We’ve written quite a bit about our infant feeding experiences here on HDYDI, but I realize that I’ve neglected to discuss my bottle feeding experiences. That realization wasn’t a surprise. As I’ve told you before, much of my identity as a new mother was tied up in breastfeeding. Baby bottles were up there with gavage tubes on the list of things that I’d rather forget.
The fact is that baby bottles are genius.
A baby bottle can allow a father to feed a child. A baby bottle can allow a working mother to provide her child with breastmilk when she can’t be with her baby. A baby bottle can allow the bond of feeding between a mother and child when breastfeeding isn’t an option.
It’s been nearly 8 years since my daughters moved on from bottles, so I’m not the person to tell you about the newest and greatest development in baby bottle technology. What I can tell you is that, like every other aspect of parenting, it’s not just about what you like. You’ll have to take your child’s preferences into account. With twins, that means two sets of children’s preference, and they may like different things.
With M and J, we used Playtex VentAire
Once I returned to work, J and M went through 6-7 bottles a day, each. Every night, I had 12-14 bottles to wash. During my limited hours home, I had to breastfeed, eat, occasionally shower, complete household chores, and do that thing where you lie down and close your eyes. I’ve heard it rumoured that it’s called “sleep”. That last thing I wanted to spend my time on was scrubbing bottles.
Since all the bottles we used were open at each end, a bottle brush wasn’t a necessity. I didn’t use it much once the babies had outgrown preemie bottles. Instead, I used my dishwasher.
I had three of these handy dishwasher baskets
For the first several months, I would take the washed bottles out of the dishwasher and boil them in a pot of water for disinfection, but over time, I grew to trust the High Heat setting on the dishwasher. Before long, the girls’ immune systems had built up to where disinfection was no longer called for. After all, they were getting plenty of immune exercise from their time a group daycare.
For simplicity, I assembled rings, nipples and lips and stored those stacked beside all the bottles. That way, there was no need to spend time unscrewing bottles or pulling through nipples when it was time to feed.
What are your timesaving tricks for life filled with baby bottles?
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My hubby didn’t change a single diaper…but he did wash the bottles and breast pump accouterments when the girls were infants. That was a huge help, for sure. We hand-washed, and then used a microwave sterilizer. It was a process, but it worked for us.
I appreciate this post! Bottles don’t always get the credit they deserve. We were certainly thankful for them (although I can’t say we were sorry to see them {finally} leave!).
MandyE recently posted Simple Pleasures
that bottle stacker looks handy. I remember what a chore cleaning bottles was when I was working full time with my first. It’s doesn’t seem nearly as bad now I was them throughout the day xx
Kerry recently posted 10 Things I Love About You
Buying enough bottles that you don’t have to wash them every time. Get a system which works for you. We loved the Dr Brown bottle. I poured breast milk through one of those detachable bottom bottles and wasted a whole pumping session (mummy brain/literally crying over spilled milk) so I threw them away immediately
#twinklytuesday
Mama, My Kid Doesn’t Poop Rainbows recently posted A Dirty Protest
I agree completely with investing a lot of bottles. I think we had about 30, most of them purchased second hand from a consignment store. And you’re not the only one to cry over spilled milk. In fact, I called my friend Sara, in tears, after knocking over a bag of milk I’d just expressed, and the first thing I said to her was, “I’m crying over spilled milk!”
Wow, that’s some washing up left at the end of the day! Some great ideas, #twinklytuesdays
I had a love hate relationship with baby bottles, I hated using them because I wanted so desperately to solely breast feed, but my milk never fully came in even though I breast fed for 13months my daughter always had to be topped up with formula. It made me very sad. At the same time lucky for me bottles and formula were invented or my baby would have starved. Despite what some people believe not all breast feeding issues can be overcome even with experts involved.
Mackenzie Glanville (reflectionsfromme.com) recently posted The Bellarine Big 4 Movie Trailer #mummy & us
I’ve been watching Sense8 on Netflix, and there’s a scene where a mother has to give up her baby because malnutrition is preventing her from producing milk. Breastfeeding is a privilege that many of us don’t have, for any number of reasons.
