2nd time mum, forgotten everything!

[Scubes]

Ok, winding down breast feeding with lo because if she pinches my boob one more time I'll cry!

She's having 2 bottles a day and I'm feeding her at bedtime.

She is 10months now, please can I stop sterilising the bottles? There is so much differing advice out there. I know they say 12 months but to my mind that is just a convenient time frame. After all what is the difference between the day before she is 1 and the day she turns one?

We are washing bottles and putting through dishwasher - is that enough?

Also - can I top up bottles with tap water now? She drinks tap water from a beaker. HV said that was ok now. I make her bottles with half boiling water, add formula and then currently top up with cool boiled water but can I replace this with tap water?
Thanks

You don't have to sterilise at all really, a wash with hot soapy water is fine.

As for the bottles, so long as the powder is going in to very hot water to kill any bacteria, I don't suppose it matters if you top them up with tap water. Are you making sure you're using the right volume of water to powder though?

Thanks MoonunitA

Yes, putting in right amount of powder but by topping up with cold it is right temp for her to have straightaway.

Guidelines drive me crazy!!!

I stopped sterilising at around 5 months. Dishwasher for bottles, teats washed then put in boiling water for a few mins. Both hot enough to be safely clean, plus a lot less hassle! Mind you, MIL did think I was trying to kill DS by doing it that way!

Agree, you could also just sterilise a batch every few days to give you more peace of mind but a good clean should be fine if your dd is healthy. As you say 12mo is an arbitrary timeframe that is more appropriate for some babies than others.