At what age do I stop sterilising bottles?

[kbjb]

My DS is 15 wks and I sterilise eveything he drinks from. When can I stop sterilising and just use washed bottles?

Im pretty sure it is 12 months for the dummies, bottles and teats.

At 6 months babies can drink tap water so no need to sterilise. I just put the bottles in the dishwasher from 6 months or wash them up as normal using a bottle brush. Same for dummies.

The NHS website has guidance on making up formula feed with boiled water that is 70 degrees to kill off any bacteria in the milk powder as it is the milk that is more likely to harbor bugs. So as long as you scrub them well you should be fine. However, a lot of people I know do still sterilise up to 12 months and that is a personal choice as was my choice to stop at 6 months. In my opinion I wasn't sterilising spoons and bowls for food so why would I sterilise bottles other than washing well with a bottle and teat brush.

I too stopped at 6 months as by that age dd was able to put random stuff in her mouth.

Agree, once they are putting stuff in their mouths of their own accord, no point in sterilising.

I asked my hv this very question
Was told "well it's up to you"
No guidance, no advice ,
nothing
Yes thanks for that
I stopped at 9 mths

I stopped around 9 months also, He had been crawling around putting random things in his mouth for 2 months so I thought his immune system would be up to it.

75 wash in dishwasher then a good rinse under the hot tap.

Stopped at 6 months as I figure she's sitting on our floor playing with the dogs all sorts.

I never sterilsed anything for ds.
I washed everything in dishwasher.
He was fine

I stopped when DD was about 6 months. Just washed well with a bottle brush in really hot water and air dried. Never had any problems.

Never sterilised a thing. Good scrub in soapy water as hot as my hands could handle, rinsed in similar, and air dried on a clean tea towel.

Well I'm 47 and I stopped doing it ..oooh.... about 9 years ago

I sterilised bottles, teats and dummies until 12 months - possibly pfb worry about warm milk being breeding ground for bacteria which hot soapy water alone wouldn't get rid of. But I sterilised things in the microwave which took 1.5 minute, so it was never too much of a hassle.

Thanks all. I might review it at 6 months and see how he gets on.

He's already starting to put every toy in his mouth!

Ive stopped steralising at 7months and had no problems

If you have a dishwasher I think that's good enough really. But if not about 6 months

DD 1 stopped at 9 months
DD 2 stopped at 6 months
DS 3 stopped at 4 months

Funnily enough dd1 has the most health probs
DS is the healthiest and strongest