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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not sterilise bottles for my 7mo?

67 replies

AndRosemary · 26/02/2023 13:28

I know it’s against NHS advice, but I saw this article and realised it doesn’t really make any sense?! She puts the dog toys in her mouth daily, so why should I waste my time sterilising bottles? The article shows that France doesn’t suggest sterilising, and that washing with soap and water is enough.

I thought this logical, but my friend seemed shocked and appalled 😳

OP posts:
Justalittlebitduckling · 26/02/2023 14:20

I switched to formula around seven months and never bothered, following the same logic.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 26/02/2023 17:56

NannyR · 26/02/2023 14:05

The NHS advice is to sterilise bottles for expressed breastmilk too, the risk may be smaller with breastmilk but it's not that much of a hassle to sterilise really - wash bottle, pop in steriliser, when it's full switch it on, when you need a clean bottle take it out of the steriliser.

The NHS has to say that for fear of being sued.
They say that about lots of things...

teezletangler · 26/02/2023 18:06

Lactation consultant here. You don't need to sterilise any bottles or parts if you're using them for expressed breastmilk, for a baby do this age. This goes for pump parts too. Just give them a good wash in hot soapy water. The NHS is advice is extremely cautious and fairly OTT.

FlounderingFruitcake · 26/02/2023 18:21

It’s because leftover formula residue from improper washing can harbour really nasty bacteria, think of it like a belt and braces approach. Totally up to you whether you want to follow the advice. I had my first in the US where the advice seems the same as France and didn’t bother after 6 months with either of mine even though the 2nd was born in the UK. The dog toys are really grim though, please put those out of reach.

theotherfossilsister · 26/02/2023 18:45

ShirleyPhallus · 26/02/2023 13:37

I didn’t sterilise anything once my baby was 6 months and my life was a lot easier for it. They had a sippy cup from 6 months for expressed milk

Did this work? Thinking of doing similar but ebm is quite precious so don't want it shaken upside down like he does with water

Forgooodnesssakenow · 26/02/2023 18:47

AndRosemary · 26/02/2023 13:36

Thanks for the replies! Does that still hold for expressed milk? Also surely using boiling water on the formula would be enough if the problem is bacterial growth in the formula powder? But keen to know if I’m wrong as I don’t want my baby to get unwell!

It's because you can get tiny bits if formula powder sticking, then becoming colonised with bacteria very quickly.

Did you see the babies who died in America from infected formula? They mad it with cold water over there, imagine if you got some infected formula and could have prevented serious illness by a quick sterilise and boiling a kettle.

secretllama · 26/02/2023 19:10

My baby just turned 9 months and we've just stopped sterilising. Did the same with my first. Formula fed.
If you prepare the formula correctly with boiling water, it shouldnt be harbouring bacteria anyway.

MrsCarson · 26/02/2023 19:28

millymollymoomoo · 26/02/2023 13:42

I didn’t sterilise from 6 months- just shoved them in the dishwasher !

Me too.

lucea87 · 26/02/2023 19:32

For the same reason I pretty much stopped at this point too. I think I might have still sterilised teats in a Milton and used antibacterial washing up liquid but she practically licked the dog daily so 🤷🏼‍♀️

OneSugar1 · 26/02/2023 19:33

I had my kids in Sweden. They don’t sterilise for newborns unless they are preemies. Dishwasher is perfectly fine.

olympicsrock · 26/02/2023 19:35

I never sterilised , just washed bottles well using a bottle brush in hot soapy water. This was the advice from a UK teaching hospital neonatal department.

We had no issues at all.

ShirleyPhallus · 26/02/2023 19:43

theotherfossilsister · 26/02/2023 18:45

Did this work? Thinking of doing similar but ebm is quite precious so don't want it shaken upside down like he does with water

Show quote history

I’d practice with premix formula while he shakes and learns how to drink then switch back to EBM

SUBisYodrethwhenLarping · 26/02/2023 19:48

Wash really well with hot soapy water imho and ime

Also, wash dog toys if you want

BeckyWithTheGoodHair010101 · 26/02/2023 20:03

You don't need to sterilise if you're using breast milk. Only for formula. Hot soapy water will be fine - especially at 7m.

notthisagainforest · 26/02/2023 20:15

My health visitor said don't bother after 6 months. How soapy water is fine

AnnaBegins · 26/02/2023 20:30

Seriously? It takes no time at all and is to kill any bacteria from lingering traces of formula. If you keep separate bottles for ebm, fine for those, but I'd imagine you don't.

JunkinDonuts · 26/02/2023 20:38

I just used to wash the bottles in hot soapy water then fill them with fresh boiled water from the kettle, right from them being born.
I used to make their bottles on a morning and give them at room temperature too, never warmed them, after realising when my first was born that the ready made bottles of formula in the hospital was given at room temp.

sofasofa42 · 26/02/2023 21:19

I stopped sterilising when she was on solids, if that helps .

WandaWonder · 26/02/2023 21:20

A while ago now but I think we stopped sterilisation at 6 months

londonrach · 26/02/2023 21:21

It's the formula you sterlizing the bottle for not hye bottle....any left over formula in this bottle

Coffeellama · 26/02/2023 21:22

I wouldn’t be shocked or anything, but it’s only a few more months out of your whole life of doing a very easy basic thing that could help prevent your baby from getting sick, is it really too much effort for you to do that? Also if you are leaving dog toys on the floor in your babies reach I’d stop, that’s just poor parenting. Put the dog toys out of reach or supervise properly if this isn’t possible for some reason.

MereDintofPandiculation · 26/02/2023 21:28

WhereIsMumHiding3 · 26/02/2023 13:34

You need to sterilise because milk can go off and carry different harmful bacteria that chewing in something that is picked up from the floor.

It's to prevent that , that you sterilise bottles for. At some point putting bottles in hot dishwasher cycle will do but not at age 7 months

How does sterilising the bottle stop the harmful bacteria in milk?

Coffeellama · 26/02/2023 21:31

MereDintofPandiculation · 26/02/2023 21:28

How does sterilising the bottle stop the harmful bacteria in milk?

Show quote history

Baby bottles and teets are hard to clean properly because of the shape of them (a bit like how water bottles can develop black mould really fast in the straws and creases), so often the milk isn’t cleaned out properly and the bacteria left behind can get into the milk. Sterilising kills of the bacteria.

Hercisback · 26/02/2023 21:34

I think this is one of those 'understand and manage your own risk' moments of parenting.

I'm pretty relaxed, so didn't sterilise after 6 months. However we weren't using formula, only EBM.

Other people will sterilise everything until 2. That's OK and their choice.

VladmirsPoutine · 26/02/2023 21:45

To be fair if you have taken no issue with her putting dog toys in her mouth on a daily basis to the point you've accepted it as a natural occurrence in which you can do nothing about then I can't see that anything or anyone will persuade you on the sterilisation issue.