OK - tell me how obsessive you were with cross-contamination ....

[Sullwah]

My DTs are 5.5 months now.

I have been very careful that they did not use the same bottles / dummies without sterilising.

I have read on a weaning thread that people dont seem to bother with weaning spoons and plates etc.

So ....... should I still bother with dummies ... ? House is getting more chaotic with toys and stuff generally and I have been tempted to just grab the nearest dummy irrespective of which DT's saliva and spit-up milk is all over it.

How bad is this?

Will still keep bottles separate as I have OCD about logging their every feed.

What do you do?

I would say it is high time that you chill out a bit! A shared dummy will do no harm. Certainly you can stop sterilising everything (except bottles - but you could start introducing cups, which don't need to be sterilised).

you dont need to steralise if you have a dishwasher.

you dont actually need to steralise, ifg you wash every thing in hot soapy water and leave to air dry on a rack/kitchen towel.

long thread on it

what are you doing, sweetheart? 5.5 months ago, they were drinking each other's urine in utero. Neither of them is going to have a germ the other hasn't got.

YOu do NOT need to be doing this - would it make you very cross if I said you never did need to do it at all?

Sterilise the bottles, sterilise the dummies once a day or whenever, but honestly, you are trying to empty the ocean with a teacup.

From day one mine shared everything Don't fret it. Sharing is good.........today my DTs (nearly 4) shared beautifully and made me very, very proud. Encourage it.

Ok thank you ..... I do feel very silly

Will just chill out now.

Mine share. The only time I was careful was when they got thrush.

(and I lick their dummies if they fall on the floor. Shhh don't tell the HV )

Mine share everything and always have, they take dummies out of their mouth and give it to other one.
MP, the reason not to lick their dummies is because adults have bacteria in their mouths that cause tooth decay, babies don't putting something from adult mouth into a small childs is a good way to be sure your kids will get tooth decay in milk teeth.