Product Guide- Feeding Supplies

mileswithmyles · November 2017

For STMs+:

Feeding Supplies used (bottles, nursing pillow, bottle warmer. etc.):
Link/picture:
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.):
Pros:
Cons:
Is there another one you don't have but are considering? Why?:
Additional thoughts on feeding supplies:

tincupchalice · November 2017

I'm no help with bottles, neither of my boys would take any sort of bottle well.

For nursing pillows, I highly recommend MyBrestFriend. My NICU nurse aunt told me to get it rather than the boppy and I'm so glad I did. It was a total life saver with my first.

sandbar517 · November 2017

I TOTALLY second the MyBrestFriend. So much more support than a Boppy. Especially for @lincbeesmom, @doubleblessings1124 and @totalcword, definitely get the MyBrestFriend Twins pillow. It is a must have if you plan to breastfeed your twins! I absolutely loved mine, still have it and have every intention on using it again for this baby. As far as other feeding things, I had a medela pump but found these super cheap Gerber bottles that also fit the pump parts, and I actually liked them way better than the specific Medela bottles. They're almost completely leak proof, and so much cheaper than other brands. (I know I talked about this in the pump thread a few weeks ago, but I just really like these bottles.)
Bottle link:  https://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Essential-Plastic-Nurser-Assorted/dp/B00140BE3W?th=1
MyBrestFriend Twins Pillow:  https://www.target.com/p/my-brest-friend-twin-plus-nursing-pillow-evening-gray/-/A-23984297?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9005913&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl7iSiPrm1wIVGoGzCh0tfwjxEAQYASABEgKuxPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Other random feeding stuff: I liked the up and up Target brand for milk storage bottles (also mentioned in the pump thread) and just used whatever random bottle warmer someone bought us. It was steam, so I think it was *slightly* faster than some of the other ones.

mileswithmyles · November 2017

Feeding Supplies used (bottles, nursing pillow, bottle warmer. etc.): I really like the Medela bottles, the Boppy, and I used a nipple shield to nurse DS due to flat nipples.
Link/picture: Medela Bottles- https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/medela-reg-5-oz-breastmilk-bottle-set-of-3/1016523585?Keyword=medela bottles Boppy- https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/boppy-reg-bare-naked-reg-pillow/1014947809?Keyword=boppy Nipple Shield- https://www.buybuybaby.com/store/product/medela-reg-contact-trade-nipple-shield/113329?Keyword=nipple shield
Cost (either actual dollar amount, or just $, $$, $$$, etc.): Medela Bottles- $15.99, Boppy- $29.99 without a cover, Nipple Shield- $7.99
Pros: Medela bottles- worked with my pump, have the option to buy larger bottles when they get older/start drinking more, DS could hold them pretty early on, easy to clean. Boppy- easy to use to nurse, bottle feed, or hold the baby. Nipple shield- helped me nurse DS and made it less painful for me.
Cons: None that I can think of
Is there another one you don't have but are considering? Why?: Someone leant me their "My Breast Friend" and I liked it, but didn't love it anymore than the Boppy. I ended up giving it back to her when she needed it for another friend.
Additional thoughts on feeding supplies: I would recommend bringing whatever nursing pillow you get to the hospital. It will save your arms. I would also recommend more than one. I would leave one in my room and one in the living room. It was nice not to have to run back and forth to find it, especially in the middle of the night.

ETA- I never used a bottle warmer. DS drank the milk straight from the fridge and it never bothered him, so we never used one.

holli0801 · November 2017

I nursed but also pumped and fed. My hands down favorite bottle for infants is dr Browns ... like so -
https://m.toysrus.com/product?productId=65245086&source=CAPLA_DF:65245086:BRUS&cagpspn=plab_B7665302&camp=PLAPPCG-_-PIDB7665302:BRUS&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq7iQtpPn1wIVT15-Ch0asAGXEAQYCyABEgLt__D_BwE

We actually got ours free from the hospital.

Once a a little bigger, we used Life factory and loved them. Hubby did a lot of research on bottles and was uneasy about plastic even if they claimed to be BPA free.

https://www.target.com/p/baby-bottle-lifefactory/-/A-17322019?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=9029969&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0orQiZTn1wIVxoJ-Ch3jJgAGEAQYASABEgLDZPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They come in 4 and 8 ounces and are adorable.

Also... Bottle warmers are a huge waste. Bowl of hot water works perfect.

