disposable bottles for newborns

[KatsuQueen]

Hello, has anyone used any disposable bottles/teats recently? I am due to deliver 2nd baby at kings in early Dec, one of the things I found really difficult first time round was getting hold of sterile bottles/teats in the first week while I was there. When MInikatsu was born he had a few bottle feeds in the first few days before my milk came in but becaue they have a strong breastfeeding policy, all bottles/teats were locked up in a cupboard and it was such a hassle gestting a bottle and teat from the busy staff.

So this time around, I;m just going to bring in some disposable ready sterilised bottles and teats in my hospital bag. The only ones I can seem to find are "vital baby nurture" ones, which are medium or fast flow, I really need the slow/newborn flow ones. SMA do a starter pack with 12 bottles and teats, but I'd rather use Aptamil so I just need the bottles/teats not the milk.

Anyone found anything that worked well?

(Please, I don't want to get into a discussion about nipple confusion/colustrum is enough/formula is poison etc.)

[jennyh]

Hey

No advice on where to buy im afraid but I had my daughter at Kings in Feb and found that they were very helpful at providing bottles and teats, so much so that they gave me a load to take home with me to make it easier in the early days. It was all readily available to take from the kitchen bit where the microwave and sinks are and you could really help yourself to sterile bottles and teats. not sure if perhaps they have changed the system?

[Ruth_Baldock]

Jenny, I think it depends on which MW you end up having overseeing you in the PN ward. I think the official line is they won't provide formula, bottles, teats or sterlising facilities but they obviously do.

In saying that, KatsuQueen- have you looked on amazon under baby products or on kiddicare.com?

[KatsuQueen]

Thanks for replying! Jennyh, very reassuring to hear that it was easier for you, but I think the official policy is as Ruth has posted. Officially the ward does not provide any formula, bottles, teats etc but obviously they have to, because what if you just CAN'T breastfeed (eg if the mother is seriously ill)? They can't let the baby starve!

But we found that it was very awkward to get the individually wrapped sterile teats; you had to find a member of staff who had access to the locked cupboard; sometimes you had to find a few MWs etc before you found the person who had the key to the cupboard or knew where it was. Meanwhile my baby was screaming his head off in hunger. And then I just got one measly teat / bottle, so you had to repeat the whole process 3 hours later.

This time round, I just thought sod it, I'm bringing in my own supply - but I can;t seem to find them anywhere. "Vital baby" do individually wrapped single-use sterile bottles and teats, but they seem to be sold out everywhere.

[Monkey]

Tommy Tippee does them. I sued them for a while - they're not great but they do the job.

In order to get easier access to formula and bottles, get one of the paediatricians to have a word. Much more friendly and helpful than most midwives... I think all the grumpy ones end up on the post natal ward!

[pommie]

im sure boots sell disposable bottles

[Belle]

when i was there at the end of Sept a mw was refusing formula to the lady opposite me (who had chosen to ff, but whose partner was unable to make it into the hospital that day with bottles/formula) - I felt SO sorry for her, her baby was only 11 hrs old and screaming its head off. She said they couldn't give it out without a medical reason. So I think you're def right to be prepared - we didn't have any with us, and fortunately didn't need it in the end but had a stash of the SMA ready made bottles at home and my hubbie was prepared to dash back for them if need be.

I think the tommee tippee ones are fast flow from memory...

[cuppa tea]

Belle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> when i was there at the end of Sept a mw was

> refusing formula to the lady opposite me (who had

> chosen to ff, but whose partner was unable to make

> it into the hospital that day with

> bottles/formula) - I felt SO sorry for her, her

> baby was only 11 hrs old and screaming its head

> off. She said they couldn't give it out without a

> medical reason. So I think you're def right to be

> prepared - we didn't have any with us, and

> fortunately didn't need it in the end but had a

> stash of the SMA ready made bottles at home and my

> hubbie was prepared to dash back for them if need

> be.

>

> I think the tommee tippee ones are fast flow from

> memory...

Crikey, that's not pro-breastfeeding, that's cruelty!!!

