I have been sterilising incorrectly - help

[appletree100]

So I have been using a steam steriliser for a month.. but once bottles and expressing equipment had been steamed I would take out and leave dry them on some kitchen roll. So devistated to find out that I should have been leaving the equipment and bottles in the steamer and using them within 12 hours, I feel so stupid :( Baby isn't ill, but is there some kind of underlaying gastric problem I could have caused? she does grunt and strain all night but my midwife said his was normal.

Distressed

Don't worry. There are some schools of thought that say a good wash in hot soapy water is enough. You won't have caused any kind of gastric problem at all.

Well I read your title as " sterilised incorrectly " so this is much less drastic!

It is fine. In the US they don't sterilise! The instructions are very cautious.

You say expressing stuff - are you just using breast milk? If so it doesn't need sterilizing anyway! I never sterilized anything with DS1 (he's only 2 so not a million years ago!) as the HV told me I didn't need to.

I am in new zealand and mums here only sterilize for the first 3 months.I think if you were pre preparing formula and storing in a cool bag and going out all day that would be the highest risk. But as you baby is ok don't worry about it

Don't worry, in a few months they'll be crawling around and licking your shoes and you'll give up sterilising all together!
Sterilising is an extra precaution, but if you're not leaving milk sitting in your bottles for ages, you'll be fine. Id have thought there would be very few pathogenic bacteria on your kitchen towel anyway (unless you wiped it on some meat first!).

I would expect any gastric problems caused by incorrect sterilizing to show themselves pretty quickly. So if baby's fine now, I would think it's very unlikely that this will have caused any problems.

Thank you everyone, this made me feel a whole lot better, I got myself in a right tiz... think I am losing it a bit at the moment anyway due to the old sleep deprivation... so feeling quite stressed about everything xx neurotic

P.s yes I am using the medela electric breast pump x

Love

I sterilised ds's bottles 6 at a time took them out them made up 6 to store in the fridge he's one of the healthiest children I know has never even had an emergency GP app is rarely ill at all and if so only mildly.

My HV knew I done this and never had a problem with it. I think the guidelines on bottles are OTT.

I've done the same as you and no problems so far. Like someone says they don't always sterilise in the US..

I take bottles out of the steriliser, dry them, put them together (empty) and leave them for easily 24 hours sometimes. Didn't even know that was wrong until just now!

I used to sterilise bottles and then assemble them immediately ready for use (I didnt dry them first). They empty bottles are then ok for 24 hours.

My baby spent two months in NICU/SCBU, so I was pretty careful about sterilising everything properly, as you can imagine... The way you're sterilising and air-drying is absolutely fine, take it from me!

Sterilise. Lids on tight. In back of fridge. I don't leave to air dry.

I was anxious at first about sterilising everything but have since chilled out!

Also to add my dd made such stranges grunts and noises at night. For first few months anyway, so loud at times and I asked on here about it and it turned out babies were crazy noisy sleepers!