Bottles, bottles, and more bottles

When I was pregnant, a big question from others was whether or not I would breastfeed. This was a no brainer for me, of course I would! I heard many stories about moms who tried but couldn't do it for long (supply issues, going back to work, etc.) so I set my goal low, 3 months at the very least. 3 months came and went and now it has become a priority, something important to me and my little one. Other than the health reasons and of course saving money, one major pro was not having to wash many, if any at all, bottles! It was great! Then, I went back to work.

I now have to wash at least 7 bottles a day. The 3 we send to daycare with Carson, and the 4 I take to work to pump. Sure, I can pump into a bag but using bottle is another money saving move. So, as soon as I get home I start washing and sanitizing. We have 3 extra bottles for daycare that I need to fill with the milk I pumped from that day. It's a continuous cycle until Friday afternoon when I have a break for 2 days. 

Carson uses Philips Avent bottles, another money saving decision. My sister-in-law generously handed down 4 BPA free bottles, so I only had to register for 3 more and wouldn't have to buy all separate parts and pieces for a new bottle brand. The only problem is one set is a newer "model" and the other. The newer set requires the use of adapter rings which prevents the milk from leaking. When preparing the bottles for daycare I have to remember to use the rings for one set, and not for the other. It was inevitable I would forget one day.

It was only the second week Carson was in daycare. I went to pick him up to find he was in a different outfit then when I dropped him off. This wasn't a red flag at first because they change him if he spits up a lot or has a little blowout. Then, his teacher said, "Oh, his bottles kept leaking all day! We had to change him after every bottle so he wouldn't freeze." (She said it in a more concerned and polite voice then it sounds) It hit me... I forgot the adapter rings! Poor Carson! I felt so bad, "did he get enough to eat?" was my first thought! I felt so silly, but another mom picking up her baby told me she too used to make the same mistake with her Dr. Browns bottles. Don't you always feel better when someone else has made the same mistake?

I have to say goodbye for now... bottles are waiting.