Bottle Feeding from Birth

[*Liz*]

This LO will be bottle fed from birth, and I feel a bit lost really  . My previous 2 were breast fed - DS to 7 months and DD to 9 months - so I have obviously used a bottle before  - but equally by that age the making up of formula etc was not a major concern. They were licking the floor etc!!

It is getting ready that is confusing me  . Would a NB baby just accept any bottle I decided to use?? Obviously NOT the case with a breast to bottle thing. Should I just get a couple and see? But against that is that they do feed a ton at the beginning don't they? I know Mums sometimes have to switch bottles due to wind or formula issues though.

I assume I just pick any stage 1 formula and hope for the best?

I did express a bit previously so have an old steam steriliser somewhere that I can hopefully kick into life, and if not replace. My microwave is a bit old and yucky so I don't think I want to use that really.

But the night feeds? Oh it makes me feel queasy even thinking about it  . How on earth will I manage to make bottles without causing chaos, especially since DH is now working away during the weeks so I will be alone. I'm sure a NB won't take kindly to be leaving them in the cot while I wander off to the kitchen to boil the kettle etc.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Can you get the formula that is liquid and ready to go in the UK? Would it be worth the extra expense to have them (here they are tiny single serving bottle that you can screw certain nipples on) just for night feeds and feed at room temp? Sorry I have nonpractical experience but I did use those camping for E and they were fab as it was so simple (okay I did transfer to her sippy cup but ykwim!).

[*Kara*]

I have bottlefed both DD and now the twins from birth so I have a few tricks to make things easier.  I avoided powder formula - it's not sterile and you do have to boil water and cool to 70 to mix the formula safely.  I use concentrated liquid - it is sterile so as long as your water supply is safe, you are fine not to boil water for prep (you could also buy sterilized water if you wanted).  I prep a can of liquid in a sealed jug and keep that in the fridge (each can is 24ozs prepared formula here in Canada).  Easy to pour a feed and warm it in the bottle warmer. 

If you can't get concentrate and do need to use powder, you can use a thermos/flask of previously boiled water that is still hot to prep each feed (super helpful overnight!).  Just add cooled water as needed to get the temp correct.. a bit of practice and this will make for simple and very fast bottle prep!

I did try a couple of bottles with DD before settling on Avent... I used Avent from 10 days old with the twins (we used hospital supplies for the first 10 days) - haven't had a refusal issue yet!  Things to consider when choosing a bottle - replacement nipple cost (you should replace every 2 months because of wear), ease of use (lots of parts on some - Dr Browns), parts that need constant replacement (like the liners for Playtex bottles). 

As for formula choice - did either of your first kiddies have any intolerances/allergies?  If not, pick a basic stage 1 formula and give it a go.

[Lolly]

Check what your hospital offers first. Some don't offer any formula at all now, in which case you can buy packs of ready made formula in tiny bottles with disposable teats to take in with you.

http://www.mothercare.com/Cow-and-Gate-Starter-Pack-from-Newborn-Stage-1/411400,default,pd.html

I stuck with the formula my two were given in hospital, so DS was a Cow&Gate baby and DD had Aptamil, (I preferred the Aptamil but can't remember why!) until they went to reflux formula that is! DS had Avent bottles to start and quite quickly went to Dr Brown's, DD had breast flow for a couple of weeks but we changed to Tommee Tippee closer to Nature bottles. The TT bottles have the best vari-flow I have found, they don't drip at all and the baby controls the speed by how hard they suck. Neither had trouble switching between teats/ bottle types.

There is no concentrated formula in the UK, there are the ready to feed cartons which can be useful at night feeds as you can leave them at room temp and just open and tip them into a pre-sterilised bottles and feed. If you sterilise bottles and put them together empty with the lid on they are sterile for 24 hours.

