Bottlefeeding - do you need to sterilise the scoop to measure out milk powder once baby is six months?

[MummyToSteven]

Help me out in a pointless debate between me and DH as above!

No! But I was very lax with the whole sterilzing deal anyway (breastfed for 6 months in my defence....).

No. Sterilising the scoop is pretty much a pointless excercise as the formula powder itself is not sterile. It is packaged in normal factory conditions.

You should be very scrupulous about sterilising the bottles though as the evels of bacteria rise at an alarming rate once the formula is made up.

Thanks HC and JulieF. I knew that you were meant to sterilise till 12 months, and assumed that would include the scoop too, but DH says not.

I never once even considered doing such a thing! JulieF is right of course, though it never occured to me when ds was a baby.

Never passed through my mind... should I?

Message withdrawn

I bottlefed DS from 6 weeks ... and was meticulous about sterilising until he was 12 months ... was obsessive even (suffered from PND so was pretty much obsessive about everything TBH)
But I never even considered sterilising the scoop ....not even before he was 6 months ... LOL ...

I agree with Julie. i never sterilised the scoop but am paranoid about bottles.Just made them up with boiled water and added the powder just before use.

DH is wrong!

This thread reminds me of another oneacouple of years ago asking about sterilising ice cube trays before usingthem to freeze food for babies being weaning. It had never even occured tome to sterilise either the scoop or the ice cube trays!

I bottle fed my ds from the first week and only ever sterilised the bottles and he has be the healthiest of all the babies in my ante-natel group!

i was told that items only really gets comtaminated from the becteria in the babies mouth, if the scoop is used purely to place the powder in the bottles and placed back into the tin then i see no need.

No you don't ( in answer to thread question) and as I am sure you have been advised by MNers at 6 months they chew any old bit of tat they can get thier mits on so don't worry about ktichen untensils like scoops, baby will be sucking on the dog's tail while waiting for the bottle anyway

message withdrawn

OMG, didn't realise the scoop should be sterilised, TBH I've never even thought about doing it, is this bad?

never for a moment considered doing it!!!

I also never even thought to ever sterilse the scoop, before or after 6 months.

I never sterilised the scoop with dd1 and I don't with dd2 either.

message withdrawn

i have to confess that i am a lazy moo and either use cartons or sachets, but have a big tub in reserve just in case, so the scoop question has only arisen as I think I really ought to start the tub. i vaguely thought I had read somewhere i ought to sterilise the scoop and knife but obviously not...

Bacteria thrive in wet or moist conditions and the scoop and the knife to level off are dry so no need to sterilise.

I don't think I ever did! It was washed after each occasion though.

I actually did sterilise the scoop with my bottefed dd! Since then I have learnt a thing or two!

message withdrawn

ditto twig