Questions About Bottle Feeding

First of all, congratulations!

Your baby will dictate what kind of bottle they like. Dr. Brown's didn't really reduce the gas in my kids despite being recommended by our pediatrician. As a working mom, I found them to have too many steps to wash to make it practical.

With our son, we had a lady come to our house to watch him, but we moved the kids to day care once our daughter was born, and the state laws regarding milk are much more stringent. We had up to 6 bottles/day at some times depending on her appetite, and we had to hand wash them each day because of the practicality of running the dishwasher that frequently.

Our kids both took well to Avent and Platex Drop Ins (Dr. Browns was another they took to well, but we did have some issues with leaking).

Breast milk and formula is very fatty, so you'll have to have some kind of detergent to break down the fat content to wash them. I found hand washing to be easiest though annoying at 10:30 each night. I also found preparing bottles the night before was much easier, but our state laws require they be used within 24 hours, so I'd do it right before going to bed.

Check with your day care provider to find out what they'll allow you to do. Ours required bottles all be made in advance because of the time component. Anything not consumed within an hour of initial feeding had to be thrown away, and they keep strict charts.

I'd recommend waiting before opening your pump. Once it's open, it can't be returned. I've not known anyone to use an Avent because Medela is the market leader by far - a lot of hospitals and pharmacies have pumps for rent to help you select the one that works best for you. It's an expensive investment to perhaps not like.

Good luck!

I used the BreastFlow bottles, as they were similar to breastfeeding. I would ask your daycare about what is needed. Mine only needed a couple bottles, and they cleaned them themselves, which included sterilizing, but the place we were using at the time was REALLY rough on the bottles. We also just brought the BreastFlow storage bottles full of milk, or frozen milk, and they prepared the bottles there.

We also had a few bottles at home for my husband to use when necessary, and just hand washed them in hot soapy water. We only did the boiling when we first bought them, and I never used a sterilizer on them.

Another pump to look at is the Ameda Purely Yours. I didn't use any of their bottles, except to pump into.

I have used reg bottles, Avent bottles & breastfeed... I never had issues with my kids not drinking or haveing nipple confusion. As to washing them - I know a lot of people that wash them in the dishwasher... I don't have one, so I just washed them w/ hot soapy water & boiled them every few days for about 3 min unless they weren't feeling well, then I would do it everday.

Congrats!

I started my baby using Avent to get used to bottle feeding but moved her to the Dr. Brown's bottles before she started daycare because my mom said she seemed to like them better. (Don't get discouraged if your baby won't take a bottle from you - mine wouldn't but takes one just fine from others.) At about 6.5 months she started a little bottle fussiness at daycare and we tried Avent again. She does switch back and forth with no problems. If I didn't already have more Dr. Brown's bottles than Avent I would probably put her on those exclusively because Avent are SO much easier to wash.

I hand wash all my bottles - warm soapy water and two different size brushes for the Dr. Brown's, one brush for Avent. I have tried the dishwasher but they look dirty to me after the dishwasher. That said, literally every friend I have looks at me with horror when I tell them I hand wash and very kindly reminds me that it is perfectly OK to put bottles in the dishwasher.

I used the Playtex drop-ins which was easier for me. I pumped and stored 4-8 oz in the bags to take to daycare (or freeze). As long as it is refrigerated immediately, it can store in the fridge for up to 1 week. If you freeze it, once it is thawed, it must be used in 24 hours. I was fortunate to have abundant supply, so I would take 8-16oz fresh and kept a few 6oz bags in their freezer (in case she needed more, which she only did one time). I also bought the inexpensive playtex double pump (~$80 at many stores). It lasted through 1 year of pumping before I dropped and broke one of the plastic pieces. I know several people who love their Madela's though. As far as washing, you'll want to boil everything before first use. After that, you can put in dishwasher (put in a container or the silverware basket to keep from flying around in there) or just wash in hot soapy water. I hand washed pretty much all the time--just do the baby stuff before any of the other "yukky" dishes. Besides the first boil, I never did other sterilizing--just very good washing.

I realize that my answers aren't exactly what you were asking, but this was my experience and it worked for me.
Congratulations and Good Luck!!

My favorite bottles to use were the Avent ones. I never used Dr. Browns, but there were certain bottles that I bought before my son was born that he just wouldn't take, or that I ended up not liking. I would maybe buy one Dr. Brown bottle just to make sure your baby will take to it well, and to see if you like it yourself. I used to hand wash the nipples with a bottle brush that had a nipple brush on the end of it. I just recently bought something you put in your dishwasher to wash the nipples, it's a little basket made by Munchkin. I got it for $3 at Target and I love it. I haven't actually used it for the nipples yet because my sons a toddler, but I am expecting my second baby in October and plan on using it for that. As for right now I use it to wash his sippy cup tops and spoons. Congratulations!!