Baby Registry Series: Breastfeeding and Bottle-feeding

Note: We use the term “breastfeeding” to encompass all forms of lactation, including direct breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and providing expressed human milk in a bottle.

Breast or bottle, baby has to eat! Whichever you choose, you’ll want to put a few things on your wish list.

Here are a few things to consider when including safe feeding items on your baby registry:

• Infants feed frequently throughout the day and night but remember - a separate sleep space is best for baby. After feeding baby, put them in a safe place - do not let baby sleep on you when you are likely to fall asleep and do not let them sleep on a nursing pillow.
• Regardless of whether baby is having breastmilk or formula, you’ll need some bottles. We recommend buying a few to have on hand.
• Do not use bottle nipples as pacifiers. Offering a pacifier at naptime and bedtime can help reduce the risk of SIDS. Purchase pacifiers that cannot possibly come apart. The shield should be made of firm plastic with ventilation holes and be at least 1.5 inches across so baby cannot take the entire pacifier into their mouth. Never attach a pacifier to baby’s crib, their clothes, or around their neck or hand.
• Have something on hand to clean up spit up. Some families prefer to use burp cloths and others prefer wash cloths. Some babies wear bibs whenever they’re awake to help manage spit up and drool and others only wear them in the highchair.
• If you plan on breastfeeding, order a breast pump from your health insurance company. Find out in advance if your pediatrician’s office or OBGYN’s office have a lactation consultant you can use, if desired, after baby arrives.

You’ll be having frequent pediatrician visits to make sure baby is gaining weight well. Don’t hesitate to call or check in with them more often if you have concerns about your baby’s eating.

Read more tips on setting up a safe nursery.