Bottles
Replies
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How many bottles do you guys feel is needed? I am breastfeeding, so I guess it depends on how much I can pump to store. I currently have 7-5oz and 3-8oz bottles. I'm wondering if I should return the package of 3 5oz and get more 8oz. I know 5 will be fine for a while, but I figured at some point he might be eating more than 5oz at a time?
My little man was a really good eater and was taking 6 ounces by the time he was four months. Then he moved up to eight ounces pretty quickly after that. We had a ton (probably 7 or 8) bottles for the first few months but then due to an unfortunate nipple mix up on an airplane that resulted in a full bottle being spilled over baby, myself, and dear hubby we moved down to two and got rid of all the other nipples/bottles. As long as you are willing to clean the bottles right away and not wait until you NEED the next bottle I think it's doable to just have a few. That's just my two cents though.0 -
It's so funny you say this! Just this past weekend, I was visiting with my BIL and SIL, whose due date is about a week after mine. Their daughter is about to turn one, and my SIL just quit pumping about two months ago. They did not intend for her to get pregnant again this quickly, so she was semi-joking that she was not going to breastfeed this baby, that her boobs were still "tingling" from all that nursing and pumping!
Then I said, "Maybe you should pump exclusively," and she loved that idea. Later it hit me, why hadn't I thought of that for myself? Not that I don't think nursing is worthwhile, but I found it to be incredibly difficult for both of us. When it wasn't working, no one encouraged me to get on the pump until it was too late, and I had hardly any supply left. Despite my lack of a good supply, I still had a good relationship with my pump and didn't mind it *that* much. (I might feel differently if I were EPing, though.)
Anyway, point being, I've spent the last week looking for EP resources. I'm not sure if I will exclusively pump or breastfeed and pump, but I'd like to avoid the cost of formula this time. I think there's a lot to be said for EPing, and I agree that it's a bit unfair that it is so easily overlooked!
Edited for clarity
The best resource I found was a group on Babycenter (The EPing Mommas maybe? I don't remember). But they have a running list of "rules" to help you establish, start reducing the number of times you pump without losing supply, avoiding mastitis, saving time on cleaning your pumps, etc....
The hospital with my son SERIOUSLY messed us up on breastfeeding - they gave him a nipple shield because he didn't latch in the first 3 minutes and being a first time mom I had no idea what I was doing. This time I will try harder to get LO to latch naturally - because I do like breastfeeding... but if this baby has issues latching as well, I'd rather EP than be stressed and not enjoy the time I have with my baby. Breastmilk is breastmilk no matter how it gets in their little tummies.
Editted to add: I don't know you very well, but you seem fairly competitive (like myself) which was a really good thing for me while pumping. I made it a game to pump more each week than I had the week before - by the time I stopped pumping my little man had almost 2 months of milk in the freezer to drink
Guilty as charged! I could totally see myself trying to outdo my own output Might as well take advantage of the personality trait...
But thanks for the heads-up on some EP resources. I found some good info on the Ameda site, too.0 -
How many bottles do you guys feel is needed? I am breastfeeding, so I guess it depends on how much I can pump to store. I currently have 7-5oz and 3-8oz bottles. I'm wondering if I should return the package of 3 5oz and get more 8oz. I know 5 will be fine for a while, but I figured at some point he might be eating more than 5oz at a time?
With my son, I didn't bother with the small bottles. You can always have an 8-oz bottle and only put 3 oz in it, but I didn't want to have to clean multiple small bottles (and make the switch out) when he was eating more than that. Honestly it wasn't all that long before he was drinking a full 8 ounces.
I think I ended up with 8 bottles, total. I started with four and then bought more as time passed and I got lazier with cleaning/sterilizing. (Not that I didn't clean them, but I didn't want to have to do it the second he finished a bottle.) The advantage to buying more over time is to break up the cost and also to take advantage of sales/coupons. However, if you have a good sale right off the bat (e.g., as I write this, Babies 'R Us has buy one get one 50% off online only for most major brands of bottles), it may be worth it to stock up.
