Do you sterilise the bottles you pump into?

[weeblueberry]

I'm reading lots of different information online as to whether I should be sterilising my breast pump and the bottle I pump into after each use.

I've only expressed 4 times as DD2 is only 2 weeks old but haven't sterilised the pump and bottle I've pumped into each time. I've been washing in hot soapy water. It seems as though LLL says it's not necessary whereas NCT says you should do it. I can't find anything on the WHO or NHS sites about it.

I can easily do it going forward if it's necessary but wondered if I should dump the 4 expressed milk sessions ive put in the freezer even though it might kill me to do that...

Just as a note I'm popping the expressed milk into the sterile Lanisoah bags.

I was told by the breastfeeding clinic that there is no need- hot soapy water was fine.

Our breastfeeding clinic also says there's no need, hot soapy water is fine. Apparently lots of health professionals still say you have to sterilse, but that's outdated advice, I was told.

I only sterilse because I want to donate milk and it's a requirement of the local milk bank.

I've been exclusively expressing for 3 months. I had to sterilise every pump whilst DS had thrush, but now it's cleared up I just sterilise everything once a day and use hot soapy water the rest of the time.

Hot soapy water and rinse well once per day is fine. Breast milk is naturally antimicrobial.

No, I never did at all, although when DD was still in the NICU they supplied sterile containers so it was stored in something sterile even though the pump was not sterilised.

Thank you all!! It makes me feel a lot better that I haven't wasted my time Its taking me about 45 mins to get 2.5oz so it would have been a LOT of wasted time!!

I tend to sterilise but if I cant because I'm out I'll wash in hot soapy water and then sterilise in the evening. I bought microwave sterilising bags and it's no hassle as you have to sterilise the bottle teats anyway so I just do it all together.

Also you can try breast compressions to speed up your expressing, they have helped me a lot! Also what time are you expressing? Morning of middle of the night is always best for me, I hardly get anything in the evening but will get 4oz in 20 mins in the AM!

Wow. I can't imagine getting 4oz lol. I tried this morning at 10am but the was just too much going on - I have a toddler too and she just demanded attention. I did get 2.5oz in about 45 mins then too but it was tricky to pump while watching a toddler and newborn.

Wow this is news to me! I sterilised every time... But that was 10 years ago. How come breast milk is 'anti microbial' ? Surely it has lactose/ milk sugars in which could become a lovely environment for bacteria?

Glad I read this! Less hassle if expressing is needed for this bump.

I don't know if this is ok, someone more knowledgeable might know, but Henning the milk bags and expressing when I couldn't get much ( time constraints mostly) I used to just put the pump in a clean sandwich bag and straight at the back of the fridge, then take it out and pump more, several times a day or over a couple of days. Then when the bag was full, wash the pump etc.

Henning?!? When using!