Do dummies need sterilising?

[NumptyMum]

I've just started to use a dummy when DS goes to sleep to wean him off using my breast as dummy. Last night I asked DH to put dummy in Milton for 15 mins - but then he rinsed it under cold tap, rather than under cooled boiled water. Given dummy then went in and out of DS's mouth several times (onto cot bedding etc in between), I then wondered whether there was any point in sterlising dummy in first place... can anyone tell me what I should be doing?

you have hit the nail on the head ; there is no point.
unless it falls in known cack or contaminent. Most parents end up just giving it a rinse under the tap or ...... in their own mouths .... Builds up the immune system

you should be sterilising the dummy.

Anything that will go in your baby's mouth should be sterilised (well, except you of course, you may struggle to fit your norks in the steriliser [and if you've got a steam one - ouch!])

It should also be rinsed under boiled water, and you should try and stop the dummy from coming into contact with un-sterile things like cot bedding.

That said, I wouldn't worry too much about the odd lapse

We don't - DS only has one for naps and if he wakes in the night and needs settling. It's sterilised before use but obviously overnight if he's needed it the only way we could make sure it doesn't come into contact with cot bedding and then end up back in his mouth is if we stay with him all night then when it looks like it might fall out, catch it. Clearly this is not going to happen! I wouldn't worry too much.

Thanks for the replies so far; any other opinions on this? Our DS is 3 months. Dummy is only being used in cot, so no danger of going on floor etc... but obviously is going in and out of mouth and onto bedding.

i just shoved it my mouth then in baby's

unless it fell on the actual floor outside where it was ran under a hot tap

I think you'll find an interesting thread in the feeding section arguing that there's no need to sterilise provided you wash things in hot soapy water. IMO this applies especially to BF babies. Having said that, I wouldn't use your mouth to clean it because I think this increases the risk of thrush.

LOL! I'm such a bad mum! I would never sterilise a dummy! Never! I wash them when I wash the bottles sometimes...

I just used to rinse mine under boiled water from the kettle, mind your fingers though!

that makes too of us then lipsy lol

I sterilise them and my dd is 5 months. I wash them and then pop them in the steam steriliser whenever I sterilise bottles.

I'm not so strict about it that I would go and sterilise it every time it got spat out onto her cot thought!

Thanks v much for all info, esp CSB re thread in feeding topic www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1364&threadid=91585#1999985. Will read with interest later, DS just waking up so must dash...