We also did what Kara suggested and filled a flask, but we just made the feed fresh and cooled under a running tap. Our routine for all bottles day and night was to fill and switch on the kettle, make a bottle from flask and refill the flask once the kettle had boiled ready for the next feed so we always had a flask of water at the ready. Once they were on reflux formula the bottles were in the fridge so it was add powder and stick in microwave to heat. It's not advised, but using common sense to shake feed well and test before feeding and we had no issues.

If you have some spare cash you can now get a machine that does the bottles for you in 2 mins. It delivers a hot shot of boiling water to kill bacteria then adds cool water to the amount you set, you just put the powder in before you put the bottle in the machine. It's an expensive glorified kettle but I can see how it would make nights easier!

http://www.boots.com/en/Tommee-Tippee-Closer-to-Nature-Perfect-Prep-Machine_1349742/

Laura

[Ima shel Alon]

O probably did it all wrong but that's what I did:

I bought only one kind of bottles and stage 1 nipples. I was thinking that it will anyway take him a couple of times to get the hang of it, so I just tried and he was fine already at the first time.

Late in the evening, before I went to bed I would clean all the bottles from the day, sterilize them and prepare each of them with half the boiling water I needed. So if DS drank 120ml each feed at night, I prepared 60ml. Then when he woke up at night I would go to the kitchen, boil the kettle with a bit of water (that way it's quicker) and add the other half.
You would need to check before hand if adding half boiling water to the cooled water is not too hot. In that case you could do 3/4 cooled and the rest freshly boiled.
Like Tracey suggested, I only gave formula in room temp. so DS got used to it and I didn't have to worry too much about it being warm.
After a few days you really get quick doing that so there is not much time for your LO to stay in the cot and wait.

[*Liz*]

I used to make up bottles for the nights, and then reheat in the microwave  . I didn't do it for long as they rapidly STTN after starting bottles, and as they were older I wasn't that bothered. Plus yes - shake it well - check it etc.

The flask that you make up - is that so you have cooled boiled water ready for the next feed? So boil the kettle and use that hot water to mix the powder, then use the cooler water to bring it down to a more sensible temp?

I quite like MAM bottles, both for the anti colic thing and because I like being able to take the bottom off to clean it rather than using a bottle brush (I hate cleaning brushes - always feel they are dirty iyswim  ). How many should I get?? Again I think I had 6 with the other 2, but as they were older I never changed them, just let them slowly wear out and then ditched the bottle  . I keep thinking to start with a pack of 3, but that may make for some very busy early days!!

Those pre made ones look good for the hospital. They do now make big bottle of pre made formula here, but still a really expensive way of doing it I think.

DS was on SMA (taste preference after MANY options tried  , but again, it was a breast to FF wean), DD happily had Aptimal. Both had lots of reflux and DD particularly seemed to have intolerances, she has eosinophilic colitis when beast fed, but took Aptimal when I abruptly weaned at 9 mths (the initial plan was Neocate, but she wouldn't accept it, I tried Aptimal in desperate times, and thankfully, nothing happened  . So who knows what she was intolerant too - it can be anything in BM can't it? But even though both had reflux and suspected MPI it would't change starting with a normal stage 1 milk would it? I assume they have to get sick to prove it first anyway due to the prescription cost issue. And using reflux formulas etc you would decide as you went along I guess.

Might be worth checking which bottles do variflow just in case though. I think MAM are just 1-3 standard ones.

Did all you babies use soothers as well? Were they the matching ones?? Again I have no idea here - neither of my 2 ever had a soother - but I'm pretty sure they comfort nursed (esp at night) and I am clearly losing that 'super power' as well.

[KathrynK]

Liz with Sophie I always warmed her milk, which in the middle of the night when she was screaming hungry was a real pita. With Alex I just gave it to him at room temp and he took it just fine from the start. There is nothing to say you have to warm it, was so much easier to not!
We used the Avent bottles as they had such good reviews. They do a variflow teat which I used with both kids and was really good.
I used sma formula with Sophie which was fine for her but with Alex I used Aptamil easy digest as he had reflux and a sensitive tummy.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I mix fed all three Liz and they all used different brands of bottles to the soothers (well Spencer used her thumb ). No real rhyme or reason there!