Frankly I really just think it depends on how quickly you are going to get around to cleaning bottles. I always liked for mine to fully air dry before I had to make/fill another, so I preferred to have more, and I preferred to clean several bottles at the end of the day (I would rinse them in the interim) rather than as he used them.0 -
Thanks for the advice, I'll probably take the other ones back so I have 6-8oz and the 5oz came with my breast pump. Another first timer question...does it matter a lot on the nipples? The 5 oz have slow flow that are for 0-3 months, and the 8 oz have medium flow that are for 4-12 months. I didn't know if I should buy more slow flow nipples for the bigger bottles?0
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Thanks for the advice, I'll probably take the other ones back so I have 6-8oz and the 5oz came with my breast pump. Another first timer question...does it matter a lot on the nipples? The 5 oz have slow flow that are for 0-3 months, and the 8 oz have medium flow that are for 4-12 months. I didn't know if I should buy more slow flow nipples for the bigger bottles?
Personally, I would want as many nipples (of each flow rate) as I had bottles. However, they are a pretty easy (and small) part to clean, so if you're not down with cleaning the entire bottle and its parts at any given moment, it would be fairly simple to clean and even sterilize just the nipple so that you can put it on a new, clean bottle.
My opinion is that you kind of have to figure out your own rhythm to these things. Everything will be rather chaotic at first, and then you'll settle into your own routine/schedule (as much as having a newborn allows). For me, that meant having lots of bottles with nipples for each stage/flow. For others, that means having two or three bottles on hand and no more.
So I had 8 bottles with 8 nipples for each of the three flow rates, which we used up until my son was a year old... As time wore on I did find it to be excessive and figured I could have gotten away with just 6. However, I was a WAHM and rarely went very far from home, so having lots of clean bottles on hand was a luxury. If I had traveled a lot or worked outside the home and was pumping and whatnot (or even formula-feeding), having more, complete bottles might have been a necessity.0 -
Thanks so much! I currenlty have the nipples on the bottles, which are low flow for the 5 oz ones and medium for the 8 oz ones. I also bought 2 extra packages, I think 6 total of the medium flow ones. I kind of assumed by the time he needed more than 5 oz, he would use the medium flow. So many things to think about!0
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I am a first time mom and honestly this slow, medium and fast flow has me confused. Are they supposed to be used for different ages and if so what are they?
I just had my baby shower and my younger sister got the playtex ventair fast flow. I plan on breastfeeding but will be working full time so bottles will be used by the sitter. Is the fast flow for older ages or does it not matter?0 -
I am a first time mom and honestly this slow, medium and fast flow has me confused. Are they supposed to be used for different ages and if so what are they?
I just had my baby shower and my younger sister got the playtex ventair fast flow. I plan on breastfeeding but will be working full time so bottles will be used by the sitter. Is the fast flow for older ages or does it not matter?
Flow rates do matter. When babies are first born, they can really only eat small amounts, very slowly. It can take anywhere from 20-45 minutes (or sometimes longer) for a newborn to eat a couple of ounces of breastmilk or formula. The slow-flow nipples are necessary so that they don't get overwhelmed, which can cause a real mess. As they grow, they can eat more, faster. By the time my son could take an entire 8-oz bottle in one sitting, he could do it in about 10 minutes, sometimes less.
Born Free had stages 1, 2, and 3, and then I think they had some other additional fast flow one that we never got to because we moved away from bottles when my son was about a year old. Stage 1 was 0-3 months, stage 2 was 4-6 months, and stage 3 was 9+ months. Some manufacturers have a separate newborn nipple and then a 1-3 month nipple.
Keep in mind that some brands' nipples are supposedly interchangeable with some other brands of bottles. I never did it, but I've heard from others that with certain brands it can be done, say, if the bottle you are using does not offer a slow enough/fast enough flow for your baby, so you might not have to go out and buy an entire set of bottles.0 -
When my son was about 5 months old my dr suggested that we move him back down to a slow flow nipple because he was spitting up a lot after eatings - but if we fed him less than the full 8 ounces he would scream because he was still hungry. I guess, his mind didn't understand that he wasn't hungry anymore and he was over eating (kind of like a lot of us - we eat more than we need because we THINK we are still hungry). We ended up moving back to a slow flow nipple (supposedly 0-3 months) until he was about 9 months. He still was a pretty fast eater - but it did slow him down and the spitting up was greatly reduced.
