Any breast feeders that have bottle and equipment suggestions

macara0301 · September 2012

I have decided that I am going to breast feed once our little boy gets here and im pretty confident that my hubby is going to want me to continue breast feeding throughout the first year. Which is fine and dandy but I also know that my whole family will want to be able to hold and feed our baby at some point and they can't easily do that if he is attached to my boobs lol. I have had several people tell me I should get a Medela breast pump, but are there particular bottles I should use or can I pick any bottle I feel will work best? Any other suggestions on pumps?

mamasmurf12 · September 2012

W/ DD, I started out with the Playtex bottles that have the little bags that drop in. However, she really liked the Avent bottles. I actually got by with only one of them, but that was b/c I quit working about a month after maternity leave.

I highly recommend the Medela pump...especially if you are going to be a working mom!

onlymeggan · September 2012

I used a medela pump into medela bottles or bags. I would feed him either with the medela bottle or with Avent bottles. My kid did bottles, breast, and pacifiers without nipple confusion but that's not always the case. My kid is just an equal opportunity nipple lover. LOL

KD79 · September 2012

I had a Medela pump in style, which was good. I'm getting a new pump this time around and am looking at the Hygeia pump. Check it out. It's getting great reviews, and it's a closed system, so you can sell it or loan it out after your done with it.

I used Dr. Brown's bottles with my first child, and they were nice, but a PITA to clean because of all the parts. We used the Playtex Drop In Nursers with #2, and I really liked those. He had no problem going back and forth between bottle and breast.

Oh, and I also bought a manual pump for convenience and got the Avent one. I loved it.

snarlingkitty · September 2012

I would try a couple bottles and see which your baby your baby likes (most like you, I would assume

. They do recommend not giving one until after 4-6 weeks though.

ericalee27 · September 2012

mamasmurf12:
I highly recommend the Medela pump...especially if you are going to be a working mom!

Same here. I pumped to 12 months and that pump never let me down. Here's hoping it last through DS2!!

We used Tommee Tippee bottles, which DS liked, and he went back and forth between the bottles (while at daycare) and the boob just fine. But like others have said, every baby is different with their bottles preferences so you may have to try a few before you find what your LO likes.

If you get the Medela pump, the cheap Gerber/Evenflo bottles, as well as the Dr. Brown bottles, will attach directly to the Medela pump, so keep that in mind. You don't have to pump into the Medela bottles if you don't want to, and they are way more expensive than the Gerber/Evenflo ones.

jjohn28 · September 2012

I loved my medela. As for bottles, it depends on the baby but I liked Playtex Ventair, Avent and Playtex Drop Ins.

JuliaBug · September 2012

Are you going to SAH? I had an inexpensive manual pump with DS and it was fine for occasional pumping.

The one suggestion that I would made is to start early and bottle feed regularly. I was so afraid of "nipple confusion" that I didn't give DS a bottle very often. By 8 weeks, he wouldn't drink more than an ounce from it and he never did anymore than that.

DarkSerendipity · September 2012

With my son, I started out with the Nuk bottles, and found that those were the easiest to transition back and forth with, from breast to bottle when his father wanted to have a hand in feeding. It's all a matter of feeling it out, pick which one is right for your baby, and which one causes the least confusion when you're going back and forth.

Rynleigh · September 2012

Yes, Medela all the way for the pump. The bottle situation is going to rely a bit on what kind of nipple your baby is willing to take. We have used Playtex disposables/drop-ins with both of the girls, and we plan to start the boys with them, too. You can get adapters that allow you to pump directly from the Medela into the drop-in liners, cap them, and put them straight into the fridge/freezer. I recommend sticking with a slow-flow for most of the first year if you are going to continue to breast feed to keep the sucking reflex strong and avoid instant-gratification, and to delay bottle feedings for a minute or two once baby starts crying - to compensate for that minute or two that it can take for let-down when you are breast feeding. I didn't go the full first year, only about six months with each of my girls - but that was the system we stuck with. We prefer the disposables/drop-in systems because it is easier to keep baby from swallowing air and less work to clean than most of the "anti-colic" systems.

macara0301 · September 2012

JuliaBug:

Are you going to SAH? I had an inexpensive manual pump with DS and it was fine for occasional pumping.

The one suggestion that I would made is to start early and bottle feed regularly. I was so afraid of "nipple confusion" that I didn't give DS a bottle very often. By 8 weeks, he wouldn't drink more than an ounce from it and he never did anymore than that.

He would like me to be a SAHM but at the moment I would want to at least go back to work part-time if possible. Ive been working FT for so long that I feel like I would need to work at least a little so that I can keep my brain sharp and keep up to date on whats going on in my office for if and when I decide to go back FT. If I came back to work pumping wouldn't be an issue since I work at a hospital and there is a lactation room and in my clinic we have several exam rooms that I can use when I need to pump. Would a manual pump be best if I ended up being a SAH mom and a electric pump for work or does it matter?

perplexed59 · September 2012

The big thing you will want to look for is the flow rate of the nipple. You want something that is super slow. Babies can be picky on what bottles they will take so I wouldn't get too many until you find ones that work with your baby. Make sure your supply is well established before giving a bottle. Even if you pump when your baby is using a bottle it won't be as good as your baby nursing from you which can hurt your supply. If you are finding that your baby is refusing to nurse after introducing a bottle you may want to change bottles/nipples for something different. Some babies are lazy and if they realize that it is easier to get milk out of a bottle they won't want to nurse again because it is too much work. So you want a bottle that is going to make them work just as hard as nursing.