Ceridwen77 · November 2017

The Mybrestfriend pillow is awesome. I still use the damn thing when I rock my 2yr old. Totally worth it. We have a boppy as well which never was as good but it works for tummy time and to help sitting up so it has multiple uses.

For bottles just get one of each because who knows what your kid will actually use. I went through 4 brands before I found one she would take.

I didn’t use a bottle warmer but I did warm bottles in tap water. Most of the time (unless on the rare occasion I drank too much for a special occasion) I BF’d so this only impacted those that watched my kid.

fraufarbissina · December 2017

I liked the boppy but I did always have to put blankets or something between it and my lap so that it would be high enough to get my daughter in a position that was comfortable for me. Maybe because I'm tall? I dunno but it got easier as she got bigger.

cups4 · December 2017

I loved my bottle warmer. Also, will second the Dr. Brown's bottles. As a FTM who wanted to elimate every possible reason for gas for my own sanity, they were great. PSA, all babies have digestive issues and will get gas and gas pains. These just helped me rule out bottles as one of the culprits and made me feel better.

charlestonchew · December 2017

@mileswithmyles I have a question about nipple shields if you don't mind me asking. This will probably be personal lol. I believe I have flat nipples which can stick out when stimulated. I'm not sure your exact cirxumstance but is this enough to cause issues nursing and do you recommend a nipple shield or were yours more severe?

sandbar517 · December 2017

@charlestonchew I think at this point in the game, there is no such thing at TMI or personal questions between any of us! HAHAHAHAHAHA

mileswithmyles · December 2017

@charlestonchew that’s not too personal!

I didn’t know I had flat nipples until the nurse and lactation consultant watched DS latch. The shield made it easier for DS to latch and for him to efficiently eat. I used it the whole time I nursed him.

charlestonchew · December 2017

@mileswithmyles thanks! I guess I'll wait and see. I've never had a medical professional tell me although I don't think I've ever had my breasts examined. I think I do based off the way I look versus others and dr. Google. It doesn't look like it's that expensive to run out and grab one if I need it last minute thankfully.

rachelg777 · December 2017

@charlestonchew Both of my sisters used nipple shields for the first few months of nursing their first babe because they couldn’t latch without it. After that I guess their nipples changed (along with a combination of the babies learning and growing maybe?) and were able to nurse without it. I am gonna be bringing one with me to the hospital just in case.

sandbar517 · December 2017

@charlestonchew, I had to use shields, too, but not for flat nipples. Mine was because my girls were preemies and were having a hard time latching. The lactation consultant gave me some in the hospital, so you might not even need to get your own until later, if you want extras. I HATED using them, and I'm sorry you had to the whole time you nursed @mileswithmyles. They were a huge pain in the ass and I finally just got so sick of them after a few months that I quit using them cold turkey to see how the girls would do without them, and they did fine (thankfully!!).

mileswithmyles · December 2017

@sandbar517 it was so “normal” to me at that point that I didn’t care. I used them until he stopped nursing at 10 months.

bwow615 · December 2017

ditto to what @sandbar517 said. DS was in the special care nursery for a few nights and they gave me a nipple shield to use while we were there to get him to latch better. Once we got home I ditched it pretty quick once he got the hang of it. I found it was a pain for me.

doubleblessings1124 · December 2017

Thanks for all the great comments about the my brestfriend nursing pillow. I hope to tandem feed if able. Although I've already gotten eye rolls and negative comments saying I'll never be able to. (Thanks!) I've also read about the Twin Z pillow. Anyone use it before? It's twice the price so kinda spendy. I'm a NICU nurse and I work with amazing lactation consultants so I plan to ask for lots of advice and support.

Can anyone give recommendations for baby food makers? Looking at the Beaba Babycook food blender/steamer. And also the infantino squeeze station/pouches. Both my parents and in-laws are huge gardeners (midwest girl!) so makes sense to make our own.

tincupchalice · December 2017

I do BLW so I have no idea about purees

mileswithmyles · December 2017

@doubleblessings1124 IMO, you’re better off getting a really good blender. We made our own and I just steamed everything in a pot and then blended it. I used OXO containers to freeze the food.

lincbeesmom · December 2017

I agree with @mileswithmyles. They don’t really eat purees for that long anyway.

doraleigh35 · December 2017

Totally agree with @mileswithmyles. I just used our Ninja and OXO containers are the best. Also, I bought everything to make my own pouches and I hated it. They were so much work to clean, I used them one go around and gave up. DD only had purees for about 6-8 weeks, it wasn't long at all.