It's all about your baby - the age suggestions are not set in stone. Think about it like clothing sizes - even though your child may be 4 months old they may still fit into the 0-3 month old clothes... you wouldn't move them up to 3-6 month clothes just because that size is on the label, you'd want your baby to be comfortable and you'd put them in the right size for their body. For us, the slow flow nipples were the best solution for our little man until he was almost done with bottles - but for other babies they probably do fine on the faster flows.0 -
When my son was about 5 months old my dr suggested that we move him back down to a slow flow nipple because he was spitting up a lot after eatings - but if we fed him less than the full 8 ounces he would scream because he was still hungry. I guess, his mind didn't understand that he wasn't hungry anymore and he was over eating (kind of like a lot of us - we eat more than we need because we THINK we are still hungry). We ended up moving back to a slow flow nipple (supposedly 0-3 months) until he was about 9 months. He still was a pretty fast eater - but it did slow him down and the spitting up was greatly reduced.
It's all about your baby - the age suggestions are not set in stone. Think about it like clothing sizes - even though your child may be 4 months old they may still fit into the 0-3 month old clothes... you wouldn't move them up to 3-6 month clothes just because that size is on the label, you'd want your baby to be comfortable and you'd put them in the right size for their body. For us, the slow flow nipples were the best solution for our little man until he was almost done with bottles - but for other babies they probably do fine on the faster flows.
I didn't know that about slower flow rates and spitting up. I'll have to try that!
But you're totally right about the age suggestions being just that - suggestions. Every baby is different. Some people introduce sippy cups pretty young, too (as young as 6 months), which adds even more variables in there!0 -
I was an EPer with my first, and will be again,... I have saliva "issues". We started with the Medela bottles that came with the pump and then just used the cheapo Gerber bottles (5 oz size) from [name your store]. They worked great. The nipple size was pretty standard for a lot of different brands, so we didn't get stuck buying a certain "kind".
Of course, last year we got rid of all the baby stuff so we're going to have to completely restock EVERYthing. *sigh*
p.s. We started with water in regular cups when she was 6-7 months, if it spills, big whoop... never needed a sippy cup.0 -
Just thought I'd revive this topic since I have another question. Has anyone used the Similac Simply Smart bottles? I got a $4 check from them good towards the purchase of these bottles. I looked online, and the 4 oz bottle is about $5 - so it would only cost me $1. Even if it's not something I use, I figure it's worth it to try it out or use as a back-up or something. At worst, I don't use it and give it away to someone having a baby.
https://similac.com/baby-formula/baby-bottle
Also, I got one of the new Avent Natural bottles from Avent. I bought some clothes from Motherhood, and there was a free offer included in my shipment with a one-time-use code. I got it the other day, so I'm interested to try it.0 -
Also, I got one of the new Avent Natural bottles from Avent. I bought some clothes from Motherhood, and there was a free offer included in my shipment with a one-time-use code. I got it the other day, so I'm interested to try it.
We are using Avent Natural bottles and love them. Easy to clean and I like that I can just buy faster flow nipples when baby is ready.
We have a Medela and a Tommie Tippee too, but we prefer Avent.0 -
Also, I got one of the new Avent Natural bottles from Avent. I bought some clothes from Motherhood, and there was a free offer included in my shipment with a one-time-use code. I got it the other day, so I'm interested to try it.
We are using Avent Natural bottles and love them. Easy to clean and I like that I can just buy faster flow nipples when baby is ready.
We have a Medela and a Tommie Tippee too, but we prefer Avent.