You’re right, bottles are a great invention! I also used the lansinoh bags and they were great and love the idea of the dishwasher basket (just a shame we don’t have a dishwasher!). #TwinklyTuesday
Kaye recently posted How Not To Do Your First Awards Ceremony! #mummyproblems
Cleaning bottles is so important when the little ones are small. Wish I had a dishwasher but I still washed them with boiling water I was so cautious #twinklytuesday x
Something Crunchy Mummy recently posted Who said Women can’t decorate?!
I wish they had those bottle baskets when my two were little! They look fab! #twinklytuesday
Catie recently posted Photo story: Father’s day
Those dishwasher baskets are great!! In the UK we are advised to use special sterilisers which are big hefty cumbersome things that sit on your worktop, or you can get smaller microwaveable ones. I used mine for bottles and for my breast pump AND for nipple shields (oh, we don’t do things by halves here 😉 ) so I felt as if most of my day was spent cleaning and sterilising something or other! x
#twinklytuesday
Betty and the Bumps recently posted Introducing The New You Plan
Those sterilizers are available in the US too, but they don’t seem to come (affordably) in sizes that account for twins or more! It was just easier to buy the largest pot I could find. Also, I’m accustomed to boiling water for sterilization after growing up in Bangladesh, where the tap water isn’t safe to drink, so we’d boil water in bulk for all consumption, including making ice cubes.
We just used standard Avent bottles with M and she loved them and took to the straight away. I had the microwavable steriliser which was a god send. I remember the faf of washing them up..we didn’t have a dishwasher then, it was a nightmare! xx #twinklytuesday
Sophie @ Mum, M & More recently posted Toddler Bedtime Routine.
We never used a dishwasher to wash bottles, just good old fashioned tap water and a bottle brush, and then sterilise in our Tommee Tippee Steam Steriliser. We had 6 bottles, so had enough to just wash up before bed. I do NOT miss it at all, and was so happy when Tyler moved to cow’s milk! Sabrina xx
#twinklytuesday
Sabrina (The Mummy Stylist) recently posted Top 8 Toddler Clothes at Mothercare – Summer 2015
Arthur refused a bottle for a long time but eventually we did a gradual switch to formula and so they became a big part of our lives!! They really are a pain, we don’t have a dishwasher so it was all about the steriliser here!!
Seychellesmama recently posted My big fat pregnant Saturday night!
Gosh that sounds like so much work! Aside from the first 5 days of N’s life which was all taken care of by nurses anyway, I haven’t bottlefed so had no idea there’s so much effort involved involved! #twinklytuesday
Sian @ QuiteFranklySheSaid recently posted New Mum Fitness: Why I Want to Get Fitter
Great post – I have breastfed all my children but all have gone onto bottles after that except my youngest. I am still breastfeeding him and having tried lots of bottles he isn’t interested at all. I think this time we might be skipping from breast to cup but I agree it’s about what the babies need/want #TwinklyTuesday
Mummy Fever recently posted Family-friendly dining: part three
Washing up bottles is the bane of my existence. We’ve bought one of those dishwasher baskets, but we aren’t using it yet as handwashing seems to be working fine so far. I’m sure it won’t be long before we bring it out though! #TwinklyTuesday
Kelly Edwards recently posted Getting crafty with decoupage
Never used a lot of bottles. I expressed for daddy to give the eldest bottles sometimes, but we never had more than 4 bottles & just put them in microwave steriliser. With youngest, as only 15 month gap between, I don’t get chance to express as well as feeding her and looking after them both, so she has been breastfed only with no bottles. Which did reduce bottle cleaning work, at least!