[Ima shel Alon]

We used as well different brands for the bottles and the soother (which he only used for a very short time).

[Lolly]

We used different brands of dummy and bottle too. I think the Avent dummies were the popular choice for both of mine, they didn't really like the shaped ones.

The flask of water is to have hot water for bottles ready without waiting for the kettle to boil not cool water. If you re-fill the flask with freshly boiled water each time you make a bottle from it, it stays hot enough over the 2/3 hours between feeds to be hot enough to kill  any bacteria in the powder but the bottle will be hot and need cooling. If you hold it under cold running water it doesn't take long.

I think we had 6 bottles with each child, that was plenty.

The Avent vari-flow are good teats but they are fast and from 6 months. They have 3 levels and you turn the teat so a number on the teat is in line with the nose to determine the flow. I used them with the reflux formula for DD as no3 teats weren't fast enough. I wouldn't use them with a new born or ordinary formula really. The comfort formulas are thicker than standard so this vari-flow may be useful if you use that.

Although it's not advised you can make up feeds in advance and then just warm. If you do though make sure you use freshly boiled water, make the feed and then cool it really quickly and store in the back of the fridge not the door (it's not cold enough). If making in advance they need to be used within 24 hours, although we only ever made one or two in advance so they were used more quickly than that.

Laura

[*Liz*]

Yk I've never really used a thermos so no idea how long it would stay hot for  . Sounds like a great idea though  .

When you say shaped dummies do you mean Ortho ones? I'm never sure about the cherry latex ones  .

[Lolly]

When you say shaped dummies do you mean Ortho ones? I'm never sure about the cherry latex ones  .

Yes those ones! The problem with the ortho ones is that there is only one way to put them in the mouth and they are harder for them to re-plug by themselves. The cherry ones can go in either way up - there isn't a right way up IYSWIM! We never had any problem with the latex cherry dummies- avent even do glow in the dark ones which can be useful!

Laura

[Kellyjs]

My friend had to do bottle feeding from early on in the end because of problems with bf. Found this amazing coffee machine type dispenser that tommee tippee do. Basically you just put a sterilised bottle underneath and press go and it dispenses ready to go formula at the right temperature. I'm totally getting one if we ever decide to go through all this again! It is expensive at £75, but well worth it IMO to do a nf quickly!

I'll try and find the link for you on amazon. Cheapest place apparently to buy one.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Closer-Nature-Perfect/dp/B00BG6304A

[Lolly]

That's the one I linked above! My brother king of the gadgets has one

You still have to put the formula powder in the bottle then it puts in a hot shot of water to kill bacteria then tops up to the amount you set it to so it's at a drinkable temp. It takes about 2 mins in total!

Laura

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

MAM does glow in the dark soothers too, brilliant invention. If anyone has a desire to get you a really $$$ baby gift you could suggest that machine . Would be fab for bottle feeding full time. I use my Keurig coffe maker for the same purpose.

[macsmum]

I used nuk bottles for the last two and they were fab for them both refluxers, I tried every other bottle first though 😨 it's always the last ones I try that I feel are best haha...we used the ready made cartons of milk for first week and then just at night, she only needed them for 8 weeks as shy started sleeping 7 hrs a night x

[*Liz*]

Ohhhh, if my new LO STTN at 8 weeks I think I could live with it  . DS was 12 months and DD 9 months before they did that!!! Pretty typical BFing disaster zone really  , and partly why I worry I think. By 5 mths both of mine we increasing feeds and WU's to every 2 hrs etc etc  .

That is another great idea though  . Neither of mine ever accepted ready made milk, I assume due to taste difference, but again I guess that is less of an issue with very young babies.

