Breastfeeding question

[CuteLittleToes]

Expecting my first child so a bit clueless...

Those of you who breastfed, did you still get bottles/breast pumps/sterilisers? Anyone got on completely without? Did you express - on what occasions and how often? Did you give your baby formula as well and why/on what occasions?

Also, do you absolutely need a steriliser, or can you somehow get by without?

Thanks :)

[FetchezLaVache]

Hi there, I bought bottles, breast pump and steriliser because I thought expressing might be a good way to go. DS, however, insisted on going straight to source so that was all a bit of a waste of time! Never gave him formula so can't help with that.

Have you got a dishwasher? I think (someone else will know) you can get away without a steriliser if so (but don't quote me!).

All the best! When are you due?

[Bluestocking]

Hi OP, I have to confess it never even occurred to me to buy anything for feeding, I just assumed my breasts would do the job and fortunately I was right. But I did buy an electric pump a few months in because one nipple was too sore for DS to feed from but I wanted to maintain the supply from that breast. I found that Lansinoh was the best nipple cream and Lilypadz were the best way to avoid leaking all over my clothes. Good luck!

[Rowboat]

i, too, bought bottles and pump. Neither useful until I went back to work at 9 months as dd flatly refused anything other than au naturel.

[CruCru]

Hi OP, yep I had bottles, steriliser and formula. My supply was low in the evenings so I expressed in the morning and evening and gave DS expressed in the evening, sometimes with a top up of formula. He also had a dummy - you need to sterilise those.

[Beamur]

I had a few bottles, a steriliser and a pump. Got little use out of any of it! Worth having though if you intend to express or mix feed at all, but it may depend on your baby and how well you both take to bf. Mine refused any kind of bottle and I was hopeless at expressing.

[Fairypants]

Hi cute
I bought a couple of bottles and a pump after a couple of months so I could leave them with my mum for a couple of hours but only really used it to mix in with first weaning food. Bottles were always too much of a faff for me!
I did use a bit of follow on formula once they were mobile and wanted something they could crawl around with but I still bf for several months after that as well.
You can use miltons fluid or tablets in any container or boil stuff in a saucepan if needs be but microwave sterilisers are so cheap and easy, it's probably worth getting one if/when you get any bottles.

[Lion5711]

The same as above I bought an electric breast pump after a few months but found my son hated bottles and easily took it from a cup after 5/6 months if need be. Never used formula as it was far easier to feed him. I'm saying this a if it's all easy-it's not but with the help of some great Breastfeeding support through the children's centre I fed for 2years happily!

[yellowsnownoteatwillyou]

I bought a manual breast pump, bottles and a steriliser. That were on offer from the boots parenting club, but was intending to fully breast feed. Unfortunately this didn't work out. With horrific cracked nipples and engorged boobs on day 3 when milk came in, and nearly instant mastitius also boobs are massive, so feeding outside without a pillow would be impossible.
I got DH to get formula and I expressed as how painful it was made me terrified to feed him.
I got an electric pump from nhs breast feeding support and mix fed with expressed milk.
I got over my fear by 4 weeks and Ds now has milk straight from source, expressed or formula, he doesn't care. Which has been easier for me as I've been quite ill so needed to have help.
It's not how I thought things would go, but it works for us.

[CuteLittleToes]

Thanks for all your replies! :)

I'm due 18th of November.

I guess I won't bother buying any then, if I discover later that I do need them I can always get them, just don't want to spend money on something I might not even use...

[Pineapple80]

Hi,

I am BF my DS who is 12 wks old. I didn't buy any bottles/pump/steriliser until after he was born. I didn't really need it and its not recommended until you establish your milk supply for the first 6-8 wks. It's up to you though and can start expressing earlier but I wanted to let my body and baby adjust naturally.

At about 6 wks I managed to get my SIL's pump and expressed a bit and have my DS a bottle only milk a day. I wanted to see if he would take the bottle and he had no issues with it . Since then I bought a microwave steam steriliser which is quick as easy (Closer to Nature/tommee tippee brand). You dont really need to buy one, you can bring a pot of water to the boil with your bottle and pump parts and simmer for 5 minutes to sterilise.

To be honest I hardly express now as I don't really need to. I am at home and prefer to breastfeed as it is easier for me and don't have to fuss around with a bottle, cleaning and sterilising etc. I'm glad I have all the equipment though for when I need to express milk.

In regards to formula, I don't give my DS any formula and don't plan to. I'm fortunate to be able to bf without any issues & enjoy it at the same time.

Hope this helps OP!

[NomDeClavier]

I had a double electric when I went back to work. DS hated bottles and much preferred boob though. He didn't have formula.