[jennyh]

Wow I had no idea that was the case, how shocking but I guess they have to draw the line somewhere as their supplies obviously aren't endless. Having been overall underwhelmed by the support offered with breastfeeding perhaps I was very lucky with the one midwife who helped me in this respect. Sounds like it could have been a lot harder.

I hope you find what you're looking for, if I see anything in my travels I'll be sure to post!

[sillywoman]

cuppa tea Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Belle Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > when i was there at the end of Sept a mw was

> > refusing formula to the lady opposite me (who

> had

> > chosen to ff, but whose partner was unable to

> make

> > it into the hospital that day with

> > bottles/formula) - I felt SO sorry for her, her

> > baby was only 11 hrs old and screaming its head

> > off. She said they couldn't give it out without

> a

> > medical reason. So I think you're def right to

> be

> > prepared - we didn't have any with us, and

> > fortunately didn't need it in the end but had a

> > stash of the SMA ready made bottles at home and

> my

> > hubbie was prepared to dash back for them if

> need

> > be.

> >

> > I think the tommee tippee ones are fast flow

> from

> > memory...

>

>

> Crikey, that's not pro-breastfeeding, that's

> cruelty!!!

Well, to be fair to the unknown midwife - there's nothing in belle's post to suggest the Mum didn't actually have the resources available to feed her hungry baby, she was just choosing not to. Cruelty from Mum rather than Midwife maybe? All a question of perception.

[Princess]

I was there in July and had to 'top up' my son with formula. The teats and bottles weren't locked away but the formula was. Despite being there 5 days and having numerous midwives looking after me, it was never a problem to get someone to unlock the cupboard for me when I needed formula.

[KatsuQueen]

Hi everyone, thanks for helpful comments. I think I will probably get the SMA ready made bottles, just in case. I think it does depend on the individual midwife, although to be fair I always got a teat/bottle. Maybe it was just my sensitive state at the time, but I did feel there was a lot "eye-rolling" and "deep sighing" whenever we asked for the equipment. And I was trying to breastfeed damn it! I just needed a bit of top-up help in the early days. (just another thing to make me feel inadequate as a mother!)

(Sillywoman, sorry I really didn;t want to get into this, but can;t resist a reply. I am totally pro-breastfeeding BUT there are many reasons why women choose not to breastfeed. I'm not surprised by belle's post - I just think it is so strange that a midwife, a "health-care professional" would rather have a baby screaming its head off in hunger, potentially dehydrated, purely out of "principle". Formula isn't poison.)

[sillywoman]

I really agree with you katsuQueen, there are many, many reasons why a woman may chose not to breastfeed, and I really feel there's no point getting into the why/why not debate. It's a personal issue that is as individual to each woman as our ways of living are.

My point though was that the particular baby belle posted about was crying because it was hungry, the woman had milk in her breasts to feed the baby (otherwise it would have been a medical issue & the midwife would have given formula), the decision not to feed the baby with that available milk in that instant was the Mothers, not the midwife's. Therefore it was the Mother's decision to "have a baby screaming its head off in hunger, potentially dehydrated, purely out of "principle", rather than the midwife's. I'd be willing to bet the midwife was very distressed by that particular situation. Listening to a little baby scream because it's mother won't feed it is just awful for all concerned.

We are all responsible for our own decisions. If you decide - for whatever reason - not to breastfeed, then it's incumbent upon you to take steps & plan to make sure you have other ways to feed your baby when it needs it - much as you're doing by posting now in your search for disposable bottles. You're planning ahead to look after your baby. In the first instance the baby (when well, and otherwise healthy) is its parents responsibility. If a Mother choses not to feed her baby with the milk freely available then that's her choice that she is free to make, but she can't really blame others when her baby cries whilst she's waiting for the other milk to arrive. Especially when the means to feed it is at hand. That particular situation is of the mothers making, not the midwife's.

I don't presume to comment on any other situation at all, only on the one that belle has posted.

[chantelle]

I think the SMA bottles are the best bet, I'll be getting some too for my pending birth at St Thomas in a few weeks.

Despite all the supposed BFing help in the lead-up to my son's birth three years ago, my son basically had nothing to eat for several days while my milk took its time coming in. All i was told was to absolutely not give him any formula or water but frankly i think we were lucky he didn't have to be readmitted for dehydration (he had all the signs.)

