What Breast Pump and Bottles/nipple Combination Works Well?

I just figured this out at the end of breastfeeding. I used the ameda pump- I would line the bottles with the Gerber drop in bags- that have a ziplock top to store in the freezer. If you want to go straight into the Playtex drop in- you can rubber band the drop in to the pump- this takes practice, leaks, but will work.

I am likely repeating what many others have said...

Get a really good breast feeding book and maybe attend an LLL meeting to get information about when to introduce a bottle. It is generally considered best to not introduce a bottle or any artificial nipples (pacifiers) for four to six weeks while you are establishing breast feeding.

That being said, the bottles that are best will depend on your baby. I have tried Dr. Browns, Avent, Second Nature, Playtex Nursers, Medela, and the generic old store brand and my baby is yet to find a single nipple she will accept. Don't invest a lot in any one brand until you know what your baby will take, instead try to gather one of a few different brands to try out when you are ready to introduce bottles.

Your pump doesn't have to match the brand of the bottles. Get a really good double electric if you are going to work after your baby is born. If you just want a pump for rare or occasional use, then a good hand pump may be all you need.

I pump into the bottles that came with my Medela pump and then pour into the Lanisoh ziplock style bags later. My baby won't take the nipple, so I have over 500 ounces in the bottom of my freezer! When I do make up the rare bottle, I just pour from the bag into the bottle or drop in that I will be using.

There are great resources that answer your question better than I just did. Go to http://www.kellymom.com and you will get so much more about breast feeding, pumping, bottles for breast fed babies, introducing bottles, and breast feeding problems.

Hi L.,

I agree with the Medela Pump N Style! I have used it for my first baby for 9 months now and it works beautifully. I also used Dr. Bowns bottles ...You can pump directly into the bottle if you get the narrow bottles. They have ones that hold 4 ounces to start with that are great, and you can get the larger ones that I think hold up to 8 oz. The bottles really do cut down on gas and spit up. My baby hardly ever spit up.

I would also highly recommend a lactation consultant. I personally would not have made it past the first few weeks without mine...and then again throughout various changes with baby....teething etc. She has been a God send...very patient,kind & knowledable. She has gotten us through many rough patches with breastfeeding and answered my endless questions. I am not sure where you are located, however she will come to you. Her name is Wendy Blumberg ####-###-####.

Best of Luck to you and your new little one!

K.

Hi L.,
I love the Medela pump in style advanced....could not have breastfed without it especially when I was working out of the home. We found a conversion kit for the Avent bottles so you could pump directly into their bottles....not sure if there are other kits for other brands or not. Both of my girls would not take the avent very well, so we went to the playtex nursers....they both did GREAT with these and they are the drop in type.

Good luck.
K.

I love Dr Brown's bottles, I highly recommend if you have baby problems with gas or spitting up!!! They are high but worth it!!!

Whatpump you use has no effect one way or the other on what bottle you use. Your baby will be the one to decide which bottle works best for him or her. For a young infant, it's best to delay introducing the bottle for as long as you can. This will help you better establish your breast feeding. Also, this will cut down on the hassle of cleaning bottles until you absolutely have to.

I'm assuming you're going back to work and that is why you want to introduce a bottle. Once you do, it's best to go with a slow flow nipple otherwise they just drown. If you have a healthy baby, there's no need to sterilize really. You can wash the bottles/nipples in the dishwasher and that should do it.

Regarding pumps... I would recomend a Medela. The absolute best are the hospital grade pumps which you can rent from a lactation consultant. Whatever you do, don't buy a cheap pump or you will be throwing your money away. Check out Medela's web site -- www.medela.com -- to find a lactation consultant in your area. You might want to talk to one in advance to get their take too. I would also highly recomend going to a La Leche League meeting while you're still preganant. You can ask any questions you may have regarding breast feeding and this will help you enormously.

Good luck!

I had a pump in style. I liked it fine. I will say that I tried the playtex bottles for the same reason you said-less cleaning. I decided that the environmental effects were similar if I just used regular bottles and ran the dishwasher often. So, here's what I did.
I bought a pump in style,
about 16+ bottles with the sealing disks (avent brand)
about 16+ nipples, collars, etc.
about 10 sets (20 total) breast shield/valve assemblies
an isis manual pump
four dishwasher baskets
the adapter kit so that my bottles would fit the pump in style (avent makes one) and LOTS of dish washer detergent

I am due again in Jan and I plan to use this plan again. The Lansinoh bags are the best in my opinion if you want to store in disposables. I ran the dishwasher once a day at night usually.

Lactation consultants generally agree that avent is best if you're switching back and forth.

Good luck!
R.

I loved my Medela pump in style. It was fast, comfortable, and convenient and came with bottles that you could use to feed. You may wish to speak with a lactation consultant before you invest in a machine.