To stop sterilising at 6 months ?

[Bea1985]

Hello all,

First time mum here looking for a bit of advice!

Formula fed baby will be weaning soon. I've been advised thy providing you wash things carefully in hot water, there is no need to sterilise bottles etc when baby is weaning ie 6 months plus. Also that there is no point sterilising formula powder by mixing with >70 degrees water post 6 months.

We currently sterilise everything everyday and store in fridge until needed.

WIBU to -

Make up milk feeds with formula powder and cold tap water and warm through (microwave or in mug of warm water)? This is what friend does.

Wash all bottles, teats, spoons in very hot soapy water (proper bottle cleaning brushes etc), rinse and store in fridge until needed? Sterilise maybe once a week in microwave.

I want to be safe but at the same time look forward to letting some of the sterilising go if it is indeed futile post 6 months.

Thanks all xxx

[Bea1985]

Re making up bottles - to be clear, I've been advised that measuring out plain cold tap water (not cooled boiled) into bottle then adding powder , shaking and warming through is fine. (Post 6 months).

[IWantMyHatBack]

You do need to make up milk with +70°C water, yes.

Are you storing several bottles of formula in the fridge until needed? If so, yes, continue to sterilise. If you're making up feeds as needed, then washing in hot water is fine.

[EB123]

YABU sterilise and make up with hot water as advised.

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

I didn’t know you could stop sterilising after six months and carried on for a year. With twins. It was exhausting!

I think that all sounds fine, although I believe the boiling water for formula is to kill the possible bacteria in the powder rather than the water. Having said that, my boys had formula made with half boiling half cold water as that made it the perfect temp, and past six months made with cold water and stored in the fridge - both were fine.

[Blahdyblaah]

I think bottles are supposed the be surprised until 1 year old or until you stop using formula, happy to be corrected though. I have never sterilised spoons or bowls

[smileygrapefruit]

It's when they go on to cows milk you don't need to sterilise. Formula has to be made up with water at least 70° and bottles still need to be sterilised.

[NurseP]

I thought the problem is with bugs in the milk powder, hence the need to sterilise and use hot water on the milk powder. Not sure if older babies will be OK with those bugs or not. Maybe worth a Google!

[Blahdyblaah]

*Sterilised not surprised

[TeddyIsaHe]

Formula fed babies are meant to have thins sterilised until 12 months (NHS guidelines)

[Bea1985]

Sorry - we don't make the feeds up in advance. I wasn't clear there. We currently make feeds up with boiled water etc , as needed , and use straight away x

[TossAround]

We just washed things up normally, but you do need to still making the formula properly.

Who advised you to use cold tap water? Hopefully not a medical professional.

[lalalalyra]

The hot water to make up the formula is to kill the potential bugs in the milk so that needs to continue the whole time you use it.

[OutsideContextProblem]

If you have a dishwasher then that’s a good alternative to sterilising but unfortunately yes formula milk is really good at incubating bugs and some of it arrives fresh from the factory with dangerous bugs in it - only a tiny proportion is contaminated but it only takes one bottle.

[Unihorn]

I continued to make formula up the correctly advised way ie. with 70 degree plus hot water. We also sterilised bottles until about 11 months when she swapped to cow's milk. Formula contains lots of crap so the steps advised are to reduce the risk of problems caused by it. Lots of people stop with little effect though.

[Bea1985]

I have heard that once babies are eating solids and crawling they are consulting bacteria anyway, so formula milk powder no longer needs to be sterilised ..... Not saying that's right though! I'll do what is advised.

[Bea1985]

Consuming not consulting !

[Camomila]

I would continue to sterilize bottles and make up formula with 70degree plus water because there can be very nasty bugs in formula powder but everything else (bowls,sippy cups, cutlery) I would just chuck in with the normal washing up.

I never sterilised DSs baby spoons etc. By the time he was eating food he was also sitting on the floor etc. I never used bottles but DS had one soft trainer sippy cup and I used to sterilise that because I was worried about the spout bit getting gunky.

[childmindingmumof3]

It even says on the formula tub that you must use 70c+ water or your baby could get ill.

I don't sterilise or boil drinking water past 6 months though.

[OverTheMountain42]

I stopped sterilising bottles at 6 months. Followed my uncle who is a microbiologist and best friend a nurse at great ormond street. I used the ready made cartons of formula as once my son was fully weaned he really didn't have much formula.

I used a special bottle washing liquid, I think it was by nuk, it has some enzymes suitable for getting rid of traces of milk.

[Unihorn]

It's specifically to do with the bacteria in formula though. Picking up crumbs off the floor isn't as dangerous as the bugs formula milk contains.

[childmindingmumof3]

The kind of bacteria milk powder can be contaminated with like salmonella is more serious than the kind of bacteria babies get from licking toys.

[TossAround]

Who did you hear that from? Whoever it was please never take their advice again.

[NurseP]

Most say 12 months. X X

[Pengggwn]

The recommendation is 12 months, but it's not orders, it's a recommendation. Do what you like.

[ALongHardWinter]

I don't know what the advice regarding sterilising feeding equipment for babies is these days,it's a long time since my DD (34) was at that stage. But I do remember that I stopped sterilising bottles when she was 6 months old,and washed them thoroughly in very hot soapy water. She didn't suffer any ill effects from it.