Curious to know if you sterilised baby bottles etc or not?

[JellyBelly50]

Myself and a friend was talking about this earlier. She told me she only uses hot soapy water as she was told apparently by health visitor that it wasn’t super necessary. NHS says to do at 12 months although some stop at 6 months when they start putting everything in their mouth. What did you do?

I know not really an AIBU but I am curious to know if everyone else doesn’t sterilise

For the 1st one I was still sterilising things until I caught them licking the cat when they were 7 months old.

Second one- never bothered. I used to run the bottles through the dishwasher on a 'baby' cycle instead.

Both kids are now much older and still in perfect health. As is the cat who absolutely adores the 1st one.

I didn't, just used hot soapy water, rinsed and air dried. We mainly breastfed anyway, but there was some pumping going on and an occasional bit of formula.

I sterilised bottles until DC was around 10 months and I caught them licking the kitchen floor, didn't see the point after that.

I certainly did! For DS1 I still sterilised after 6 months and he was weaned because that was 'the advice' .... until DH pointed out I was not actually sterilising any of his cutlery and indeed he had been caught munching on our (very tolerant) beagle's tail once or twice.

Yes, I sterilised until 12 months. Baby was formula fed.

Bottles and teats I sterilised until getting on for 12 months with all of them, even the bf one. Dummy and teething rings had the occasional sterilise from about 7 months

I ebf so didn't have to bother sterilising anything.

He only took a dummy briefly and I just put it in a mug of boiled water.

Didn't sterilise any toys whatsoever, just hot soapy water now and then.

I got a load of toys from charity shop once and went over them with steam cleaner, he was under 1 year old and we were still kind of in covid times then I wouldn't do that now ha.

The amount of times I caught him with my shoe in his mouth I gave up on stressing over germs. He has a very robust immune system and even with going to nursery is rarely ill (touch wood)

For formula, yes absolutely vital up to 12 months. I stopped when DS was 1, that was 3 years ago.

We sterilised bottles etc and anything that is awkward to clean from top to bottom which for us included some of ds teethers and certain dummies. Anything where bacteria could build up in nooks and crannies basically. Anything smooth and easy washed was fine with hot soapy water past 6 mths. I ebf.

Yes until 12 months as I mixed fed, then switched to cow milk and just used dishwasher

Sterilise if and for as long as you use formula. Nasty bacteria can grow and make them very poorly. No longer sterilise bottles once switched to oat milk (cmpa). Stopped sterilising anything else around 6 months.

I just used the steriliser for baby bottles until they stopped using them. Mainly because it was easy to pop them in the electric steriliser that we have, which also dries them.
So still sterilising bottles for dd2 and she's 13 months

I washed with soapy water (especially the teats) then into the dishwasher. I had a special basket for teats that kept them from filling with water. I threw the dummies, plastic spoons and teething toys in it too.

Yes I bottle fed and sterilised, can’t remember now whether it was for 6 or 12 months though.

Yep, steralised bottles 15 years ago, until past 6 months but I can't remember how long. Wasn't ever told that bottles with breast milk in didn't need to be steralised. I also used to make up bottles with 7oz of boiling water, let it cool and then top up with 2oz boiling water and 9oz formula so it was the perfect temperature. Was never told that was wrong either.

I used a mix of steam and cold water steralisation. I burned my fingerprints off more than once!

We sterilised until 6 months, then hot soapy water or dishwasher on hottest setting

I sterilised the oldests for 12 months ans youngest for 6

I sterilised bottles and teats religiously until we stopped formula at 12 months.
(Dummies were also sterilised but he gave those up at 6 months).

All 4 of ours dishwasher lol

Stopped once they start crawling. As everything then goes in their mouths anyway.

Bottles for formula I sterilised until baby was 1 year old and switched to cows milk. Weaning bowls, spoons, sippy cup I just washed in hot soapy water or in the dishwasher from when we started using them at 6 months.

I was told that there is no scientific data concerning sterilisation but that it’s a theory it will be better to keep baby items especially clean.

makes me wonder when it started and why? What happened that this advice became the norm.

I used dishwasher rafter hot soapy water, as it’s a form of sterilisation

You're meant to sterilise formula bottles regardless of the age of the baby. That's cause it can sometimes be difficult to properly clean the bottles so it's safer to sterilise and then you can be sure you've killed any potential nasty formula bugs.

So I sterilised formula bottles until my eldest stopped having formula.

Everything else I sterilised until 6 months or so with my first, I never sterilised anything with my second but he didn't have dummies and was breastfed. So it was only really teething toys and I didn't see the point. I've never sterilised plates/cutlery but that's a conscious choice cause they go through the dishwasher which heats up to 65C on its standard cycle and felt good enough for cleanliness purposes.

Regardless though - the advice is based on research from huge numbers of children. Survivor bias isn't a good way to make a decision. Ie. "I did <x> and my kids are fine".

People should inform themselves of the recommendations and why they're the recommendations - then make their own risk assessment/decision.

Stop sterilising at 12 months.

You sterilise because of the bacteria in the formula.

I did read years ago that in America they don’t sterilise. Not sure if that’s true or not.