IMHO and the opinion of microbiologists there is no need to sterilize

[RTKangaMummy]

As many of you already know

My DTs were born at 27 weeks and spent 3 months in NNU

We were told not to sterilize when we got home

We were told to wash everything in hot soapy water and leave out to air dry on kitchen roll

The hospital microbiologists advised that this was the best way to clean everything

And considering how ill DS was, in NNU, we followed this advice and he never had an upset tummy as a baby and was completley fine

So my advice to everyone is to not worry too much about it, wash it in HOT SOAPY WATER AND AIR DRY {washing up liquid}

This was in LONDON btw.

When I was preggers I planned to sterilize bottles, teats, nipple shields, dummies etc.

But now, I think, thank goodness that we listened to the microbiologists at the hospital. And didn't waste all the money and time on it.

DT2 {DS} was very very very ill in NNU ITU etc.

IMHO if he can come out of hospital and not have everything sterilized and not have a tummy bug or vomiting/diarahea, then why an earth should healthy normal babies be at such a risk of being ill?

If you give a baby a toy teddy it is not sterilized, now I know that won't have any milk on. But they will still put them in their mouths.

If you wrap teats in cling film which is not sterile, then why bother?

IMHO it is all a con by the makers of sterilizing units to put fear into everyone

Saint George worked for a microbiologist and she says the same thing and that he said that as long as you were extremely clean, babies would be fine. And that all this sterilization has caused problems in maternity hospitals

So set yourself free BUT be very clean and use very hot soapy water and air dry.

Also you should make sure all the milk bits come from all the little areas IYSWIM

What about parents who put their little finger into the babies mouth to sooth the baby

What about the ones who breastfeed they are not sterile, are they?

What about older brothers and sisters touching, coughing sneezing etc over the baby? {Although I do realise that is not milk related}

I AM NOT AGAINST ANYONE STERILIZING TO THEIR HEART'S CONTENT, IT IS JUST TO SAY THAT WE DIDN'T AND DS WAS VERY PREM AND HE WAS FINE

So if you want to give it up and feel that you must carry on then I am giving you an example of where it wasn't used and the outcome was fine.

BTW when DS came home he was with his corrected age 4 days old {not 3 months}

That was during a very hot summer too.

.

Kanga, I have not sterilised anything for ds (now 5 months) except for electric breast pump equipment and he is in rude health. Permanently . Showed this thread to dh when ds was born and he said "See? I told you!!!"

Kangamummy, glad you posted this. I always thought sterilising was a bit OTT. And I make it a point not to use anti-bacterial agents. Told my cleaner and she looked at me like I was nuts. Constant moderate exposure to germs to key to developing a healthy immune system IMO.

DD is nearly 7 months and we still sterilise bottles and cup tho not feeding bowls and spoons (don't ask me why) anyway just out of interest I have the birth to five book and wondered where in there does it say you can stop sterilising bottles after six months, I've had a quick flick through but can't find anything

I use dr brown bottles and she has infant gaviscon which can really stick to parts of the system ie the vent so I may continue to sterilise those but the bottles may just be done in hot soapy water now

Sterilised the breast pump and some bottles just a few times but that was more do with lack of confidence in my washing-up skills. Thank you kanga.

DS1 had his bottles sterilised until 9 months but I stopped sterilising DS2's at 6 months and no problems - not sure about USA but couldnt get any sterlilising equipment when I was on holiday there - i think most of them use bottle liners but not sure what they do with teats (nipples as they call them!)

I would agree with no need to sterilise - except DS and I developed thrush and it was absolute bugger to get rid of !!

Thrush thrives on sweet things like milk. I think I had been less than careful in sterilising my breastpump and also was steam sterilising which does not kill the thrush bateria.

I bf and was bf-ing at the time that DS and I both got thrush. So personally, I would say be very careful with how you clean things.

I did alot of research on the net about thrush and apparanetly thrush is only killed at very high temps (over 50 C degrees), so I am pretty certain it is not killed with ordinary hot water and soap.

Sorry, just a warning, esp. if you are bf-ing as thrush is becoming more and more common among bf-ing mothers, according to what several bf orgs. have told me.

Do u also put bottles' teats in diswasher? I've read that the chemicals of the tablets can damage the teats...so I keep washing them one by one with a brush and it is such a waste of time...

I would just like to say

Also DS has escaped the dreadful tummy bug that has had nearly all of his class off school during last 3 weeks

And we are soooooooo pleased as we were sure that he then us would get it

When he comes home before eating any tea he has been washing his hands very well

So maybe his immune system must be quite strong still or just lucky, though the bug has got so many of the children.

