Need to sterilise?

[ChocolateMoose]

OK, here's my question...

If I'm expressing milk and feeding my baby it straight away or putting ready-made formula into a bottle and using it immediately, do I really need to sterilise all the equipment as well as washing it thoughly?

I need to keep trying to get him taking a bottle and am fed up of boiling things in saucepans! (no microwave and no space in kitchen for steriliser).

After all, he's always sucking on his sticky, unsterile fingers. Am I a Bad Mother for thinking this?

YOu need to sterlise milk feed bottles to 1yr due to nooks and crannies on bottles etc that can allow bateria to grow. I'd continue to sterilise pump bits too if I were you.

Consider cold water sterilising with large tub thats easy to store after. Great for only a few items a day.

I used to sterilise my pumping equipment once a day and hot wash it in between pumping sessions.

It's the milk you need to worry about. If you were feeding her water from the bottles, for example, the need really wouldn't be there after 6 months.

This is a long- running thread that might help you decide.

There's no need to sterilise the stuff you use for breastmilk, a hot wash (or the dishwasher) is enough for them as bacteria can't grow in breastmilk. But formula has no antibacterial properties and is a fantastic breeding ground for germs, so you do need to sterilise the bottles and teats you use for the ready made formula.

So if you're really fed up of sterilising then stick to ebm, I pumped for my babies from when they were 2 weeks old and never sterilised anything!