For moms who bottle feed

I was wondering if those of you that bottle feed your twins let your babies share from the same bottle? I don't know why I just thought of doing this. What I mean is, for example, when Amelia wakes up and I make her 5 ounces and she only eats 3, I could give the other 2 to Lily and then just make her another 2 ounce bottle instead of wasting that 2 ounces.

My girls are starting to cut down on a couple of feedings or cut them out completely, and when I went to throw away the rest of Amelia's bottle and make a new one for LIly I thought to myself "I could just give the rest of this bottle to Lily" and then just make her another couple of ounces if she wanted more. But then I thought that might be gross, and I couldn't decide. So I was wondering what you other moms of two do.

If your first baby only eats part of the bottle do you feed the 2nd baby from that same bottle? Or do you use that formula and pour it in a new bottle? Or do you throw away the remainder of that bottle and prepare a whole new bottle for the 2nd baby?


TIA,
Aimee

 

In the beginning, I wouldn't have even thought of doing it. But eventually, I would see that one of them was still hungry and the other all done and yes (bad mommy), I would let them share bottles. Binkies got shared over the first two years, too.

 

yes, and with spoons too.. unil they are old enough to hold their own cup and spoon..

i would definetly say share.. just keep track of the amount of formula that each takes in..

m

 

In the hospital I would just change the nipple for the 2nd baby. That way we only had to open one little nursette and I could take one home.

On occasion, I have let them share a bottle. I figure if one gets sick the other will anyways. And this far this has been true. Usually Thomas finishes his bottle and he ALWAYS eats first so it doesnt come up, but on occasion he still wants more and I let him finish hers. She rarely finishes hers.

I do not think it is gross.

 

I never thought of that. I may do the same thing and possibly change the nipple.

 

It is not gross. Mine share bottles, paci's, toys, spoons, pretty much share everything.

Missy

 

I despise waste, that being said YES!! we would let the other finish the botttle if any was left. They also share their paci, whichever one is in reach is what is going in the mouth!

 

Oops, just remembered my boys use different formula (one has reflux) so this idea won't work for me. Darn!

 

YEP! We share here too. Didn't at first, but then we started..... It's EASIER. Less waste. Less $$ spent on Formula....

Only time we don't share now is if one is really sick and we don't want the other sick or don't want them to keep passing it back and forth. Then I go on a bleaching rampage and make sure NOTHING gets shared. Oh and the time they got Thrush, the ONLY way we could clear it out of their system and keep them from passing it back and forth was to keep EVERYTHING seperate, bleach it all every single night, etc.....

 

Mine share all the time, especially for "snack bottles" - they drink 1/2 each of a full bottle. They also share spoons, sippy cups, each other's hands, toys, etc. Of course they shared my boobs when I was nursing and I never gave it a second thought. Share and share alike, that's what I say!

 

I don't think its gross at all...

Yeah, mine share pretty much everything…bottles, pacifiers, and the gas medicine droppers.

 

I don't think it's gross -- pretty soon they'll be chewing on each other's hands and blankies and everything else. Maybe just change the nipple out if it bugs you.

It's never come up for us, because I always make two bottles and feed both at the same time....and they usually drink every last drop, so it probably wouldn't be an option anyway.

 

mine shared everything. The only times I tried to keep it separate is if one were sick..but I even changed my mind on that. I found that by separating utensils when one was sick made it so that one would get sick then 5-10 days later the other would get sick anyway. Then the cold would have a chance to modify and the first would get sick again...seriously the only time I did this we had 6 weeks of one kid sick after the other and back again...By having them share even when one was sick, the second would at least pick it up faster so that they would all get over it a lot faster. so I don't think it's gross...my mom never liked it though...so be prepared for grandma to throw a fit.

 

Absolutely yes! They chew on each other's fingers, so I figure why not share bottles, toys, spoons, or anything else. The only thing I don't do is use the same wash cloth to wipe two bottoms during diaper changes. I don't know why but that seems like swapping too many germs for me.