This time I will be using my own judgement!

[Belle]

the woman was a first time mum, who'd had a c-section just the night before - quite possible that it was all v sudden and thus she was in hospital unprepared (plus who really knows what the score is first time? I didn't know about the strict formula rules before my first). I was saddened by her situation as well remember not having a clue with my first - even how often to feed etc. She was obviously totally out of it, and to my knowledge nobody had offered help with bf in any case. The midwife chastised her for not changing her baby's nappy, and said something along the lines of 'you're a mum now, you have to look after your child' - which may be true, but surely a bit of guidance in how to do the looking after wouldn't go amiss? She actually apologised for being harsh later in the day - I just don't think it was a nice way to handle someone who'd had their first birth, and a c section at that, who was totally alone that day for whatever reason, and who clearly needed help.

Just wanted to clarify the patient's situation as I saw it - not starting this tired old debate again!

[sillywoman]

Those first few days with a new baby are so tricky chantelle, I remember the confusion and stress of it well. However your breasts will have had colostrum in them in the period between the birth of your baby and your milk coming in. I obviously have no idea why your son didn't eat, but rest assured it won't have been because you didn't have anything there.

I only post this in case there are some Mums-to-be reading this and becoming anxious about not having milk in their breasts to feed their babies. There's a lot of scare-mongering about this issue for new 1st time Mums. You will have milk - how efficient your baby will be at accessing it is another issue, & it is true that lots of women will need help with getting their babies to feed. Help that isn't always easily accessible. However It's extremely, extremely rare for a woman to have no milk or colostrum - & those rare incidences tend to happen mainly in 3rd world countries where women are more likely to be malnourished themselves due to famine for example, rather than here in South London (not saying that it never happens - just that it's highly unlikely and something of a medical anomaly when it does).

[Monkey]

This obsession with breastfeeding is bordering on the ridiculous.

Some of the midwives on the post natal ward at King's are a complete disgrace. My baby would not feed (I had milk but who cares my baby would not take the breast) and it took a busy paediatrician whose time would have been better spent in the neo natal unit to put the midwives through their paces and explain to them that this baby HAD to be fed even if it was "evil" formula. If the midwives had had any interest and empathy, and dare I say if they had done their job properly, I would have been out much faster, saving the NHS money.

Chantelle, I agree - use your own judgement.

[KatsuQueen]

OK Thanks everyone - in case anyone is wondering: I've got the SMA starter pack, 12 ready made sterile bottles and teats. I'm getting them from Ocado, but I'm sure you can get them at supermarkets/Boots etc. Ready to go in my hospital bag.

Just to share my own experience in case any first time mothers have read this and are anxious - it took a few days for my milk to come in properly and despite what the midwives told me about "colustrum is enough" etc, my baby was obviously starving and showing signs of being dehydrated. I still put him to my breast every two hours or so, but frankly he wasn;t getting anything out of them. The formula just got us through the first week or so. One day I just put him to my boob, squeezed it and a squirt of milk came out...so just because you need a top-up in the beginning doesn't mean that breast feeding is out of the question.

BUT while I was in hospital, I saw another couple who attended the same antenatal classes, who had to readmit their dehydrated baby. Their baby had lost more than 10% of birthweight because of problems with feeding and the "no formula/no water is required" mantra. Even in my post-birth haze I could see that this was nuts, when one bottle of formula would have solved a potentially dangerous situation.

(sorry that this is in danger of turning into the same tired discussion - but I've got the answer to ny original question, so thanks fellow EDF'ers!)

[Saffron]

If you do experience problems with early breastfeeding, they're more like to be with Baby's latch than with Mother's milk supply. A properly latched baby should be getting enough. Sometimes a latch that looks ok to Mother and Midwife really isn't. You should go straight to a certified lactation consultant. A sympathetic lactation consultant might also be able to offer you better advice in the case that top-ups are truly needed, and whether you'd be better off giving formulated milk or glucose water. It's not a subject to be taken lightly. And although it's fair to say 'Use your own judgement', it's also really important to take some professional advice. By all means put the spare bottles in your bag if it eases your mind. Then put the phone number of a lactation consultant next to the bottles too. Good luck and happy birthing. xx