this probably has an obvious answer

[jimblejambles]

ds2 is nearly 9 months and is bf. I need to start expressing milk ready to go back to work.
Do I need to sterilise all the equipment or wil washing it in hot soapy water be ok?
Am panicing slightly as he wont take bottles of formula and only got 6 weeks to convince him to take bottles of expressed milk.

Try tommee tippee bottles

I sterilise my pump and bottle but my dd is 11 weeks, i think its recommended to sterilise to a year. A microwave one is easiest IMO

Weeeeellllll

The guidelines say to sterilise for 12 months. But at 4 months my ds was putting everything in his mouth and i couldn't keep up with all the sterilising. So I stopped. At 4 months.

I know mums who sterilised up to the 12 months on the dot. I know mums who never sterilised at all. All their babies are fine. If you feel comfortable not sterilising and just washing in warm soapy water then go for it. If you feel that your baby needs his feeding equipment to be sterilised then sterilise. But, as I say, the DoH guidelines say to 12 months.

Not a very helpful post, sorry.

thank you both.
have got the tommee tipee bottles as heard they are good.
He is always trying to eat the cat so think I will just use hot water and keep my fingers crossed.

dishwasher happy medium? hotter than water you can bear to wash up in but cleans while you asleep (poss with a 9 month old ) so not hassle of sterliser.

I would still sterilise milk equipment, and DD is 18 months. Milk is a special case, as it a perfect food for breeding germs. I didn't sterilise anything else though, as I believe a few germs are good for you. I have read on Mumsnet that dishwashers are as good as sterilisers. (I don't have a big enough kitchen to have a dishwasher though!)

Cazee!!!! Haven't seen you about for AGES!!

Did you know we're doing another bf-ing picnic?

Sorry to butt in: I never sterilised anything after I heard that sterilisation of baby equipment is NOT practised in the USA. DSs 1+2 were mixfed, DS3 currently BF (15 wks). I agree, milk is great breeding ground for bugs, so I did not keep made up formula any length of time. BM as antibacterial proberties (booby is obviously not sterile.. ).
There is some evidence that too much cleanliness incl. houses that have been kept too clean etc may have contributed to rise in allergies/asthma. Nothing definite, though.

Bottom line, officially sterilisation is recommended to the age of 12 months. Personally, I do not see a problem with doing what you are comfortable with, ie nothing, dishwasher or steriliser - but then having been the dangerously negligent mother that I am, I WOULD say that, wouldn't I .

I've only ever stuck my pump/bottles etc in the dishwasher. At 9 months he's probably shoving all sorts in his mouth!! Breastmilk doesn't breed bugs like formula/cows milk does, so you don't have to be as squeaky-clean!

Have you tried him with a cup instead of a bottle? He may go for that better.

Monkies

I try to sterilise, but if I'm tired I just rinse the bottle well, and swill boiling water around it.
Is that sterilising?

I would dishwash and have you tried a cup for milk instaed of a bottle I did this for ds1 who wouldn't take a bottle he was 7.5 mths when I went back to work

I wouldn't sterilise - but do make sure the bottles are thoroughly clean and don't have milk residue anywhere as this is what will breed germs and lead to illness. Boiling water should do it, you can see if there are any white spots left in eg. the teat. I always dishwasher my bottles then rinse out with tap water when the cycle's finished so they don't have that chemically smell. Absolutely no point sterilising at 9 mo's, kids that age love putting everything in their mouths, it's how they learn about the world. An NHS direct doctor told me a year or so ago to give my seven month old tap water (for a fever) and said in a roundabout way that there's no point sterilising or using sterilised water at that age. However, I used to be completely paranoid and for example for dd1, if I got a feeding spoon out the steriliser and it dropped onto the counter instead of the piece of kitchen roll I'd put out to keep it sterile on, i would sterilise it again. Had more time on my hands then I think!

Sterlising is very easy with the microwave sterlisers. We wash everything quickly in hot soapy water, rinse then bung in the microwave steriliser for 6 mins and bob's your uncle. Couldn't be easier.

thank you for all the responces.
we don't have a microwave or a dishwasher ( I managed to break both while pregnant ).
I think I will give try him with a cup.
As a few of you pointed out everything ends up in his mouth so will just wash everything really well

Hey UD, see you are the suburban Dryad now! Another Breastfeeding picnic hey, will there be cake?

There will be cake, and Nice Ham also!

(sorry for hijack JJ )

try a cup my bf baby hated anything resembling a bottle but took a cup after some presuasion plus once they are he is a little older you will have to make the transition to cups anyway. I sterilised for 6 months but did use a dishwasher.

mine will not take formula off anyone, well the 2 times we tried but is happy to drink expressed milk, so it may be the smell of the formula he didn't like. Also I hide and let my beloved do bottles of ebm as the one time I took over from him ( walked in the door baby and bottle thrust at me as he needed the loo!) recently our darling babe looked up at me and then repeated headbutted my boobs and refused the rest of the bottle