@SKZW our kitchen is so small even the fridge isn't in the kitchen, it had to go in the laundry room, and it had to be a slim "apartment" fridge to fit through the door!
We have a second fridge in the downstairs garage for ingredients for cooking weeknight dinners and each day we go down and get the bin for that night's meal because there isn't room in the upstairs fridge for more than the basics (milk, cheese, water, condiments, leftovers). That's how small I'm talkin! lol
The counter top one *could* work if we find ourselves desperate but would take up the only counter space we have for drying bottles & pump parts or for any food prep. Until the housing crisis here is relieved I'm afraid we're stuck with what we've got. I do appreciate you showing the countertop version though, I didn't even know it was an option!!
We did load up on biodegradable disposable plates & silverware though for the first month! I hope that helps us.
FTM, we have a few different brands to try out. Medela, dr browns, the agent ones that came in welcome boxes, and parents choice I think. So we shall see!
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
We handwashed for the first year because I was a neurotic FTM who was afraid the dishwasher detergent residue would poison the baby. ETA rest of post because mobile bumping is the WORST: I found handwashing bottle and pump parts to be oddly relaxing to my super-fried brain at the time. Oh, and I used the Medela steam bags to sterilize everything. I was such a germaphobe in the beginning. Now my kid eats food off the floor.
We went with glass bottles. I have the dr brown glass bottles and the joovy boob bottle. I preferred the joovy bottles last time. Less pieces to clean and they didn't get the film on them in the dishwasher that the plastic bottles got....and add the fact that I don't hear my food in plastic Tupperware, and don't plan on heating breast milk in plastic bottles.
Life Factory fan over here. Glass with silicone covering. Love the durability and much prefer glass over plastic. I'm a little crazy about avoiding as much plastic as possible when it comes to food, I don't own any plastic Tupperware.
Life Factory fan over here. Glass with silicone covering. Love the durability and much prefer glass over plastic. I'm a little crazy about avoiding as much plastic as possible when it comes to food, I don't own any plastic Tupperware.
Same here, I'm a total crazy about avoiding plastic! I also love that life factory bottles come with caps for when you're using them for storing milk rather than feeding baby.
We used Medela and Avent with my son--we washed in the dishwasher and they just didn't look so great at the end of his bottle days, so we tossed them. Leading me to need new bottles this go around. I bought Comotomos and I love them, as does baby. Bonus that they are top rack dishwasher safe and have very few parts!
There are lots of benefits to our place too, but the kitchen is the REAL bummer. Out here the weather is so inclimate we have a ton of old buildings from the 20's and up. All of them have storage issues due to the lack of electronics, gadgets, and just general stuff back when they were planned! Rent out here is also something like 35-40% of Angelinos' incomes at the moment so housing prices are too nuts to move until the bubble bursts again.
@nda_roxybabe it definitely has that vintage charm despite the storage issues, lol! I'll take a pic when it's a little more presentable I.E.: my two weeks of Mat leave before due date when I will be nesting like a mofo!! Ps sorry this is so far off the bottles topic...
@sweaterboots I'm right there with you. My 1920's house is adorable but my kitchen is tiny and storage is ridiculous. No dishwasher here either. And I don't have room for a crib lol. We have a pack n play in our bedroom and will upgrade later if need be but hopefully move. I love LA and the area I live in but ugh I'm so over renting. @SKZW I'm going to look into the counter top dw. I might be able to make that work. Maybe.
Speaking of bottles, how many bottles would you recommend having available for a newborn for example? I currently have (6) 4oz bottles, (3) 5oz bottles, and (3) 9oz bottles. I think im low, but I'm not sure how much more to buy.
@sweaterboots: we had/have a small kitchen & no place for a built-in dishwasher, but a dw became a must-have and a time-saver (like at least a 1/2 hour each day, but usually more!). For us it came down to "time is money" and I wanted my hubbs to be with me in the living room and not stuck at the sink.
We bought something like this (with free shipping!):
It's kind of a pain at first to roll it over & hook it up to the faucet but is so rote by now that it's really nbd.
