while, or had to be away from the baby for whatever reason... Thought maybe some bottles would be better than others, but it seems there's not much difference?
Now, if I could get it across to my friends and family that I'd much rather an ABA membership than something I probably won't use... It's on my "list" but judging by my wedding registry last year, no-one actually listens to what I want... :wall: I don't want to eBay half my presents lol
Both of my sons have loved the Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Bottles as well. They have both been breastfed (ds2 is still breastfeeding) but loves to drink water out of the Tommee Tippee bottles.
Im sorry but I really dont see how having a bottle in the house can affect the mothers confidence about breastfeeding.
I breastfed all my children and plan to do so with this one too but like you wanted to have bottles there just in case.
For those days you really are shattered and want DH to take over for a bit, those days you can go have a bit of time to yourself with a girlfriend and not having to worry about been home at certain time to feed.
I use Tommee Tippee closer to nature and the ones I got the other day are also BPA free so that was an added advantage.
Good luck in your choice