 

DH and I have been doing this from the beginning. We bottle feed breast milk and we think it makes sense too.

 

Bottles and spoons. My kids still share sippies. I can't keep them separate. They just pick up the other and drink out of it.

 

My kids were on different formulas till they were 6 months old, but I had not thought about sharing since switching. They share everything else, why would bottles be any different? I wish I had thought of this 4 months ago, we could have saved some money on formula. There can't be any more germs in a bottle that when they take pacifiers from each other. Thanks for the great idea.

 

My girls shared bottles from the get go too. I'm big on not wasting too and I thought it just silly to thow away remaining formula and make new stuff for a baby that is still hungry. I'd just pop sister's bottle in the hungry babies mouth. Since they've been holding their own bottles, then mobile, it's hard to keep track of who's bottle is who's. The only time I'd try to keep track - even now - is if one baby didn't eat a good dinner etc. - I'd make sure that baby got her own bottle so she'd get enough etc. They are grabbing each other's bottles now. They fight over them. just wait......

 

I say sure as long as you didn't put something in the bottle like vitamins or gas drops. When my girls were little we mixed mylicon in every bottle and so we didn't share (didn't want one to get too much!), and now they some times share except for the 4pm bottle when I put their vitamin in it. Now their 'sharing' is because one finished their bottle and then try to steal their sister's.. or sometimes one holds out the bottle so the other can have some.. its too stinkin cute!

We also do one bowl, one spoon for meals because its so much easier to feed them both at the same time.

 

at first we'd change tops/nipples, but that started becoming a hassle, so we just let them share. i asked my pedi if it was alright that they were sharing bottles and pacis and he said it was totally fine and soon they'll be sharing everything when they start sticking things in their mouths. as long as one isn't sick.

 

We didn't at first and we don't do it every day but it does happen around here. We share spoons too, there's just not enough time in each day to worry about separate everything.

 

The first time I did it I felt really bad--like I was doing some big cardinal sin of parenting or something. But I do it occasionally now if one seems still hungry and the other didn't finish. When we started cereal and baby foods, I got out 2 bowls, 2 spoons, etc. That lasted one feeding before I realized that it was a waste of time and bowls. I figure they share enough germs when they suck on each other's hands, binkies, etc. so I'm not doing any harm at all. Let's face it--if one gets sick the other will most likely get it anyway.

 

i guess i'm not of the norm...we never shared bottles. maybe i would have later on...but by then they were on different formulas. they share everything now, sippies, spoons, food, etc. can't keep them separate!

 

QUOTE(moski @ Jan 4 2008, 10:08 AM) [snapback]557181[/snapback]
I would see that one of them was still hungry and the other all done and yes, I would let them share bottles.

This is what I did too.

 

yep, me too my girls shared! Even now they share their sippys...I cannot keep them from taking the other ones sippy!

 

Yep mine share too. Not so much the bottles just because they ususally take all of it now, but spoons they do if they are bothing eating cereal at the same time and I am by myself...one bowl one spoon. They have been sharing binkis from the get go....too hard to seperate though I could by color (2 pinks 2 whites)...I guess if one got sick I would do that. Besides that, I just grab the first one I see.

April

 

Absolutely! Especially if one of them starts a big bottle and only has an ounce, then you don't waste the whole thing!
For the record, mine never got sick from doing this.

 

QUOTE(CROSSTWINS @ Jan 4 2008, 10:17 AM) [snapback]557205[/snapback]
It is not gross. Mine share bottles, paci's, toys, spoons, pretty much share everything.



Ditto - unless they are sick -then we make an effort to use separate items.

 

Mine frequently drank out of the same bottle, especially when they were able to physically take it off the other. It was almost impossible to do otherwise.

 

It actually took me a little while to realize I could do this as well. Once I did realize it, I did it all the time. I especially did it with breastmilk because I didn't want any of that to go to waste.