DC2 will probably have some formula - I'm not sure about nursery's policy on EBM (we're not in the UK) but I do have all the kit.

I prefer to cold water sterilise with Milton. It's the only way to kill fecking, bastard thrush.

[NomDeClavier]

Oh and if you do choose to get a pump I'd recommend doing some research into open vs closed pumps. I have an Ameda lactaline which is a closed system but the very popular Medela pumps are open system and I wasn't comfortable with that, knowing that I planned to use it long term and for subsequent DC, and would donate milk if I could, plus I could lend /sell on my pump with a clear conscience.

[snickersnacker]

A dishwasher won't sterilise your equipment so you will need one. I have an Avent microwave one which was only about £12 on amazon.

[Monka]

I wouldn't bother buying a breast pump until baby arrives and see how you get on with breastfeeding. I haven't used mine yet although baby is only 16 days old. You can buy all the steriliser and baby bottle equipment at any major supermarket so again you could leave it until baby is here. Some hospitals give you the aptimil baby feeds that are already made up with pre-sterilised teats and you can buy a pack of 6 from all supermarkets as well if you need them.

I am breastfeeding all I use is my nursing bras, lanisoh nipple cream and breast pads and a baby blanket if I have to feed in public. You can buy other things like proper breastfeeding props when out in public if you like but again buy them later. I spent 130 quid on a breastpump and scarf I haven't used yet. I know its early days so far but I could easily have waited to buy those items.

[BabyLabyrinth]

I BF exclusively for six months, never used the one bottle given to me by a kindly neighbour for fennel tea

I tried a hand pump from a friend a couple of times once DD was having porridge, but I found it much easier to express by hand.

I sterilised her dummy in the saucepan, but she never took to it anyway. I don't know if that would have been a pain if I'd have had to do it six times a day.

[Carole803]

I am following in my friend's footsteps, in that she breast fed mainly, but after the first week/2 weeks, she breastfed in the morning so her dh could do one feed a day and she could also stock up a little in case she was poorly or fancied a couple of glasses of wine!

it also meant both her dcs had no trouble with bottles later on.

She also advised to send a little more on an electric pump as she knows a few people who suffered carpel tunnel syndrome from a manual pump.

but as an op said, do a little research and go with what suits you.

It may be all intentions go to pot if the little one has their own ideas of what they will and won't do, or "one" might not even be able to produce the goods.

I am going to aim for following my friend's lead, but be flexible enough to go with the flow if that doesn't work.

All the best.

[FastWindow]

I have bought a manual pump and three little avent bottles, have the microwave steriliser from first time. I want my dh to be able to feed too, think it's v important to share (plus do night feeds if I'm shattered)
My first was prem and I should have been expressing from the start but I was never given the advice.

[vj32]

I bought a sterilizer, manual pump and small set of bottles cheap in a baby sale. In the end I only really expressed to mix with baby porridge in the early days of weaning. But DS never took a bottle. If he had I would have expressed so DH could occasionally do a feed. It was nice that I had it all that just in case, so if I had ever had any problems DH could just run out and buy some formula.

A friend had to give her newborn some formula feeds because she kept getting bad infections. She managed to keep bf going and is now solely bf again - so its not necessarily one or the other you can mix feed, and formula is a brilliant back up if you need it so don't rule out using it or you might feel like you have failed if you have to.

However, I agree with other poster who said if you are near a 24 hour supermarket you don't need to buy too much in advance.

[Gurraun]

I would definitely recommend at least one bottle and carton of formula or those screw on teat ones. Ds2 bf in hospital but when I got home (and milk came in) stopped the first night home. Turned out to be tongue tie, all sorted now and back on the boob, but would've been a nightmare without a bottle (no one wants to go to24 hr shop at 3am) especially as was mid July so incredibly hot and baby would have been dehydrated.

Good luck x

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

NomDeClavier are you pleased with the ameda pump? It's the one I am thinking of going for so anything you could tell me about it would be brilliant. Thanks!

[NomDeClavier]

heffalump I think it's brilliant. Practically foolproof assembly, easy to clean and sterilise (I did sterilise because we were prone to thrush), good suction/speed and very adjustable. Also it's not too noisy which is a plus if you pump at work/pump while feeding and you can easily adapt it to single side pumping.

[princesscupcakemummyb]

hi i bought a breastpump used it once found it more hastle then it was worth so just breast fed instead it worked well also bought a steriliser even know i had and did breastfeed just incase it didnt work out :)

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

Thanks very much nom that's great to hear!

[MummyBeerest]

I did buy a pump that came with bottles for the occasional night out. Now I pump and add breastmilk to DD's whole milk to ease her transition.

All the best! November 18th is a great birthday