What type of bottle steriliser is best?

[SandyR]

Hi, I am hoping to breast feed but want to express so that my DP can do some feeds, therefore assume we will need bottles and some sort of way of sterilising them. Can anyone tell me which type (microwavable/cold/hot) is best and recommend a make? It seems a minefield looking at all the options (we don't have loads of cash). I'm going to be a first time mum incase it wasn't obvious!
Thank you.

Hiya, I would say don't get bottles/steriliser, etc before the baby's born as it's too tempting to use them if breastfeeding's not going well - statistically you're less likely to breastfeed if you have the equipment and some emergency formula in the house.

Having said that, I'd recommend the Avent Isis pump and Avent bottles, the steam steriliser (although if space is at a premium, you might want to consider the microwave steriliser as the steam one takes up a lot of room).

we had one similar to this and it lasted dd right through - you just need to remeber to put the water in it.

Agree with hm - you don't need it yet and they are readily available from Boots, Tesco if you do need one in a hurry. I used nipple shields with ds to begin with and found cold water tablets quite adequate. Did eventually buy an Avent microwave one which came with "free" bottles to use for pump and ebm later on.

for ds3 i got a microwave sterilizer from halfpriceorless for about £3 and it has done us fine. i can see why some people would not buy them before necessary but i bought one along with a few bottles and 8oz cartons of milk because i got mastitis really badly with ds2 and couldnt feed him. we would have been v stuck if i hadnt stocked up just in case and i found that it just gave me a bit of peace of mind. for ds1 i got an electric steam sterilizer from a car boot sale. also was fine but i prefered the microwave one.

i dont agree that bottles etc in the house make you turn to bottles quicker - i persevered trying to feed dd with no help whatsoever and after 4 days of screaming i gave in, prepared a bottle and hey presto - no crying. Since found out i didnt actually have any milk and had been starving the poor girl!

I had a microwave steriliser from babies r us for about a tenner i think - loved it, but yes - do remember to put the water in - melted bottles and an urgent bottle trip to 24hr tescos was not what i had in mind!!!!

I had an avent steam one for the first 2 but with no3 we used mothercares steriliser bottles which meant that we didn't need the big steriliser on the side.

I have 2 sterilisers, an Avent electric one and a MAWS microwave one. The Avent one holds loads and is great if you have an Avent Isis pump as all the bits fit in nicely. However I was a bit miffed as just when I had bought it, my neighbour got the newer version which is digital and tells you if you've put too much or too little water in and also how much "sterile time" you have left. This is , of course totally unnecessary and gimmicky but just the sort of thing I like![smile} The MAWS one was a great buy! It is a microwave steriliser but can also be used for cold-water sterilisation, useful if you live in an area which is prone to power cuts.

I don't agree with not having bottles in either -if you're determined to b/f, you'll persevere.

With DD1, because of problems after the birth I was unable to b/f, so I think it's common sense to have them there just in case.

Oh sorry - and we had a Boots steam steriliser which was excellent.

Brilliant, thanks for all the advice. Will check out the Avent stuff (hadn't thought of a breast pump, don't know what I thought I was going to do - get DP to milk me like a cow maybe?! what a thought!) and then check out the microwave ones too. Thank you.

i'd reccomend avent too. whatever you do don't skimp and go for the toys r us own version bruin it wasn't sterilising properly, clicking off before it had finished and we were unaware of it till a month after using it. DS developed colds and thrush very early on and we couldn't work out why till i caught it in the act.
Would you believe they wouldn't refund me either without a real fight with management.
Wish i'd taken it further to stop others getting it too.

Avent microwave steam one is really hard to get the lid off.

Tommy Tippee is much easier and cheaper.

I have both. Hoorah. Incase of emergency sterilising needs.

Actually, the MAWS one now seems to be called the Nuborn one by Tommee Tippee.

The dishwasher, or hot, soapy water. You don't need a steriliser!

hot soapy water isn't hot enough to kill germs it's just the right temperature to breed them.
Would definitely NOT reccomend that.

We have the MAWS microwave one which is now branded Tommee Tippee and I would definitely recommend it. It takes 5 minutes to run in our microwave and as chipmonkey said can also be used as a cold water steriliser. AFAIK, the Avent one doesn't hold other makes of bottle (because they are shorter than most and it isn't very tall). Since I don't like Avent bottles that would put me off that steriliser. But Avent bottles will fit in the MAWS/Tommee Tippee steriliser.

KATG, I don't risk not sterilising the bottles even though they do usually go through the dishwasher. It's just not worth it for 5 minutes waiting for them to sterilise. NannyJo, if the water is hot I don't think many germs will thrive...they mostly thrive around 37C which is bath temperature, not washing-up temperature. But I still wouldn't risk it.

No need to sterilise.

And again.

And again.

KATG, I did hear that in the US, people don't sterilise, but they do think that gastroenteritis is just something babies get. If I'm wrong, please feel free to tell me so

I ahve used the Mothercare microwave one which was just too small too get everything in that needed. Invested in a Maws electric steam steriliser for ds3 and am still using it for ds4 and think it's excellent.

I also had bottles and formula in the house just in case, but perservered with breast feeding for nearly 3 months even though I could easily have given up after a week.

KATG, I'm aware of that....but I still think for 5 minutes and a few pounds to buy the equipment it's not worth it. That's just my opinion .

I got Mothercare self sterilising bottles, and I think they are the best invention in Earth, I found them particularly useful when traveling as you can ask at any hotel/restaurant to pop it in the microwave and then you are ready to continue. No need to carry sterilisers, sterilising tablets, etc.

For travelling you can get steriliser bags too - Lindam do them.

I had to give ds1 goats milk in sippy cups for his creche when he was 1. Because he was "too old" for sterilising I stopped. But he did get more tummy bugs.

At some stage the kids need to build up an immunity to germs but (although hard to remember as nearly 5 yrs ago now) i do believe I sterilised til around the 6 month mark. It's just not worth your kid getting ill. however near 6 months I started to sterilise LESS often to get my childs immune system used to the occassional germ interaction.

You can sterilise by simply boiling in a saucepan for 10 min - I did that when I first got my pump, but then got given a Avent steam steriliser.

Once A was 6 weeks I sterilised a lot less - 2 hours at 55 degrees in a dishwasher with detergent ought to kill most bugs.