Did you do all feeds at room temp as well??

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I tried room temp but all three hated it - though they were mainly bf so not an issue really if the odd bottle were heated.

Formula does take longer to digest than bm so might result in longer sleep periods at night barring other issues.

[babybarr]

My two will take their milk cold. I did and still do make up all feeds before  and take the chill off stand briefly in hot water or microwave for 15secs. I take their bottles from the fridge and put in a cool bag. They have the bottles from there. However the milk has been made with the recommended water temp etc. All the health professionals who knew how I did it didn't have a prob although I know it's 'not the right way'  when o was little in hospital his milk was always premade for him and stored in the fridge (not ready made cartons as he was dairy free)

We were given small bottles of ready made formula for h&j in hospital.

[Buttonbobs]

We too used a thermos flask to make up night feeds. E was a bit older (6/7 weeks) but the time we used bottles but she still had night feeds for a while. The term is really helped with not having to wait for too long, or having to have two people around, one to sooth her while crying and the there in the kitchen boiling the kettle. I was always a bit paranoid about having her in my arms while using boiled water so this gave me peace of mind too.

The hospital did say they had several varieties of formula in those ready made bottles for us to use if we had needed. We used aptimil from the start as a friend had given us some cartons they had left over, and I have heard it can be better from a constipation point of view (whether this is true I have no idea). It's certainly the most expensive.

We used advent bottles and had 8 of the small ones and then went to six big bottles as she got older.

[rach321]

I was a bit naughty and used to make my bottles up in a batch so I ŵoukd sterilise the bottles add freshky boiler water (still super hot) then add the milk powder then allow to cool before putting in fridge, then I would take a few up for the night so they could warm to room temp - should be fine ( the scientist in my head says so!) as the bottle was sterile, the water was boiling and the water was hot enough to kill any bacteria in the powder. Ds1 and 2 were not too bothered about the temp. Can't be doing with faffing around in the middle of the night!

[Lolly]

then I would take a few up for the night so they could warm to room temp - should be fine ( the scientist in my head says so!)

The guidelines say a freshly made bottle of formula made in the "proper" way is good for 2 hours at room temp after that it should be discarded. Once a bottle has begun to be drunk from it should be discarded after an hour.

Laura

[*Liz*]

Not an easy decision is it? How to do it so that you don't lose your mind at 3am....

Can completely see your point about not doing bottles with boiling water in the dark with a baby in your arms  . I will be on my own most of the time with this one.

Must admit, I saw my midwife last week and she assumed I would BF again  . I explained that I doubted I could, and she said I may be able to and should perhaps try etc etc etc. Made me feel bad  . This is one of those things that I dread about being in hospital for delivery - how many times will I have to explain yk??!

[Buttonbobs]

I have a friend who had to have her milk ducts completely removed and she was worried about this ^^^ but she made sure she discussed it with her midwife and it was recorded clearly in her notes, and I don't think it became a problem.

This is something that only you can know what is right for you in your circumstances. Whatever you feel is right will be the right thing. Here to support you xx

[Lolly]

Must admit, I saw my midwife last week and she assumed I would BF again  . I explained that I doubted I could, and she said I may be able to and should perhaps try etc etc etc. Made me feel bad  . This is one of those things that I dread about being in hospital for delivery - how many times will I have to explain yk??!

{{HUGS}} a little sensitivity goes a long way doesn't it?

I will say though that neither of mine were screamers for food, not all babies are, maybe it was the reflux but they never protested that much. Which ever one of us did the NF took the baby downstairs and put them in the bouncy chair or on a rug on the floor and made the bottle quick and then fed them downstairs. We put a dim lamp on so they weren't in bright light but not in the dark either.

Laura

[Ima shel Alon]

Are you going to bring a birth plan with you, Liz? You can just state it there and even ask that they don't bring it up. If women can write to please not bring up pain relief and not mention them, then you can also ask that that won't be brought up.