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View Full Version : How many bottles will I need inthe first few months?



Judegirl
03-09-2004, 03:18 PM
I thought I'd wait and see how the baby responds to different bottles, but I won't be able to run out within the first few weeks, so I'm wondering if I have enough bottles to get me through?

I'll be exclusively pumping breast milk, so I'll need bottles for each feeding. I have 6 4-oz bottles, and 4 9-oz bottles. Will that be enough without having to run the dishwasher every few hours?

Thank you!

Jude

Jen in Chicago
03-09-2004, 05:11 PM
I was going to say 10, so I think you will be OK. Good luck! I give you credit, I was never a fan of the pump.

jbowman
03-09-2004, 06:23 PM
I think that sounds great...my only suggestion is to pick up a few more of the 4-oz bottles. You'll use those a lot at first--if you are using bottles at each feeding this will save you some time. My daughter takes EBM a few times a week--I only have 4 4-oz bottles (& 7 9-oz) and I wish I had more of the 4-oz! HTH!

Mabster
03-10-2004, 04:46 PM
On the same respect, if you pick up more of the 9 ounce bottles, you can continue to use them once your child takes more milk. They will still work even if you only have a few ounces in them! ;-)

Currently I have 8 - 9 ounce bottles and 9 - 5 ounce bottles, and currently it's more than what I need. The only reason I have so many of the smaller ones and use them often is because my Medela PIS came with two storage bottles, and I came home from the hospital with two, and they came with nicer caps that don't leak when I heat them up. I much prefer the 9 ounce bottles b/c they fit more, work better in my hand when feeding DD, and I can heat them in a bowl in the sink with a nipple on without them slipping into the bowl and becoming fully submerged - the nipple & collar rest n the edge of the bowl nicely.

Just my opinion!

nitaghei
03-11-2004, 11:03 AM
Is this in addition to bottles to use with the pump? I exclusively pumped for the first 8 weeks, and I definitely needed more bottles than that. I pumped 8-9 times a day ( double pump,therefore, 2 bottles at each pumping). With 3 sets of horns/bottles, I still washed pump parts and some bottles 2 to 3 times a day. A new born will feed at least 8 times a day, and maybe more. So, if you want to go without washing bottles for 24 hours, you will need a lot more than 10 bottles. I think I had about 20-24 bottles total eventually, to get me through more than 24 hours. Some bottles for pumping, some for storage, and some for feeding. Most of these were the cheap Evenflo/Gerber bottles - which work with the Medela pumps, and can also be used for storing EBM.

BTW - if you planning on exclusively pumping, I would strongly recommend a hospital grade pump like a Lactina. A PIS simply isn't powerful enough to handle long-term use 8 times a day. But I'm sure you know that already! :)

HTH

Nita
mom to Neel 01/05/03
dog mom to a cocker and a PWD

stillplayswithbarbies
03-11-2004, 12:05 PM
Hi, if you don't mind me asking, why will you be exclusively pumping? That's a lot of work, it's like the worst of formula feeding plus the worst of breastfeeding without the good parts of either. If there is a medical reason that you will have to do that, I admire your dedication to giving breastmilk to your baby. But if you are doing it because you think it will be easier, you might want to hear from some of the mommies who had to do it.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

Mabster
03-11-2004, 03:24 PM
I do the pump & feed bottle thing, and it s a huge hassle. We had a hard time breastfeeding and it became too stressful for me and baby. She's 2 months old bow and I'm lucky if I can get in three pumps a day with everything else that is going on. My supply is definately going down and I'll soo be doing just formula. I wanted baby to get the benefits of breast milk for as long as I can.

JenCA
03-11-2004, 06:15 PM
Question--do you find that you have problems with clogged ducts due to pumping only? When I was nursing, there was a period of time that I stopped and just pumped. It was great--until I developed clogged ducts. The only way I could get the clog to clear was to nurse DD. Then I'd start pumping again, and within a few days, another clogged duct would pop up. It finally got to the point where I cut way back on pumping sessions and just nursed DD again, because the clogged ducts were driving me insane. I'm just wondering if I was doing something wrong, or, as my LC told me, some women are just more prone to clogged ducts. Not that it really matters, I've since weaned and DD is exclusively formula fed...I'm just curious about the experiences of others who don't nurse and just pump.

Mabster
03-11-2004, 09:17 PM
I've never had clogged ducts. I guess I'm lucky in that respect. I have however developed a few painful blisters on my nipples from having the suction set too high on the pump. That was no fun, but I was told to keep pumping and they pretty much cleared up on their own. I also seem to have persistant cracked nipples right where the nipple meets the areola. I have large breasts and large, flat nipples so it's been a problem all around, with breastfeeding and pumping.