Sterilised bottles - how strict are you?

[Sleepisforwho]

Hi ladies
how strict are you all with the 24 hour rule of sterilised bottles? For 6 month old?
we are staying overnight for a wedding this weekend. I’ve got 10 bottles and DD usually has 4 or 5 bottles a day - so taking well over what I need just to be on safe side.

its around an hour from our home so will be home the following day in the afternoon sometime but leaving around 10am the day of wedding.

I’ll be sterilising the bottles just before we leave. But by the time we are coming home the next day the bottles will be outside of the 24 hours. Just wondering whether this would be ok?

im taking the ready made formula liquid rather than powder form as just easier if that makes any difference.

Just take some Milton tablets and you can sterilise in the sink and it only takes 15 mins

Milton as above, or if you can access a microwave can you get those microwave bottles?

What about the old fashioned way with a kettle and boiling water...? Last I checked that was still OK (could be wrong though)

To answer your question I was less strict on the exact 24 hr rule at about 6/7 months. Always sterilised bottles but if 1 or 2 went over the exact 24 hrs, as long as it had been sterilised I didn't stress too much. Might be bad advice but to answer your question OP less so at that age

Just sterilise them while you are away, take the Milton tablets.

I don’t know what the 24 hour rule is and I’ve had 3 children, one’s just over a year. So I’d say not strict?

I was happy to go at least 2-3 days if the bottles were dry or 24 hr if I left them wet after sterilising. If we’ll cleaned of any milk residue and dry they should be fine for a long time as a clean dry bottle won’t grow bacteria. We travelled to New Zealand and it ended up being more then 2 days between sterillising them the night before our flight and our arrival and we didn’t bother to sterilise while travelling.

thanks ladies!
glad to hear some people have broken the 24 hour rule. I think that’s going to be the easiest thing for me, it’ll only be one or two bottles and I will habe a kettle in the room so worst case can always pour boiling water over the teats at least!

Use Milton cold water tabs in the sink. Job done. Carting 10 bottles is madness.

I wouldn't stress about carrying 10 bottles with you. When I go away for nights in a hotel, I take 3 bottles and my collapsible washing bowl which fits inside the case very easily, and just fill with Milton and water.

@PassMeTheCookies thank you. Do you wash them first? X

NHS website still lists the boiling method , just states the teets may get damaged faster with this method (which if only temporary shouldn't hurt them too much anyway)

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/sterilising-baby-bottles/#:~:text=Make%20sure%20the%20items%20you,damaged%20faster%20with%20this%20method.

Not at all strict. I assumed (could be wrong) that the issue is that formula can contain dangerous bacteria. But you've washed and sterilised the bottles, so that bacteria no longer pose a threat. So after 24 hours it's just regular bacteria that would be on other non sterilised things, such as spoons and bowls that you're probably using at 6 months anyway. So, a non issue.

I could be wrong. But this was always my understanding. I combi fed but only from 7 months so was never fully up on the sterilisation requirements for newborns.

Just sterilise all the bottles you have and take them all with you. No washing or sterilising to do when away then and no stress 🙂

I wouldn’t take the risk.

I have vague recollections that you don't have to sterilise if you're using ready made as it doesn't develop bacteria like the powder.
I mostly breastfeed but DC 3 months has a bottle of formula before bed, the bottles stay in the cupboard once sterilised until they're used, they've been fine.

At 6 months they're eating food and putting all sorts into their mouths I really wouldn't worry

From six months onwards if they were having the ready made formula I just washed as normal with fairy liquid and didn’t bother sterilising.

At that age DDs were eating from washed up plates and spoons that had been sitting around for days. So no. If they are washed up and dry, they will be fine. I didn't sterilise the cat which one of the girls liked to suck on his tail..... So.......

Yes, I usually just take one of those travel toiletry bottles with a bit of fairy liquid in and a sponge and just wash them through as we use them. The Milton solution is good for 24 hours so we leave the bowl full with the solution and just put the bottles in that same solution once we've washed one bottle xx

Thank you so much everyone for you replies!