cheap baby bottles etc.

[cjnix29]

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who has a 2 month old baby. They are up to their eyeballs in debt, for many reasons....(please, no comments about this part please)....she has been breastfeeding, and wants to continue, but wants to pump and use bottles if she can, simply because she would like to take a shower every once in awhile, and that is clearly not happening right now. They have tried two different kinds of bottles, but the baby screams. So she is going to try to experiment, but can't afford to go out and buy 8 differnet kinds to try, especially since it's almost impossible to buy just one in a package. Any suggestions? Is there a great website to get them, or any great coupons, discounts that anyone knows of? I am going to start sending her diaper coupons, etc. But not sure about this one.

 

[JGoin]

What about her local Craig's List? Or is there a consignment sale or store around her? I've found Avent bottles through someone who was selling some-3 bottle pack in brand new in packaging for $5--- HTH!

 

[a1tinkfans]

OH, I wish we could buy them for her. But is there a church, organization that could help her out...I do not like to buy any knock off stuff , especially for babies, too much risk involved...I wish I had an answer for you. Its hard enough having a baby and debt and having to worry about cost is just another cross to bear....
I am keeping her in my prayers...............

 

[mjkacmom]

I had a ds who hated most bottles (and he was bottle fed, not bf). Avent worked for him, and others have had good luck with Dr. Browns, I believe. Both aren't cheap - maybe find used, and buy new nipples? Although she won't need many if she's still bfing. Maybe she can borrow from a friend temporarily just to check one out? I tried every bottle I could find in the grocery store, but nope - had to go to a baby store.

 

[rparmfamily]

Is she on WIC? She may be able to get a pump thru them. As for bottles, Craigslist is great. She could post asking for some for cheap. Good luck to her and kudos to her for nursing!

I hope she has the knowledge and support to pump and nurse. It can be tricky!

 

[cjnix29]

Thanks for your kind words. This is her third, and it wasn't planned. She had already gotten rid of all her supplies from her previous two. She's a nurse, but hasn't been able to work during her pregnancy. And still can't go back yet. So she and her husband have been struggling. I will have her post a request on craigslist. I checked my local one, and not much is there.

 

[Tinkerbelle99]

I breast feed our DD and getting her to take the bottle (as I had to return to work) was difficult. She didnt care for them, but finally found one she liked, Avent.

More than the bottle type, babies who are breastfeed, prefer the breast and it will take some getting used too for them to make the switch. sometimes its not the bottle/nipple brand she is rejecting, its probably the the whole bottle feed episode altogether.

What we did was ... I never gave her the bottle myself, the bottles were given to her by DH and then my mom, as she watched our DD while we worked. She fussed at first, but hey, when your hungry - your hungry. And we kept this routine the entire time. I never bottle fed her...I breastfeed when I was home, and faithfully took my pump to work everyday to ensure she had breastmilk available at all times.

I hope she is able to find something that works, its hard...but well worth the effort!

babycheapskate.com is a great site to find baby bargains, but they also run a site freepeat.com (sorta like freecycle, i think). and she may be able to find some assistance there.

Good luck!!

 

[labdogs42]

My son was breastfed and I was able to shower quite frequently. I think she's exaggerating a bit. It is such a waste of time and energy (IMO) to pump and put breastmilk in a bottle when the perfect delivery system is already attached to your body. If she isn't working, I see no need for bottles. But, if she insists, I guess I'd check into WIC. I would HOPE they would provide or help with these supplies (like a pump) just like they provide formula for babies. As for bottles, my DS used the Playtex Nursers when I went back to work and had to pump. They were great, but they do require the purchase of the liners. I don't know about any of the other bottles. Is she going back to work soon? Is that why she needs bottles? If not, she really should just consider BF exclusively and showering when the baby naps. That's my two cents!

 

[All American]

I formula-feed my baby (3 months) and use the Dr. Brown's bottles (did with my first baby as well). I love them! They are not cheap (but worth it--no gas or fussiness) and are, at first, a pain to clean. However, once you get a good system going, it's not too terrible. (I keep a tub by the sink, rinse the bottles when done, and set them in the tub until I clean them.) Since her baby is getting older, she could get by with a probably 3 or 4 bottles (thus saving some money) and clean them throughout the day.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

My son was breastfed and I was able to shower quite frequently. I think she's exaggerating a bit. It is such a waste of time and energy (IMO) to pump and put breastmilk in a bottle when the perfect delivery system is already attached to your body. If she isn't working, I see no need for bottles. But, if she insists, I guess I'd check into WIC. I would HOPE they would provide or help with these supplies (like a pump) just like they provide formula for babies. As for bottles, my DS used the Playtex Nursers when I went back to work and had to pump. They were great, but they do require the purchase of the liners. I don't know about any of the other bottles. Is she going back to work soon? Is that why she needs bottles? If not, she really should just consider BF exclusively and showering when the baby naps. That's my two cents!

Wow! Really? How many children do you have? This is her third. I had 2 in 2 years and there were MANY MANY times that showering in peace was not at option for me. And um.. ok...you think it is a waste of time and energy and you see no need for bottles...but I thought this thread was about someone else needing help..not asking for opinions on the fundamentals of breastfeeding..

 

[onyx8]

Gerber makes bottles that cost 99 cents each - you can get them at Target. They sell them in singles, 9oz and 5oz. Good luck!