Never seen bottles with removable bottoms as well before! #TwinklyTuesday
Silly Mummy recently posted Daddy
Great post. My daughter was mainly breastfed with the occasional top up bottle. My husband thought the steam stealiser was enough to clean the bottles and so didn’t bother washing them at first. Emma was fine though and her immune system is great. We stopped sterilising once she was 6 months. We wash them by hand now but I throw them in the dishwasher every now and again just to give them a good clean. #TwinklyTuesday
Emma’s Mamma recently posted Emma and the cat
Reading this I am so glad that breastfeeding worked really well for me and my boys. With the generous parental leave here in Germany I was able to feed them myself till they were 10 months old. Bottles were only used on rare occasions and I hated the washing and sterilising.
Thanks for sharing this though. That basket is a great invention!
#TwinklyTuesday
Fionnuala recently posted Multicultural Family Life – Meet the Walsh-Olesens
So true, bottles are genius! As are boobs or any form of milk squirter!
My top tip is remember you can relax at 6 months and stop sterilising…toss that sterilising aside (or sell it online)…FREEDOM! Of course you still have to wash them but no more time spent with bulky sterilisers! #twinklytuesday
doctomum recently posted The Perfect Father’s Day Gift: A ‘Cornwall Detox & Colonic’:
This is a helpful post about bottles. Breastfeeding gets a lot of press – and so it should – but some people can’t breastfeed or choose not to for perfectly good reasons. #twinklytuesdays
I remember when Zachary moved onto bottles and they were the bain of my life – and that was with only one child! We didn’t have a dishwasher back then so we had a steriliser. We didn’t even have a microwave so it was a standard water one. We do have a dishwasher now and you have reminded me that if we have another baby, we can use it…eeeeep! You are so right that they are magical things. I think one of my favourite photos is of Zach taking my expressed milk from his daddy. So gorgeous! Thanks for linking this fab post up with #TwinklyTuesday and of course being an awesome host! xxx
Lisa (mummascribbles) recently posted Twinkly Tuesday 23/06/15
I breastfed both of my children but they did go on to bottles afterwards. Washing them is such a pain, and I know that sounds lazy! I sterilised until they were 6 months, after that they went in the dishwasher with everything else!
x
Michelle (@AFamilyChatter) recently posted A Moment I’ll Treasure…
We used the steamer initially — when they were really little — but soon moved on to the dishwasher too!!! Only thing is, they’ve given all the bottles a slight ‘orange’ tinge!!! But hey! The boys don’t seem to mind
Thanks for being a fab #TwinklyTuesday host lovely x
Caro | http://www.thetwinklediaries.co.uk
Caro | The Twinkles Mama recently posted Twinkly Tuesday 23.06.2015 | Featuring Pirates and Dollies
I used to hate sterilizing all the bottles. We did have a handy microwave one that saved so much time. We used Dr Brown bottles which although were fab seemed to have so many parts!
#TwinklyTuesday
Oh it is a lovely way for daddies to be involved in feeding too
I didn’t have many bottles – I think we rotated 4 so it was constant washing up! Mim x #twinklytuesdays
Mim recently posted Square Snaps Mini Pola Snaps Review & Giveaway
I didn’t ever use a bottle so I’m still in the baby bottle confusion stage and will need posts like this and information like this if I have another child who needs (or who I want to give a bottle to) so thank you! It does mean I can’t offer my experience here but I can offer my opinion that I think it’s an interesting post! And I like the look of the ventair bendy ones. #twinklytuesday
Lucy at occupation: (m)other recently posted 10 Rules of Hotel Etiquette
Wow I didn’t know much things existed! Doh! Would have come in useful as I combination fed from 10 weeks as I couldn’t keep up with demand. If there is ever a next time I am so going to get myself one of these
thank you x #TwinklyTuesday
Mudpie Fridays recently posted Kids Birthday Questionnaire
Great post, I love the dishwasher basket. I used lansinoh with my daughter we love that brand. Thanks for hosting #TwinklyTuesday
These are certainly worth the parents’ money! I’m sure many mothers are happy with this post. They are guaranteed of a high quality set of feeding bottles with this one!
best kitchen gadgets recently posted Top 5 Best Food Processors for 2016
i can’t choose best bottle suggest me a good one
Thanks so much for the awesome tips for keeping bottles clean and sanitized. Really appreciate it.