thread: Wet bottles once sterilised?!

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    43

    Wet bottles once sterilised?!

    I'm only new to this whole formula feeding thing and was wondering what you do with the bottles once sterlised? I've read that some mums put them in the fridge but when I sterilse in the Avent microwave sterilser the bottles are still really wet (even when placing them on clean tea towel to dry for a little while) and am just wondering whether you are meant to dry them or just put the teat and cap on them wet and then store? Thanks, hope you can help!
    _________________________
    Me 32 DH 30
    Our loves of our life:
    DD 3 years
    Baby Boy born 19/3/08

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Feb 2006
    melbourne
    11,462

    id let them dry properly first hun, water = bacteria

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Apr 2008
    Home, where else??
    1,177

    What I do is once the bottles, teats etc have cooled down enough to touch I put them together to ensure the teat and inside of the bottle remain sterile. I also put in boiled water (enough for the feed) into the bottle as it is easier to warm room temperature water to the correct temperature for bubs than trying to get it right any other way. He is a little fussy britches who likes his milk just above room temperature!

    I then wipe down the outside with a clean tea-towel and put the bottles on the kitchen bench with the more recent sterilised bottles at the back. That way they are never left for more than about 12 hours in total.

    This works for me but you may end up with something different.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Sunny Qld
    14,682

    We let ours get cool enough to touch (which is still pretty warm) put them together, and then put them in the fridge.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Mar 2008
    Nth West Melbourne
    997

    The same thing happens to me with my Avent steraliser.

    For us, once they are cool enough to touch, we put enough cooled boiled water into them for the feed, put them together and put them in the fridge.

    When its time for a feed, we pull one out, pour the water into a steralised glass jar and heat the water in the microwave in that (not in the bottle because of the BPA risks). We then put the water back in the bottle and scoop in the forumla and shake it up really well so there are no hot spots.

    Works well for us!

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    The same thing happens to me with my Avent steraliser.

    For us, once they are cool enough to touch, we put enough cooled boiled water into them for the feed, put them together and put them in the fridge.

    When its time for a feed, we pull one out, pour the water into a steralised glass jar and heat the water in the microwave in that (not in the bottle because of the BPA risks). We then put the water back in the bottle and scoop in the forumla and shake it up really well so there are no hot spots.

    Works well for us!
    This is what we did too... worked well for us! Once we stopped sterilising, we would wash the bottles and then leave on the sink to air dry.
    With the dummies (if you sterilise them in the Avent steriliser) I would actually find I sometimes had to squeeze water out of the teat before capping them otherwise they go mouldy...

    MG

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Sep 2008
    12

    i am about to have my bub in 3 weeks and have been advised by the hospital midwives that sterilising by boiling/ heating is no longer needed. has anyone else heard this?

    we have brought a basket that the bottles sit in in the dishwasher (when u open the dishwasher... how much steam comes out... ITS HOT!) to steralise the bottles in. Midwife said if dishwasher wasnt handy (at someone elses house eg) then hot soapy water is more than fine and just rinse with hot water.

    then to dry been told under NO CIRCUMSTANCES use tea towel ( = bacteria) but drip dry. i brought a plastic spike rack online for 10 bucks that the bottles will hang off upside down on the sink until they are fully air dry.

    sorry i feel like i have boycotted your forum. just wanting to know if anyone has been given the same info as me and is happy not sterilising bottles the old way?

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Sunny Qld
    14,682

    Brewnetta - as far as I know - thats for bubs that are fed breastmilk. formula fed babies need to have their bottles sterilised (as far as I know.. )

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Apr 2007
    Somewhere here and there.....
    483

    Brewnetta I haven't heard this before. I'm a big believer in sterilizing simply because a baby does not have an adults immune system and can't fight the nasties off as well as we can.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    The midwife is correct. It is now believed that bottles used for breastmilk do not need to be sterilised - just washed in hot soapy water - due to the properties of the milk. However, formula bottles do need to be washed and sterilised properly due to potential growth of bacteria.

    When I was expressing, we only sterilised the pump once a week (washed after every use of course!) but all bottles were washed and sterilised as I couldn't tell which ones were used for breast milk and which were formula (we were comp feeding).

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    outer South East Melbourne
    2,881

    My health nurse said that although a study has found that there's no need to sterilize they still have to recommend it - for both EBM & formula. She also said that with our water levels being so low in Melbourne that it's more important than ever to sterilize as there's no telling what could be in the water.

    What I do with my bottles is:

    Wash and scrub the bottles & teats then place in sterilizing solution (I use Safeway's home brand). I have a plastic container set up next to the sink with the solution in in. I change the solution each day.

    Place the bottles on a drying rack. Place the teats and caps on a clean tea towel to dry.

    When dry I almost fill the bottles with cooled boiled water.

    I then top the bottle up with boiling water before I add the formula in and then there's no need to heat your bottles.

  12. #12
    bubNo.2 Guest

    hi:
    Well what i do with my bottles / teats as my baby is formula fed is:
    -wash them with warm/hot soapy water and rinse with cold water
    -if i need them in a real hurry i scold the newly cleaned bottles and teats (that are pushed inside the bottle) with newly boiled water, tip the boiling water out fill with cooled boiled water/formula and bingo i have a very clean no bug bottle.
    -if im not in a hurry i do the soapy water , rinse , and put bottle teats tops in a huge soup saucepan and boil them for 10 mins. Dry them by standing them on a rack ... then filling them and putting them in fridge!
    Either of my babies have ever got sick tummy bug or anything from how i clean their bottles!.
    I think common sense comes down to it.
    Cheers BubNo.2

  13. #13
    bubNo.2 Guest

    ps: i meant to say not once have either of my babies been ill with how i clean the bottles