holli0801 · December 2017

@doubleblessings1124 I loved our baby bullet! The little containers were the perfect size and so convenient

cups4 · December 2017

I guess I'm going to be the honest lazy mom who says we bought our purees from Target, and they have tons of organic choices. Also, huge game changer is when the baby learns to hold and suck a pouch!!! Momentous event over here lol.

holli0801 · December 2017

@cups4 nothing wrong with that! We just had a ton of stuff from out garden we wanted to use. The potches are great on the go, but my son preferred a spoon ::eye roll::

but it I will say for buying baby food, it can be expensive and hard (not impossible) to find brands that don’t add sugar or other additives (organic or not)

lincbeesmom · December 2017

I actually didn’t find it hard at all to find baby food with no added sugars or additives. Even at Walmart haha

eta: also, babies are expensive in general. sooooo if I have to spend an extra couple bucks here and there on baby food, it kind of comes with the territory.

ivyvines6 · December 2017

Nursing pillow: We used the Dr Brown’s pillow, and called it “The Shrimp.” I liked the shape of it better than the boppy, and it gave me room to wrap around postpartum belly, and kept J on a slight incline while feeding. DH loved using it for pace feeding and later on just rocking him to sleep.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0048BP5RU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512247280&sr=8-1&keywords=dr+browns+pillow&dpPl=1&dpID=41GjJCeMJsL&ref=plSrch

Bottles: We used the pura kiki nipples with the glass avent bottles (which I’m pretty sure are discontinued, but they still sell them on amazon) and a pura kiki bottle. He still uses his pura kiki with the straw attachment.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00PF83R0W/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512247631&sr=8-1&keywords=avent+glass+bottles&dpPl=1&dpID=51QQ4MamlHL&ref=plSrch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV53YYI?psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AV53Z42/ref=pd_aw_sim_75_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Q3H337P5PFCQ8DRW9VG1&dpPl=1&dpID=61zcKBOLIML&th=1

One thing that hasn’t been mentioned is that breastfed babies don’t go up in flow in the nipples like formula fed babies will. They always stick with newborn, or 1 glow so they can control the amount they eat. Also, if you're pace feeding properly they will rarely eat more than 5oz in one sitting. (I wish they made bottles for 5oz instead of 4oz size for that reason, but it worked out with it being J’s favorite cup now.)

We might try the mason bottles with this one, but we’ll see.

https://masonbottle.com/?wickedsource=google&wickedid=230137055687&wtm_term=mason%20bottles&wdevice=m&wtm_campaign=750341204&wtm_content=43106964410&gclid=CjwKCAiAu4nRBRBKEiwANms5W7mxeMxl8HPxwBIE-n9kyO-mac4XSMtHDxAxPbxFgQc37bFh-tgVyxoCmXwQAvD_BwE

mileswithmyles · December 2017

@cups4 once he could hold a pouch, we bought them. Total game changer and I didn’t want to deal with the mess of the reusable ones.

ivyvines6 · December 2017

I guess now is a good time to admit to being a hypocritical hippy... We don’t do plastic in the house, and bottles were hard to accommodate because of that. Why’s that hypocritical? We just had Wendy’s for lunch...

arteduc8 · December 2017

I loved my boppy and still use it. Working on weaning my name 18 month old. It's worked well for us the whole journey. I didn't bring my boppy to the hospital and what a mistake! The lactation consultant (who was amazing, make sure to ask for one to help you at the hospital right away!) gave me a mybreast friend to use while I was there and I hated it. It was stiff, I felt like DD would roll right off of it, and I hated the strap and buckle. Ugh, no thanks.

We initially bought Avent bottles, but DD had bad reflux so we went with Dr Browns bottles and they helped. They do have more parts than other brands, but it was worth it and not too complicated to clean. We used a munchkin dishwasher basket and did a sanitize wash with the bottle parts and my pump parts nightly.

