I am eight months pregnant and I plan to breastfeed. I want to share the experience with my husband by expressing milk and allowing him to feed our baby every now and then. He has been absent all but the first two months of pregnancy and won't return until our baby is around four weeks old. I was told by a friend that I can't use regular bottles (cloudy plastic) to store milk and feed to her. Is this true and if so, what type of bottle should I use?
When feeds of your expressed milk are only occasional, it doesn't matter very much what type of baby bottle you store your milk in. Even if some nutrients, fats or immunological factors are lost, your expressed milk will only be making up a very small part of your baby's diet.
There are lots of different bottles to choose from. Again, since this is only for occasional use, I can't see any reason to purchase "special" bottles. The cloudy plastic bottles you own should be fine.
I'm sure you're looking forward to when your husband will be home again! Sharing feeds isn't the only way to share the experience with your partner. There are lots of ways to nurture a baby that don't involve feeding.
Your husband can be very involved in other ways -- snuggling with your baby, carrying her in a sling in between feeds, bathing her, helping you around the house, and helping with your older child.
If you do decide to offer your baby an occasional bottle, I would recommend waiting until breastfeeding is well established -- at least four to six weeks. If you will be missing a feed, it is important that you express your milk.
Best wishes in mothering!
