to be annoyed when people describe making up bottles as "faffing around"

[shuffle]

It takes 5 mins! You have to follow similar process when expressing (never referred to as faffing around).

I did both, and breastfeeding was easier on the hassle front, especially with dd, who fed frequently (ds I suspect would have been easy either way). However I was very glad to stop bf (I found it very emotionally confining).

Both ff and bf were easy in comparison to the early days of feeding food though. All those puree cubes, and the refusal and the mess and the worry (the cooking part was fine ). Not days I look back with fondness on.

hazey she hasn't sent it off for testing. I don't think she realises the implications of it. they could determine if it was there before or after the tin was opened, I am sure. I can only gently suggest these things to a relative stranger as I wouldn't want to be seen as the muffia pushy.

nooka - don't bother with puree either, spoon-feeding must be a right faff!

'course they could. it would be a maggot composed entirely of milk powder if it had hatched there. there were a couple of fey chefs eating cheese maggots on telly the other day.

Silly question alert! - why do we make such a big deal out of sterilising bottles but make no extra effort to clean nips. Both nip and teat goes in baby's mouth and we are supposed to sterilise dummies too or at least wash in dishwasher. If nip is flopped in and out in it must surely come into contact with some nasty germs or held against old milky bra/breast pad stains surely this must make some difference. Not being confrontatinal or stupid - just something that has occurred to me. any ideas anyone?

It is faffing around though

I feel sorry for those that have to do it

FarFar, there's no need to steralise bottles- see the link I posted earlier. Totally agree that boobs seemed like a hot bed more microbe development in my case and after a few hours they smell like yogurt, so suggested to me that I had a pretty healthy bacteria population going there.
No idea why they don't come under scrutiny by the steralizing brigade.

It did used to be advised to clean nipples in ye olden days, but that strips the natural protective oils from the skin, leaving it more prone to infection. Breastmilk has antibacterial properties.

Am I right in thinking we're the only country in Europe that advises sterilising as a matter of course?

Anyone know? My friend always says this adn I wondered where she heard it. It does make me wonder why I bothered with more than a dishwasher cycle when my son was mouthing on random things he found on the floor or in the garden etc...

I think in some countries dishwashers do a boil wash. Not so here.

Personally I would always sterilise bottles for young babies (ie much under 4 months). If you could guarantee that all bottles and teats are 100% free of milk residue then it totally makes sense not to sterilise but just to do a very hot wash, but I don't see how you can assume that all people are washing bottles and teats as well as that.

certainly the yanks just use their dishwashers.

Sorry - this should possibly be new thread but wondered about the 'bugs' in milk powder. Are these bugs present in regular cow/goat milk too or is this something specific to the way formula is prepared? Does it refer to powdered adult milks too - like the dodgey old skimmed milk my mum used to make up in the 70's because the milkman only brought gold and silver top?!

Norma - I don't know if the bugs are present or not in regular cow/goats milk (doubt it if the milk is pasteurised) but children aren't suppose to drink them until they're one anyway. Since we're told that you don't have to sterilise bottles after the age of one, I'm assuming that at that age, a child's immune system strengthens dramatically. So maybe if it was present in powdered adult milk, our immune system could deal with it? (IYSWIM)

TBB, the dishwasher only needs to get to 70 degrees apparently, but have a look at the link for further details. It refers to advice not just for young babies, but very early premies, and the microbiologist advise that steralizing is not required.

TBB - sterilising is completely pointless anyway if the bottles and teats are not completely clean of milk residue. Sterilising doesn't wash the bottles.