did you have bottles/formula at home before going to the hospital?

[Anonymous]

I'm hoping that breast feeding goes well and I won't need bottles until whenever it is we decide we really need them.

But in case we do need to supplement immediately, I'd like to be prepared.

Did you have bottles ready?

Any particular "system" you like (ones that reduce air etc)

[Anonymous]

yes had some bottles at home in case we needed to supplement. I used the playtex drop in's and born free...glad I had them all cleaned and ready to go.

[Anonymous]

We had some bottles at home ready to go. The hospital gives you some formula so we had that as a backup. Plus, your husband can always run to the grocery store.

[Anonymous]

I had bottles (2 born free) but not formula. I was lucky to never need to use it and donated the stuff from the hospital to the food bank.

[Anonymous]

We had bottles at home. I think I got a pack or two of the Avents at my shower with #1 (which we then replaced with the Avent BPA free for #2). I also had a pump ready to go.

Be sure to take your sample backpack from the hospital. They give you formula samples and some other useful things, including freezer packs, and a medela bottle with a nipple for for the formula. (You can use that bottle with a regular lid to store/pump BM.) The bags themselves are great because they're usually insulated and are good for packing up baby food/nursing stuff when you head out. Think of it as a cheap diaper/lunch bag for the wee one. We, too, donated the formula.

[Anonymous]

I had bottles, but no formula. You'll get enough freebies in the mail and at the hospital just in case. (I never ended up needing it and gave them to a friend.)

[Anonymous]

I did not buy any bottles or formula beforehand. At the hospital, they gave us several little 2oz bottles of formula and disposable nipples, of which I used 2 or 3 those first days when I had to supplement due to jaundice, and then we were on our way with nursing. Eventually, even if you nurse exclusively, you will likely want some bottles for expressed milk so someone else can give the baby a bottle from time to time (or if you return to work and choose to pump), but I don't think you need to stock up on bottles and formula before hand. While I was on maternity leave, I enjoyed my many trips to Babies R Us and Target. Gave me something to do with the little one! Also, if you do decide to buy bottles, I would not buy a huge number, and wait to see if your baby likes whatever kind you have selected. For what it is worth, for EBM we used the little medela bottles when DD was small, and then switched to the full-size playtex drop ins when she was about 5 or 6 months.

[Anonymous]

The best thing I did was to have a hand pump ready to go at home to relieve the pain of engorgement. I used the Medela Harmony and loved it.

[Anonymous]

I had bottles and the pre-mixed formula ready at home just in case. I didn't need it for a few months, but it was a peace of mind for my overly anxious self!

[Anonymous]

I had bottles (Dr Browns was what was recommended to me by our lactation consultant). You get lost of formula at the hospital or at least at George Washington they gave us tons of stuff...

[Anonymous]

yes- why not have it ?

[Anonymous]

I think it depends what your attitude toward breastfeeding is -- each mother is different, and that's OK. But if you feel very strongly about it, some other helpful things might be to have already discussed common newborn issues with your pediatrician (weight loss/gain, cluster feeding, sleep, jaundice, supplementation), have the number of a good lactation consultant and/or La Leche leader, and have some resources at hand that can help guide you through the first few weeks (kellymom, "Womanly Art of Breastfeeding," etc.)

All of which is to say, your milk won't abruptly fail one evening after the stores close. If you have trouble, you'll know about it and will have many different options to choose from. You and your husband might want to think about what you want to do now, when you're not crying at 3 a.m., chock-full of postpartum hormones. If you have a plan you've both agreed to, you (and he) will be less likely to make a quick decision just to pacify your fussy baby and his weepy, irrational mama.

[Anonymous]

I bought about six bottles of different types to test them out as well as one can of formula in advance. A couple of weeks in, breastfeeding is going the same as with my first child - which is not great - so I am mostly pumping and supplementing with some formula. Glad I had everything ready and didn't have to run out and get it.

[Anonymous]

Yes! Love the born free bottles!
Also, nursing pads are very helpful.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't recommend getting a can of formula. I think you are supposed to use them within a month, and if the formula only serves as a back up, you won't use it. Get the free 2 oz ready mixed formula from the hospital just in case (you can also purchase this at the store). I had some bottles too. Turned out I needed them because DD had a tough time figuring out breastfeeding the first few days.

Plus I was a big fan of having DH give her a bottle of breast milk -- that gave me the freedom to get out of the house and not worry about an exact 2 hour time frame.