 

[labdogs42]

Wow! Really? How many children do you have? This is her third. I had 2 in 2 years and there were MANY MANY times that showering in peace was not at option for me. And um.. ok...you think it is a waste of time and energy and you see no need for bottles...but I thought this thread was about someone else needing help..not asking for opinions on the fundamentals of breastfeeding..

I have one child. I don't think that has any bearing on the question. I thought the OP said the woman coudn't shower because she was BF, not because she was running after her other kids. Pumping takes time, too. As much time or longer than just feeding the baby. I know, I have done it. So, I don't see how pumping and feeding the baby bottles will free up time for showering. That was my point.

I didn't think I was making the thread about me, I was sharing my experience and recommendations (in case you didn't notice, I did recommend some bottles). Sorry you were so terribly offended by that.

 

[onyx8]

Also, tell your friend to leave the house while someone else offers the baby a bottle. Sometimes just having mom anywhere nearby will prevent the baby from taking the bottle.

 

[tinker&belle]

Wow...I feel for her. I had two in two years and younger DD was unable to breastfeed due to her cleft palate. I pumped milk for her and which took SO much time. The only reason I got a shower was my mom and DH made giving me that 15 min a priority.

My oldest was a breastfed baby and she liked the Playtex nursers. You can get Target brand liners for these which are much cheaper and I found they were just as good.

For the PP who said she didn't see any use for bottles, I am a bf advocate. I REALLY am. I had a lactation consultant and went to extreme measures with my oldest who had difficulty nursing and made nursing happen. I went to LLL meetings. I pumped tirelessly for my youngest since she physically could not do it without turning blue from lack of oxygen.

I understand that in a perfect situation exclusive BF is ideal. With each child in the family it adds another diminsion. This is a mother of three. If she needs a break every now and then it is good she can identify this need and not allow herself to sink into a level of PP depression and be able to care for herself and her children.

 

[HelenePA]

I have 4 kiddos, dh works 70 hrs a week I'm alone pretty much all the time.. my 1 yr old is still breastfeeding and I'm able to shower. Anyway he's NEVER NEVER liked a bottle. NEVER. The very few times he took one he used the Avent ones. He uses sippys now! He hated the playtex ones but my others like those.. going to sound strange but tell her to look at her nipples (can I say nipples?) and try to find a nipple/bottle combo that looks like hers. Also if she can't find any on craigslist try freecycle.org have her post and ask for a few bottles to try out.. I would buy new nips though.

 

[Shmily1]

DGS6months has tried several different types of bottles and he prefers the ones from Walmart that are the cheap ones (like 3 for $4 or can be bought individually for a little over $1). They have different designs on them like butterflies, the word baby, etc on them. The nipples are a little smaller and the flow is not so easy and doesn't choke him out like most others do. We have tried Avent, Dr Browns, Nuk, Soothie, and Playtex. The Playtex ones are the next best for him.

No snide comments here about having time to herself. I can totally see the good of having someone else giving the baby a bottle while she relaxes in the shower. It is also good for the mom to have some quiet time for her own sanity. I do agree that if the baby doesn't want the bottle with the mom in that part of the house, she may have to go to a different part of the house until the baby gets use to taking a bottle. DS19 would not take a bottle from anyone if I was near enough for him to smell me!

Good luck to her.

 

[cjnix29]

Thank you for the suggestions. The kind words are appreciated. The snarky remarks are precisely why I hesitate to write things on this board. Why is it that people have to pass judgment on others,especially when you dont' know all the circumstances? Don't understand it. But I really do appreciate the suggestions.

 

[mspencer]

I too think it's great she realizes she needs that break. I also think it's better to get her baby used to an occasional bottle now than to wait. I tried within the first month or so with my little one so she didn't fight it and found that Avent also worked with her. I think the nipple is supposed to be more natural like a mother. I did a lot of searching on the internet to see what types of bottles are supposed to work best for babies who are also breastfed. I did enjoy the time I spent with my youngest nursing, but it can be exhausting being the sole person responsible for nourishing your child...especially when there are 2 more to care for. Good luck to her and whatever decisions she makes for her family are the best for her and her situation...always remember that.

 

[Ephany]

In addition to freecycle and craigslist, try ebay or yardsales. Or maybe a local children's consignment shop or thrift store might have a varied selection so she can try different brands for an affordable price. They'll have to buy new nipples, but it's better than buying the whole system new.

 

[tessiemez]

Does she already have a pump? If not, see if she can test out a rental pump (you can find certified rental pumps on the Medela website) or get a cheapie handpump to try out before she spends too much money, just because many women aren't pump-friendly. I know lots of women that pumps worked great on, but quite a few women who bad luck with pumps, and ensured that all the pump parts were sized properly--they would have to pump for twice as long to get maybe half as much as a normal feeding would provide. It's simply because a pump is not as effective as the real thing.

That being said, she may want to try the soothie bottles. They're relatively inexpensive and I've known many BF'd babies that like them. They're available at Wal-Mart.

ETA: I feel for her, trying to find time to herself to do something as simple as take a shower. All parents are different--so some on here may have been able to easily find time--but it's not so easy for some to get a break. I had a friend whose baby would cry every time the shower ran, and who would magically wake up from the deepest sleep if the mom got food near her mouth. I witnessed it myself. Amazing!