Search Amazon also for countertop dishwasher, and those can be had for the low low price of like $200. (Maybe it could be an early birthday/anniv./xmas present?)
I was just about to suggest this!
Me - 22 | DH - 32 | Married - 24 May 2014 DS - January 2014
TTC#2 - December 2015
BFP - 6 March 2016 | MC Confirmed - 21 March 2016 TTCAL | April 2016 CP | June 2016 CP | July 2016
For those handwashing, I've experienced rinsing the bottle right away makes hand washing easier down the line. (Used to nanny, and I'd handwash all the bottles used that day. I'd rinse the parts, separate, and then during naps hammer it out. I feel like pre-rinsing helped, because then milk wasn't building up/getting the bottle and pieces sticky/gross.) @MrsCPALeslie I don't know how many total you need (or I need!) but I think it depends if you'll be exclusively bottle feeding or not. Also, if you have a variety, you may want to see which baby prefers before buying your full bottle supply.
@MrsCPALeslie I had 10 total for DS as a newborn, I would wash once a day. I changed his bottles (from avent to tomee tippee) around 6months and only bought 6, still usually only needed to wash once a day. hope that helps
Me - 22 | DH - 32 | Married - 24 May 2014 DS - January 2014
TTC#2 - December 2015
BFP - 6 March 2016 | MC Confirmed - 21 March 2016 TTCAL | April 2016 CP | June 2016 CP | July 2016
@MrsCPALeslie, I think it will depend on how often you plan to use the bottle and how big of a pain they are to clean. I hate clutter, so I make it work right now with 4 5 ounce bottles. I actually only use 2/day and just rinse with hot water and a little dish soap after each use, then pop in the dishwasher at night and rotate the other 2 into use. I use a bottle with each feeding, but the rinsing really hasn't been an issue because my bottles (Comotomo) only have a couple of parts (nipple/ring and the bottle). I had the same routine with my son with his Medela and Avent bottles.
I would say you have plenty to get started with and see what you need. It's easy enough to buy more if you need them as you go!
@MrsCPALeslie: PP have great points about whether you'll be using only bottles vs only breast vs half'n'half, for the amount you'll use daily, as well as waiting to see which type/brand you like best. @jayandaplus, great point about rinsing milky bottles right away, they're much easier to clean that way.
@SKZW@nda_roxybabe I hope it's not stupid to post this here because it has nothing to do with bottles, but it's where we were talking about it so here goes! Here is our tiny kitchen :P We've tries some space-saving efforts like pots & pan lids on the ikea rail, cookbooks up top, wall-mounted spice rack, etc.
And there is a baby gate into the kitchen so kiddo won't be going in here! DH is putting on stove knobs and cabinet latches anyway just in case...
@sweaterboots Clever use of space! We had a one-butt kitchen (couldn't fit two people i.e. butts in it at the same time because it was so narrow) with DD and no dishwasher and we survived! It was nice to have minimal access once DD was mobile.
@SKZW although we'd like to preserve the counter space on top of the coffee bar, we could definitely fit a microwave there if we needed to. It's the D/W I'm pretty certain we'll have to live without. At least we have a washer/dryer in our unit! That is extremely unusual here. Hallelujah!
@sweaterboots: Agreed! In the dw vs washer/dryer choice, I'll always pick handwashing some dishes over having to go to a laundromat. No question. Clothes washing done right in the space where we live? Priceless.
@sweaterboots Great use of space! I also love Chrissy Teigens Cravings book! I am on her Chinese chicken salad lately and sub out the spicey and green cabbage for romaine.
@SKZW YES!! I grew up having to drive 45 minutes to the laundromat every few weeks (country life) and spend 5 hours there. If I ever wanted to wear something that was dirty I had to hand wash it in the sink & hang outside on the clothing line! I'm SO GLAD we have it in unit, and we don't have to use quarters!!
@nda_roxybabe@SWE2 aw thank you! Luckily the rest of our apartment is fairly spacious as LA apartments go, save for the lack of closets. Our biggest challenges are definitely in the kitchen, especially since we love to cook. I haven't tried the Chinese chicken salad yet! Maybe I will make it on Mat leave.