I don't know about the chemicals with the teats as we don't have a dishwasher, perhaps keep washing by hand and air drying

i breast fed for 1st 6 months but dd had formula feed at night and i used to sterilise that bottle until she learnt to crawl about 5.5 months figured she was crawling all round the floor hands and everything going in mouth so why bother. have to add i am a cleaning freak i think i have shares in anti bac sprays and wipes and give my kitchen and bathroom a thorough clean every day all my downstairs floors are wood and they are cleaned daily i was like this long before i had a child. she does have lot of allergies excema asthma etc but i am sure these are genetic and nothing to do wiht my cleaning habits! incidently even i think the toothbrush thing is going to far!

i breast fed for 1st 6 months but dd had formula feed at night and i used to sterilise that bottle until she learnt to crawl about 5.5 months figured she was crawling all round the floor hands and everything going in mouth so why bother. have to add i am a cleaning freak i think i have shares in anti bac sprays and wipes and give my kitchen and bathroom a thorough clean every day all my downstairs floors are wood and they are cleaned daily i was like this long before i had a child. she does have lot of allergies excema asthma etc but i am sure these are genetic and nothing to do wiht my cleaning habits! incidently even i think the toothbrush thing is going to far!

i breast fed for 1st 6 months but dd had formula feed at night and i used to sterilise that bottle until she learnt to crawl about 5.5 months figured she was crawling all round the floor hands and everything going in mouth so why bother. have to add i am a cleaning freak i think i have shares in anti bac sprays and wipes and give my kitchen and bathroom a thorough clean every day all my downstairs floors are wood and they are cleaned daily i was like this long before i had a child. she does have lot of allergies excema asthma etc but i am sure these are genetic and nothing to do wiht my cleaning habits! incidently even i think the toothbrush thing is going to far!

i breast fed for 1st 6 months but dd had formula feed at night and i used to sterilise that bottle until she learnt to crawl about 5.5 months figured she was crawling all round the floor hands and everything going in mouth so why bother. have to add i am a cleaning freak i think i have shares in anti bac sprays and wipes and give my kitchen and bathroom a thorough clean every day all my downstairs floors are wood and they are cleaned daily i was like this long before i had a child. she does have lot of allergies excema asthma etc but i am sure these are genetic and nothing to do wiht my cleaning habits! incidently even i think the toothbrush thing is going to far!

sorry dont know what my computer did there!!!!!!!!!

i think i wrote on this thread when it was first up, but il write again...

i sterilised all dds bottles until she was 6 month, but i dont think i ever washed them thouroughly enough really, i never sterilised after 6 months, not a thing. as she started rolling/crawling around the floor and shoving everything in her mouth i thought, whats the point???

shes managed to avoid all the illnesses me and her dad have had in the last 11 months so i think her imune system is pretty good.

with the next one i doubt il sterilise at all, a few germs dont hurt anyone.

Great to see this resurrected - am american and BfC - americans are not big on steriliser and tend to follow the Microbiologists advice of good hygiene and hot soapy water. The Playtex system that I always recommend for many different reason is great because it uses pre-sterilised liners which go into what we call a nurser which is a bottle with out a bottom. Their take on this is that your breast is soft should the bottle be and it collapses as you feed so avoid colic - once used its thrown away and next feed new liner - teats boiled first time - hot soapy water for the rest of the week (dried carefully ) and put in boiled water once a week - easy!!!!!! and it makes sense - I have never sterilised used a convential steriliser and the cynic in me wonders whether its just another way for manufacturers to get more money from us mums???????????

The truth is that in America, households without dishwashers are rare, that's why it was not really needed (or so I have been told)

I have a friend who did a PhD in microbiology and she said to me that you could see the bacteria multiplying in front of your eyes if you looked at an empty bottle. She said that she wouldn't dare to feed her girl a bottle with milk more than an hour old after she saw that. Not that I paid much attention though...

...and she was a sterilisation fundamentalist

We do not and have never had a dishwasher and the microbiologists knew this then and now

Bumping for the new members

I wish I had known this 19 years ago when I had my second. I developed dermatitis following contact with Milton and was told to boil all her bottles instead of chemical sterilising. I would add that steam sterilisers were not available then, we didnt have a dishwasher and no one knew about using the microwave to sterilise.

This has put my mind at rest for when we take our granddaughter (who lives with us) on holiday in our tourer caravan ... the steriliser would have been just one more thing to clutter it up with.

We don't have a dishwasher so I sterilised milk-related things until my son was 2. I stopped sterilising everything else like spoons etc sometime after 6 months old. It's a safety net and made me feel better - he was never ill (and has never had a serious tummy bug - he's now coming up to 3.5).

RTKanga on another point of feeding
my ds2 has a mickey button and I tube feed him
his tubes and syringes are washed in hot soapy water and left to air dry
he has had only one bad tummy bug which was caught from school years ago
never been ill since and it has been 8 yrs since he has had to be tube fed.

t towels and dishcloths are the worst for germs where dishes are concerned.

Hellywobs if it makes you feel better to do it then oke doke

Deffo Brill guys

~I sterilized until DS started crawling - we have a dog so your house is clean up to a point- and he was fine - read somewhere that there are more germs on a supermarket trolley handle than a toilet seat, so we encourage hand washing - lots of it! And just FYI - the steam sterilizers can be used to make the most fab steamed artichokes......