Sterilising? Who does it? Til when?

[tattoo_mama]

ok im not a doctor but i am relaying info i was told in the MBU (hospital, by nurses and CHN)
you do not need to sterilise your bottles if you wash them throughly with dishwashing detergent and hot waterr, and a bottle brush. washed bottles should be kept in fridge and rewashed if not used within 24 hrs.

[CrazyLady]

I stopped at 2 months because CHN suggested same as Tattoo_mama said. DD has only ever had 2 tummy bugs (no colds/ear infections etc) and touches/sucks everything so I presume it's okay

[skybie]

DD1 we stopped at 12 months.
DD2 well i just stick them in the top shelf of the dishwasher! and they stay there until they get used or rewashed with the next load the next day

[~MummaBear~]

i was told not to when i had Jorja so i didnt at all, but she didnt have bottles just her dummy and sipper cups.
apparently the best thing is the dishwasher and then stored in the fridge!!
this will sound stupid but it was what i was asked .... Miss B is 9 months old so eating food... do you steralise her spoons and bowls?? If you dont do them there is no point doing anything else either!!

[CrazyLady]

spoons and bowls go through the dishwasher and bottles on the lower rack (I use glass because I hated how the plastic ones got scratched inside eventually). i just make sure i wipe all solids off with paper towel prior.I rinse bottles with a fast swish of the bottle brush to get any stuck formula off the sides before loading into dishwasher iykwim.

I meant to elaborate earlier but had a shiny moment/brain fart and lost train of thought :LOL:

[Party-of-five]

I stopped when Lucy started licking the floor ill do the same with Milly oh and I dont sterilise dummies just wash them every now and again

[ss_storm]

I still sterilise, I have an electric one so doesn't take much from me to get it done. I just hate the residue that is left on the bottles/teats even after they have been washed. I'll do it until she's on cow's milk full time and would do the same if the next baby is on formula too.

[Frangipani]

We sterilised til about 12months, when DS1 went onto cows milk actually. I'd always do the microwave sterilising of the bottle stuff & dummies (we use to do 1 ebm or 1 formula per day from a few weeks old). Everything else- plates, spoons etc would go into a container which had sterilising solution or later on (probably around 9months) into dishwasher- i never knew the dishwasher could be used as a steriliser . This time round I've only used the dishwasher, though we've only done a couple of ebm bottles so far.

I was told from the mchn last time (almost 2 years ago) that you had to sterilise especially things used for milks- because of something about the bacteria can be nasty if not washed away properly - til 12months- so thats what we did.

[Arimeh]

ok im not a doctor but i am relaying info i was told in the MBU (hospital, by nurses and CHN)
you do not need to sterilise your bottles if you wash them throughly with dishwashing detergent and hot waterr, and a bottle brush. washed bottles should be kept in fridge and rewashed if not used within 24 hrs.

Thats right - if you are using EBM - but if you are using formula, they need sterilising because of the bacteria component.

I steralise until they are 12 months and start going onto cows milk.

[issy02]

Im so glad I came across this question as I have just started bubs on formula after he decided to ditch my boob. This is all new territory for us as I bf ds1 till he was 12 months. So, I decided not to sterilise, only cause he is 8 months old, and like party-of-five's bub, he licks the floor.... and shoes, and unwashed toys, and furniture, and practically everything else, so im pretty sure he has had his fair share of bugs! Plus my mum said its not necessary now, she's a midwife, so I guess I trust her advice. I also wash in boiling hot water, air dry and store in a clean container.

[Bloom]

Hi there,

We sterelised until 6 months (doing a combo of EBM and formula). Though I was told it wasn't neccessary - even for the formula bottles. With the next one, I doubt we'll steralise except for the first few weeks.

[Calluna]

Firstly I should say DS is exclusively breastfed so we don't use bottles.

I've never really sterilised anything except dummies every now and then, DS has never been sick, other than the sniffles he had last week, so I don't think it's doing him any harm.

[Boo Boo]

still sterilising here and DS is 17 months - why, I have no idea....but I get the bad mummy guilts if I don't, so I am.....one of these day's I'll stop.

[Rach75]

with Jack I did it till he was off bottles, I used to do his spoons as well basically anything that could be done I did it...will do same with Luke I dont care if he is licking the floor I like to know his bottles and dummy is very clean...its a personal thing in hopsital they air dry the bottles etc I alwasy felt uneasy giving him a bottle

[kylieb77]

Like some of the others in here I was told not to worry about sterilising once they start shoving everything in their mouth!! My DS never took a bottle though.....