I picked up a bottle warmer at a local consignment shop unsure if we'd use it, but it was so cheap I figured I'd get it. We actually used it all the time when my mom watched DD. Worth it imo but I wouldn't spend a lot on one. https://www.target.com/p/the-first-years-quick-serve-bottle-warmer/-/A-535236#lnk=sametab

Nipple shields- Apparently one of my nipples is sort of flat and I had no idea until DD struggled latching the first day in the hospital. The lactation consultant finally agreed to let me try a shield and it helped. But, I only used it at first to get my nipple more outward and then had no problems. Depending on how flat yours are, you might only need one temporarily. Nursing does make your nipples a bit more, um, pointy, over time. The LC was concerned about DD becoming dependant on the shield.

arteduc8 · December 2017

For when it's time for solids, here's what we did. I made some large batches of sweet potatoes and butternut squash and used the immersion blender I already owned. I froze the purees in I've come trays then stored the covers in freezer bags. It was nice having it all portioned out into 1oz size cubes so we could warm as little or as much as we needed. No fancy gadgets needed. We also used our fair share of store bought organic pouches. Aldi actually has some too that DD loved. Aldi HQ is nearby and I ran into one of their food scientists at my local store who not only gave me her cart (free quarter!) But also told me how good their baby food is. Two thumbs up from DD!

For feeding gear, soft scoop bibs are a must. We liked the Baby Bjorn ones at first before DD for too tall for the scoop to fit nicely under her high chair tray. We use Tommy Tippee soft scoop bibs now. I loved her high chair as well. We got it in gray and white so it fits our kitchen decor nicely. https://www.target.com/p/ingenuity-153-smartclean-153-chairmate-153-chair-top-high-chair-aqua/-/A-50227268?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Baby+Shopping&adgroup=SC_Baby&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=m&location=1016439&gclid=CjwKCAiAu4nRBRBKEiwANms5WzpWDXnoQ375UpgVyAzxG7lMYglwuiVjt05Ptwhw21HuiEEyhfXSQRoCwlMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
She's in a booster now and loves it too. Ingenuity Smartclean Toddler Booster, Slate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013JYKB7A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ibZiAbWHQERBY
Both are easy to clean and use. For sippy cups, she loves her Munchkin 360 cups. Easy to clean and don't leak easily and good for her teeth.

bwow615 · December 2017

@arteduc8 I used to work at the aldi hq a few years ago. They do a really great job sourcing their suppliers and formulating their own brand products.

arteduc8 · December 2017

bwow615 said:

@arteduc8 I used to work at the aldi hq a few years ago. They do a really great job sourcing their suppliers and formulating their own brand products.

That's great to hear! I seriously love Aldi. I'm gluten free and shopping there for that alone had saved us a ton of money. Their organic options are great as well. And their diapers are the cheapest we've found and they work better than other brands did for my DD. Aldi fan club over here

Ceridwen77 · December 2017

@doubleblessings1124 I made all of my daughters puréed food and plan to do the same for this LO. I used my cuisinart food processor. I love the baby food savers that go in the freezer. They’re like ice cube trays. I would highly recommend this approach if you plan to make your kid’s food. I still make purées for my 2yr old that I mix into pasta as a sauce (butternut squash is my go to). She loves it. Will not touch Mac and cheese and begs for this.

ivyvines6 · December 2017

I started roasting a huge pan of vegetables once a week and just feeding them to him like that. I never really did “purees” but I did mash random things to try with him. The only foods he won’t eat are salad and pears. Both of which are an occasional yes though.

cups4 · December 2017

@holli0801 I found it super easy, like @theletlers to find baby food with only the fruit or vegetable. I guess if citric acid is defined as an additive I get it, but it was worth it to me as a working mom to not make my own.

holli0801 · December 2017

@cups4 I would consider it an additive, yes... I found it extremely easy to make foods despite also being a working mom, but to each their own.

lincbeesmom · December 2017

cups4 said:

@holli0801 I found it super easy, like @theletlers to find baby food with only the fruit or vegetable. I guess if citric acid is defined as an additive I get it, but it was worth it to me as a working mom to not make my own.

And I found it worth it to me as a stay at home Mom to not make my own haha

cups4 · December 2017

@lincbeesmom

cups4 · December 2017

@holli0801 I get it's probably easy, just not on my list of things I wanted to do

doraleigh35 · December 2017

This was one of my favorite products. I make quite a few meals for DH and I at the beginning of each week, so I would make purees then for DD. But if we were eating something for dinner that I wanted her to try, this let me mash it up quickly as a one off without having to dirty a blender. It was great too when I started to increase the texture of her food. https://www.amazon.com/Nuby-Garden-Fresh-Masher-Colors/dp/B00KFJLG1S/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512319521&sr=8-2&keywords=nuby%2Bfood%2Bmasher&th=1

tincupchalice · December 2017

If you're really lazy, BLW is the way to go, hahaha.

My style of parenting is "lazy."

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