I've just had a moment where I thought I should check with my hospital if they provide the formula I'm giving my baby (aptimil) - which they DON'T!! I was told I would have to bring in the ready made cartons of it as they also can't provide cooled, boiled water to make up the formula from powder.

I also checked that I need to bring in my own bottles, or if they provide the sterilised ones that they can resterilise for me (I'm a paediatric nurse and this is what we do for our patients) and again they DON'T! I was told I'd have to bring in a cold water steriliser as they can't use the microwave for my microwave steriliser.

Now I'm in a mad rush trying to get stuff organised as this never occurred to me when it should have done. Any suggestions? I was thinking about sterilising bottles here to take in with me which will last 24 hours, but then I'm stuck if I don't give birth for more than 24 hours!! Also thought about buying ready sterilised bottles but then have to cart them round in an already full bag!

oh dear!! can you use the microwave bags, or will they not let you use the microwave at al!!!
that sounds very strange!! hope you get sorted.

Nope! I thought it was a bit silly myself, but then understand to an extent. But not providing sterilised bottles or ANY sterilising equipment?!

I'm not sure about aptamil but i've brought a pack of sma ready made bottles, you just have to attach the teat and throw when you've finished.

They are the same ones that my hospital supply but i've brought a pack for when we get home and get ourselves sorted, might be worth looking into it. I got them from toys r us but i think boots and mothercare do them. I'm sure i saw apatmil but could be wrong.

HTH xxx

I've just got some of the cardboard cartons from boots and some disposable and ready sterilised bottles. Can't believe how much you need to take in!
How many nappies are you taking? I've got 10, but now worried that's not enough!!

omg they arnt much help are they!
i was told to bring my own ready made formula and they would provide the bottles..
they said thats the only thing they would provide but then they ended up asking me if i wanted formula,gave me wipes,nappies,bottles the lot lol my baby hospital bag never ended up even getting used and i stressed so much about it ! lol x

I don't know if this helps but I have sterilized some zip lock bags/sandwich bags that I got from Ikea,(which luckily were quiet thick plastic) at home in my electric baby sterilizer.

I also then sterilized a few baby's bottles and have put the bottles into the sterile bags and zip locked them up, one bottle in each bag, so nothing can get in to make them un-sterile until I open them up and start to use them.

I have also bought some baby's formula (SMA and Aptimil newborn) in ready to go cartons incase I cannot breast feed straight away and I may need them.

I have made up a baby feeding bag and a baby changing and clothes bag, then a hospital bag for me and one for the OH, so although it seems allot, the bags are not huge.

And they can always be left in the car till needed, then the OH can pop out to the car and get them. We have got to give him some thing to do while we are at the hospital, seein as labour can be quite long, boring and abusive for him, a quick dash to the car may be just what he needs?

I work in a tattoo studio and am very aware about keeping things as sterile as possible till they get used and I had this idea while at work of the zip locks and bottles from the tattoo equipment, it is normally sterilized in a sealed bag in an autoclave...which is slightly more advanced than a babies sterilizer, but the same sort of achievement. And when the cycle is finished the sterile packets come out of the autoclave still sealed with the equipment in and this will stay sterile till it is opened and used. So I thought "Hey this is pretty much the same idea!" so I have done this for my spend in hospital.

I have also done this with the breast pump and some dummies/pacifiers if I decide to use them?

I hope this helped or at least gave some ideas to help you out??