Notice the sad, neglected wine rack? Looking forward to loading that up again, lol...
@sweaterboots Great use of space! I also love Chrissy Teigens Cravings book! I am on her Chinese chicken salad lately and sub out the spicey and green cabbage for romaine.
I have her cookbook and keep forgetting to make something from it! All of her recipes look delicious!
Married 03.09.09 Sweet Baby H 12.21.11 Sassy Baby P 03.26.14 Little Brother Due 05.22.17
@sweaterboots, after years of living in vintage, tiny apartments, I have a serious appreciation for maximizing space. Your kitchen is fabulous! And I love the pizza art!!
Thank @Kipperoo! DH used to run a pizza club here in LA, every 2 weeks it'd be a new place with score cards. Good friends who know him well gifted that poster to us
Re: Bottles?
We have a second fridge in the downstairs garage for ingredients for cooking weeknight dinners and each day we go down and get the bin for that night's meal because there isn't room in the upstairs fridge for more than the basics (milk, cheese, water, condiments, leftovers). That's how small I'm talkin! lol
The counter top one *could* work if we find ourselves desperate but would take up the only counter space we have for drying bottles & pump parts or for any food prep. Until the housing crisis here is relieved I'm afraid we're stuck with what we've got.
We did load up on biodegradable disposable plates & silverware though for the first month! I hope that helps us.
"A day without laughter is a day wasted." ~Charlie Chaplin
(P.S. Does your crib even have room for a crib? LOL @ myself... so sorry... I know I'm an a-hole...)
I have no doubt you'll figure out any space issues and make it all work perfectly, just as with your fridges. You're a smart cookie.
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
ETA rest of post because mobile bumping is the WORST: I found handwashing bottle and pump parts to be oddly relaxing to my super-fried brain at the time. Oh, and I used the Medela steam bags to sterilize everything. I was such a germaphobe in the beginning. Now my kid eats food off the floor.
clean and they didn't get the film on them in the dishwasher that the plastic bottles got....and add the fact that I don't hear my food in plastic Tupperware, and don't plan on heating breast milk in plastic bottles.
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17
There are lots of benefits to our place too, but the kitchen is the REAL bummer. Out here the weather is so inclimate we have a ton of old buildings from the 20's and up. All of them have storage issues due to the lack of electronics, gadgets, and just general stuff back when they were planned! Rent out here is also something like 35-40% of Angelinos' incomes at the moment so housing prices are too nuts to move until the bubble bursts again.
@nda_roxybabe it definitely has that vintage charm despite the storage issues, lol! I'll take a pic when it's a little more presentable
I.E.: my two weeks of Mat leave before due date when I will be nesting like a mofo!! Ps sorry this is so far off the bottles topic...
@SKZW I'm going to look into the counter top dw. I might be able to make that work. Maybe.
DS - January 2014
TTCAL | April 2016
CP | June 2016
CP | July 2016
@MrsCPALeslie I don't know how many total you need (or I need!) but I think it depends if you'll be exclusively bottle feeding or not. Also, if you have a variety, you may want to see which baby prefers before buying your full bottle supply.
hope that helps
DS - January 2014
TTCAL | April 2016
CP | June 2016
CP | July 2016
I would say you have plenty to get started with and see what you need. It's easy enough to buy more if you need them as you go!
1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
And there is a baby gate into the kitchen so kiddo won't be going in here! DH is putting on stove knobs and cabinet latches anyway just in case...
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1st Baby 5/12/17, Henry
@nda_roxybabe @SWE2 aw thank you! Luckily the rest of our apartment is fairly spacious as LA apartments go, save for the lack of closets. Our biggest challenges are definitely in the kitchen, especially since we love to cook. I haven't tried the Chinese chicken salad yet! Maybe I will make it on Mat leave.
Notice the sad, neglected wine rack? Looking forward to loading that up again, lol...
something from it! All of her recipes look delicious!
Sweet Baby H 12.21.11
Sassy Baby P 03.26.14
Little Brother Due 05.22.17