I used a Medela swing pump and as a SAHM it worked great. Some women have much more success with a manual pump. If you are going to be pumping a lot and working/bottle feeding you will probably want a dual pump to cut down on time.

amywalt1684 · September 2012

I pumped at work 3-4 times a day for the first year of my DD's life. I HIGHLY recommend the Medela PIS pump. The first Medela pump I had, started shorting out, I called Medela's customer service with my issue and they sent out a brand new pump overnight delivery. No questions asked. They have the best customer service!

I pumped into the Medela bottles and those super cheap Gerber bottles. The Gerber bottles actually screw right into the Medela pump... great way to save some $$. I found that the Nuk brand of milk storage bags actually worked the best for us. And the best by far (for me and my SIL at least) disposable nursing breast pads are the Lansinoh brand!!

As far as bottles for the baby to eat out of... don't buy a bunch of one brand. I did a ton of research prior to my DD being born and I bought a bunch of one type of bottle. DD out right refused to eat out of those bottles, the Medela bottles, Gerber bottles and 2 other brands and nipples when I went back to work. It took 4 weeks for her to FINALLY take a bottle and she for whatever reason took the Nuk brand. So again, my suggestion is don't waste your money on bottles until you KNOW that your LO will take that particular brand.

wifeofadam · September 2012

I have a Medela. I use Evenflo glass bottles and have had the same set now for three babies. I like them because they attach to my Medela pump and can go into the dishwasher to be sanitized. No worries about plastic leaching into my milk. I have also been able to use different types of nipples - Medela, Evenflo, Gerber and a few others - with the glass bottles, which has been nice for picky babies. One of my babies had to try several different types before he would take one.

wifeofadam · September 2012

ericalee27:
mamasmurf12:
I highly recommend the Medela pump...especially if you are going to be a working mom!

Same here. I pumped to 12 months and that pump never let me down. Here's hoping it last through DS2!!

I've had the same Medela PISA for three babies now and will use it again for the fourth. Those things are made to last

ericalee27 · September 2012

+adamwife+:
ericalee27:
mamasmurf12:
I highly recommend the Medela pump...especially if you are going to be a working mom!

Same here. I pumped to 12 months and that pump never let me down. Here's hoping it last through DS2!!
I've had the same Medela PISA for three babies now and will use it again for the fourth. Those things are made to last

Good to hear!

eatdrinkstretch · September 2012

Do any of you have opinions on the PISA v. the Freestyle? I am planning to pump at work and hope to BF as long as possible, so I am willing to splurge if the Freestyle is worth it.

Rynleigh · September 2012

eatdrinkstretch:
Do any of you have opinions on the PISA v. the Freestyle? I am planning to pump at work and hope to BF as long as possible, so I am willing to splurge if the Freestyle is worth it.

I have only used the PISA. I haven't tried the freestyle, but I have read endless complaints from mothers who went from PISA to FS who didn't like the FS. The pros they point out for the FS mainly have to do with it being easier to take places because it's smaller - but they all seem to complain that the suction isn't as good, the parts are more of a pain in the ass, etc. My insurance would cover it if I wanted to get a FS, but I think I am going to just lug around my PISA. It has powerful suction and I have more faith in it to get the job done on my 10-15min breaks than I do in a FS.

Mamapoo · September 2012

I used The First Years Breastflow bottles with my son, and he liked them

mjr12 · September 2012

I'm no help here, DS would not take a bottle. Ever. I have heard good things about the old school-style drop-ins. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, and I worked. Daycare would just call when I needed to go feed baby and I would buzz over and nurse, then go back to work.

FWIW, I don't really think that feeding a baby is the only way to bond. Breastfeeding is more than just feeding. I think it's just a booby trap, IMO. Family members can do anything else with baby, and pass him or her back to mom to eat. This is a good resource to start when thinking about breastfeeding. https://www.bestforbabes.org/expecting-moms

pitterpatter129 · September 2012

Pumps: I borrowed a Pump in Style from my sister and didn't like lugging it around. I bought a used Ameda and HATED it. I bought a new Medela Freestyle and LOVED it. By far the best and worth every cent.

Breastmilk Freezer Bags: Laninsoh bags are the best of them all - thick and seal well. Medela bags stink - they leak everywhere. I used a whole box of them and every single one leaked! Some people like to freeze in cubes, but I never used it fast enough to avoid freezer burn. I want a deep freezer this time because the milk took over our freezer and I had a super small stash too!

Bottles: I started with the breastflow bottles and I didn't like them. The parts warp in the sanitizer and dishwasher and they were difficult to use and wasted milk because of it getting stuck inside the double nipple thing. Overall, terrible bottles. So, we started just using the pump bottles. All standard size bottles fit Medela and Ameda pumps, so I just bought the really cheap 3 for $3 Gerber or Parent's Choice kind. We used Gerber nipples. I had some Dr. Brown nipples, but even the slowest flow was like a fast flow in Gerber. Gerber had the slowest flow nipples I could find (recommended for nursing babies.)

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