Tell me your bottle prep routine (and intro)

gcama85

Hey everyone,

I'm a December '13 mom turned November mom when my LO arrived on 11/21. It's been amazing to stay home with her but I have to start work again in a few weeks (on Valentines day to be exact). I'm hoping I can start getting in the routine of things the week before since she'll be staying with a close friend of mine for the first month and then transitioning to daycare in March (on St. Patrick's day - we're all about the holidays!). I was wondering if you all had any recommendations for bottle prepping for daycare. I am nursing and giving bottles of pumped milk (just to get her used to them). Right now I prepare bottles throughout the day but figured someone out there must have some amazing system (washing pump parts, how much you freeze/refrigerate, how many bottles you rotate through, etc.). 

Also - if you have any other general tips on how to reduce stress and prepare for this transition, I'm all ears. I'm pretty much dreading it as I've loved being home with my LO and know things will be so different. I am kind of excited to have conversations with adults though Thanks for reading - pic of my little girl is below.

Have a great day!

hollygb22

I second the addtional pump parts. It made life so much easier. I prepped bottles the night before. I would defrost frozen milk just running it under hot water, assemble the bottles and pop them in the fridge. Dh was in charge of washing the parts at night once we were home. I also bought a reusuable wet bag from itzy ritzy..it made life easier since before that I was using ziploc after ziploc.

The only other advice I have..we put DD into daycare a day or two before I actually went back. I was a wreck that first day but it gets easier. I liked that we had a 2 day dry run to work some bumps out!

Good Luck!

alyshamarie007

The easiest is as the above peeps mentioned above about having spare parts.

I just started working this week and do not yet have spare parts. I do have a total of 8 bottles though . I have been pumping at work (normally get at least 3x 4oz bottles) and I give those to my caregiver for the next day when I pick LO up and then get back the dirty ones from her. On Friday, my milk gets frozen for Monday.

When I get home, I immediately put all my pump parts and dirty bottles from that day in a big bowl and let them soak for an hour, then I rinse, and let dry overnight. I like putting them in a bowl to keep them separate from all our other dishes and it helps me ensure none of the little parts gets lost. First thing in the morning I load them in my pumping bag. Definitely will be easier when I get spare parts!

So far I've always had enough milk for the next day and haven't had to thaw any from my stash. Also, I nurse exclusively on the weekends. Gives me a break from all the pumping/washing nonsense.

gcama85

Thank you!

srgoldbe

As pp said, having enough spare parts is key. What works well for me is I have enough full pumping sets for the amount of times I pump at work and then an extra set at home for my before work/ before bed pumps. I pump twice at work and bringing two sets with me allows for quick setup and breakdown during my sessions. I don't have to worry about cleaning anything or keeping parts cool enough to reuse. When I get home all the parts go in a bowl full of warm soapy water to soak. While I clean up from making dinner I rinse the parts and put them in our microwaveable sterilizer. We have the Dr. Brown one and it is great. You can fit so much in it! The parts then dry really quick from the steam and are ready to be packed up before bed. I also use this time to make up the bottles for the next day with my milk that I pumped throughout the day. DH, who stays home with LO, will have already washed and sterilized the bottles he used while I was at work, so I just refill those bottles at night.

Packing up everything at night has also been key to making the transition back to work as easy as it could be. I make up my lunch and DS's lunch at night and then it is easy to grab in the am. I have my pumping bag all set with water, snacks, hands free pump bra, paper towels, sweater, etc, so I just add ice packs to my cooler in the am and I'm good to go.

The transition was really hard for me. I went back when LO was 12 weeks and I was so anxious thinking about how everything was going to work. After a few days we all got into a rhythm and it is working out well. I still wish I could be home but I cherish the time after work and on the weekends with LO. I take one day at a time and DH floods my phone with pics throughout the day, which really helps. Best of luck to you!

srgoldbe

@K3am by friday i am ready to pass out. One day at a time! Our dishwasher is currently not functioning, otherwise I'm sure I would be taking advantage!

VitaLuna

I have two sets of everything so I'm not washing daily. When I get home , everything goes in a bin of hot soapy water to soak. I fill the next day's bottles with the milk I pumped that day and stick them in the fridge. If I need to wash, I will, otherwise I leave everything to soak.

Friday's milk goes straight to the freezer in bags that are the same volume as her bottles, and I use that milk Tuesday.

And apparently I like to made things harder for myself, because I hand wash everything.

lindseyb624

I second most of the things said. I will add that while at work I keep my pump parts in the cooler in the fridge between session. This makes the second pump for the day quicker than the first for me. I don't mix the milk, I just put fresh bottles on the refrigerated pump parts.