We also have the Avent Natural, the regular Avent bottles and the Tommie Tippee...we like them all but the Avent Natural have less parts to clean which is a plus oh and we also use the Playtex Ventaire (the tilted ones) just for the car and they're great. 0 -
We are using the playtex ventaire and love them once again. We also won a gift basket of tommee tippee bottles and my husband can't stand them and I have to admit they are a little weird to use the top of the bottle is so large and my daughter is so small that it will cover her nose if not careful. My husband hated them so much that I gave them to the babysitter to use.0
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Less parts is good! I like the idea of the Avent Natural, plus I have an Avent pump, and the bottles (even the Natural ones) are useable with the pump. Those Born Free bottles were the worst for parts cleaning
I am still considering Playtex for convenience purposes, though. Maybe as an "out and about" bottle, depending on how much BFing I do.0 -
Just wanted to chime in here.
We got the Playtex DropIns for Ben, and while he does well on them, he does a lot better on the Similac SmartStart bottles. He doesn't spill as much and I don't have to keep buying those inserts constantly. We're going to donate our Playtex bottles after this refill pack is done and just stick with the Similac bottles from here on out.0 -
Just wanted to chime in here.
We got the Playtex DropIns for Ben, and while he does well on them, he does a lot better on the Similac SmartStart bottles. He doesn't spill as much and I don't have to keep buying those inserts constantly. We're going to donate our Playtex bottles after this refill pack is done and just stick with the Similac bottles from here on out.
You're the only person I know who uses the Similac bottles, but I guess they are really new! I know buying the Drop-Ins refills will be annoying. My guess is I will make the investment in a couple of Avent bottles and see where we go from there. I'm hoping I do a little better at nursing this time, but I know I will eventually need bottles, even if I don't end up using formula. I still have all my Born Free bottles (sterilized and air dried), so there's that.0 -
Just wanted to chime in here.
We got the Playtex DropIns for Ben, and while he does well on them, he does a lot better on the Similac SmartStart bottles. He doesn't spill as much and I don't have to keep buying those inserts constantly. We're going to donate our Playtex bottles after this refill pack is done and just stick with the Similac bottles from here on out.
You're the only person I know who uses the Similac bottles, but I guess they are really new! I know buying the Drop-Ins refills will be annoying. My guess is I will make the investment in a couple of Avent bottles and see where we go from there. I'm hoping I do a little better at nursing this time, but I know I will eventually need bottles, even if I don't end up using formula. I still have all my Born Free bottles (sterilized and air dried), so there's that.
We got them in a sample pack of formula, but they really are great. They even have an optional lid where you can store formula to mix with the bottle while you're out. I guess for EBF moms this wouldn't be a big deal, but I find the Similac bottle mixes up a lot better with formula and seems to not drip as much either.0 -
Hi All! I was just over at my friends' house for the weekend, and they are engineers from MIT who have two kids and developed a new system for pumping, storing, heating up, and feeding the baby breastmilk. They are really excited about how it is working with their new baby, so I thought I would share it.
Being a first-time expectant mom, I am totally reliant on their explanation of its advantages:
*You pump from any brand pump directly into the "bottle," which is a plastic bag (I didn't ask if it was BPA-free, etc, but you can ask them) that you store in the freezer until you are ready to use. Before this product you would have to pump, then transfer it into a bottle.
*When you are ready to use it, simple screw the nipple onto the bag and put it in the holder. The baby drinks directly from this. You can do all of this with only one hand while you hold the baby.
*They have a breastmilk warmer that does not allow the breastmilk EVER to overheat, with no hotspots or nutrient damage due to overheating. It fits with this system or with any other size/brand bottle.
*The bottle system uses way less parts (I think you only have to wash one or maybe two parts).
* The nipple is a one-way flow (apparently everything else on the market actually dribbles out milk if turned in the wrong direction).
*The baby actually has to work a little to get the milk, just like he/she would at the breast, so the baby won't easily become over-reliant on the bottle.
*The bag is disposable, and priced competitively with other high quality bags.
Right now, only the breastmilk warmer is on the market but the bottle system is being market tested in select stores in about a month, and should be widely available fairly soon after that. The brand for all of these is called "Kiinde," and the breastmilk warmer is called Kozii. The Kozii is on Amazon. You can check out the brand website for updates on the products and contact them there if you are interested in learning more. They gave me a test sample and I'm so excited to try this out when my baby comes!0
