Do you sterilise your weaning equipment?!

[milkyman]

I just read in my gina ford book that yiu should. Second ds but i never have

[sianihedgehog]

Christ no. Gina Ford is certifiable.

[43percentburnt]

During an extended stay on a maternity ward when baby was 1 week old I asked a midwife how I could sterilise breast pump equipment. I was told to just wash them in hot water - without detergent etc.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

Nope. I had twins and fretted enough about using a different spoon for each yoghurt - as if that was going to stop them sharing a cold! They were 4 weeks early and I weaned them at 5 months.

Someone bought me the GF book and I remember the revelation into about day 3 of trying her routine when I was like wtf am I waking newborn twins to wash and feed them both when they are happy sleeping in?

[milkyface]

I'm just starting weaning, I've not sterilised anything other than bottles and dummies like I was doing before.

I just thought well this carrot isn't sterile (obviously peeled and puréed! - wait does that mean it is sterile) so surely I don't need to bother with the bowls and pots and spoons.

I thought it was mainly formula milk that was the issue?

[5madthings]

Just about to start weaning my 28wk old and no sterilising. I thought it was just bottles used for formula you need to sterilise as it's an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.


I only have a bowl plus two forks and two spoons specifically for baby they will just get washed up with the rest of the dishes.

[iloveeverykindofcat]

I don't have kids yet but I once asked my mother this. She says she did for my brother, but by the time I came along they'd realized it was effectively pointless given the amount of toys/dirt/dog biscuits/leaves that went into his mouth before he was weaned.

[Sheezus]

It's only for formula. As previous posters have said.

No need to sterilise anything else.

So continue to sterilise bottles/teats until you stop using formula.

[thenoisytimetravelstudent]

Nope, dd2 is well established on 3 meals a day so all sterilising has stopped. With dd1 the bottles went in the dishwasher top rack for a thorough clean but I'm not even doing that this time round as it discoloured the bottles too much.

[NKFell]

I stopped sterilising everything at 6 months, even bottles!

I can report 3 healthy children though phew!

[timefortea33]

Health visitor at baby group used to lecture us to sterilise EVERYTHING, over and over. I once asked her quietly, how come it was needed, when babies are eating fluff off the floor etc, and she said it wasn't needed, but they told us to, on the basis that many people don't do as much as they're told to, so perhaps it would make people wash stuff at least. Not sure if that logic works - suspect most of us were going nuts sterilising EVERYTHING, and the others were ignoring her completely!

[clary]

I sterilised nothing with DS2 (third child). He was ebf and so never had bottles but had cups from 6mo.

But by then he was crawling all over and licking the pushchair wheels so I figured no point. He was the only one of my 3 not to get ecxzema as a baby, maybe not connected but who knows. He has always bounced with health fwiw.

[Want2bSupermum]

When you put it through the dishwasher you sterilize it. I am careful with toys and don't do anything that can't either go into a hot wash in the washing machine or through the dishwasher.

[Normandy144]

I don't think it's just Gina ford who says this (I'm a fan of her routines,but ignore the sterilising bit), the NHS and health visiting service in my experience push you to sterilise until 1 year. I just smile and nod. My first baby was born overseas and they advised that sterilising after 4 months was unnecessary so I have stuck to that. A good clean in hot soapy water was sufficient, and that goes for bottles and breast pump etc.

[cheekychicken103]

I didn't sterilise anything, apart from dummies. but mainly after dd was snotty and had a cold.

[KatharinaRosalie]

I had my first in France and they told us at the hospital that even with bottles, washing is fine, no need to sterilise. Oh and you can make formula up with room temperature tap water, none of this 70c like in the UK. French mums must have a much easier life from that perspective.

[nannybeach]

Article by Proffessor in Daily Mail today, says we are too fussy about washing hands, (apart from toilet, and raw meat) and its why kids have so many allergies.

[TellMeStraight]

I stopped sterilising once they were putting everything in their mouths!!

EBF when tiny anyway. But bottles got washed in dishwasher and that was that.

[Herhighness]

I sterilised everything until mine were a year old, every piece of feeding and drinking equipment. I even had back ups incase I or they dropped something.
I was very obsessive and washed my hands so much they became sore.
No vinegar on the nipples though.