How many bottles do I need? - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

cmarie313 · 10-09-2007, 11:11 AM

Hello

I need to know how many bottles I should have for when the baby comes. I am not nursing so the baby will only be bottle fed. How many 4 oz. bottles and how many 9 oz. bottles should I have?

Thanks for your help!
cmarie

baj406 · 10-09-2007, 11:34 AM

Let's see, I had 7 4oz bottles, then I lost one so it was 6. I washed all the bottles every night and refilled them. (I make a day's worth of formula at one time.) Of course, now DS is taking 5.5oz @ a time so we're using 8oz bottles now. I have about 10 of those, though you really don't need that many. I think I actually wish I had less. I let the bottles go longer w/out washing having that many, but on the up side, I can make 48 hours worth of formula at once. (DON'T do that w/ powder, ONLY liquid RTF or concentrate. Powder is only good for 24 hours once prepared.) You shouldn't need 9oz. bottles, 8oz is plenty big. I haven't heard anyone recommend a baby be given more than 8oz of formula at a time anyway. So, if you're going to wash your bottles EVERY night, 6 - 8 of each size ought to be plenty. (I use Dr. Brown's bottles, so I also have a handful of inexpensive bottles for going out that I won't mind if I lose.)

jmcummins3 · 10-09-2007, 12:05 PM

A newborn eats about 8-10 times in a 24 hour period. An older infant (2-4 months old) eats 5-6 times. You can put the bottles in the dishwasher or hand wash them, but hand-washing all of them is a pain when you're sleep-deprived and have all those bottles to wash EVERY DAY. I bought a dishwasher container for the nipples and rings which keeps them in place. I have 12 smaller bottles (I keep one in the diaper bag) so I can have a day's worth of formula made and just grab the bottles as I need them. I put that day's "set" in the dishwasher (I have to run it every night whether or not it's full) and pour the ones for the next day without having to worry about waiting for the dishwasher. DD2 never made it past 6 ounces per feeding, so I never needed the larger size bottles for her. DS is just over 3 months and will be moving up to 8 ounces in the next week or so since he's consistently starting to take in 6 ounces per feeding. I have 9 of those bottles. He doesn't eat over 6 ounces at every feeding, so I should be able to get away with 9 plus a couple of the smaller bottles for the evening cluster feedings when he only eats 2-4 ounces. Once they start on solid foods (our dr. says 4 months) they take in less formula per feeding and go down to 3-4 bottles per day, so you probably won't need the larger bottles for very long, if at all. You may want to wait on those.

I use the powder formula and make a day's worth of formula in a 1 quart container, because the powder (Isomil) sometimes clumps, but after it's refridgerated for a while the clumps finally dissolve. I pour it into bottles, especially for the overnight feedings so I can get one ready quickly. I heat it by putting it in a glass in the sink and running hot water over it for a few minutes while I change DS's diaper. That way it's ready when he's ready to eat.

cmarie313 · 10-09-2007, 12:07 PM

Thank you so much for the insights! That totally makes sense. Avent bottles come in 4oz and 9 oz (not 8oz). Thanks again

cmarie

jmcummins3 · 10-09-2007, 12:10 PM

Sorry, I just re-read your post and realized that you're considering 4 oz bottles. I have Evenflo Comfi' bottles and the smaller ones hold 6 ounces. DS has been taking 4-6 ounces consistently since he was about a month old, so if you're contemplating 4 oz and 9 oz bottles you'll need the larger ones earlier so you'll probably want a few more of those too. If you go with 6 oz bottles, you may not need the larger size or as many of them.