First time mum to be, confused about sterilising?

[Lalarosex]

Sorry if this is a silly question, I am 36 weeks pregnant and packing my hospital bag. I want to pack dummies and bottle and know they need to be sterilised beforehand. All the instructions say that they only stay sterile for 24 hours. So if I was to sterilise them now, they would be no good by the time I used them in hospital? How do I go about this?
Thank you!

Pop them clean and in the steriliser but don't switch it on. Switch it on once you are in labour, then pack them. It's very unlikely you won't be able to wait the 10mimites it takes to run.

I didn’t bring a dummy to hospital so can’t help there, but I bought a box of these pre-packaged sterile bottles. Theyre all individually packaged, and you can just open one when you need it. They’re expensive for regular use but I was predominately breastfeeding and just wanted a back up. They’re only 70ml but that’s enough for a newborn. https://www.easymedshealth.com/products/aptamil-1-first-baby-milk-formula-starter-pack-ready-to-use-from-birth-70ml-x-6?variant=44810673684704&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADN-rCoF9xuRLohAo9ys-AaZxhMju&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8MG1BhCoARIsAHxSiQkvnxYY_pF2ZF8Q1YQKeuuYS5OJFF-_53IU34ATYMhgMzb-vl21MGYaAtK6EALw_wcB

We didn’t use a dummy, so can’t help there. You can buy bags that allow you to sterilize with a microwave, and you can also buy tablets so you can sterilize in water. Try searching for travel sterilizers and see if any of those work.

My baby is 4 months old now and I was also baffled by this! Bottles, just buy the mini ready to go ones that come with teets to take to the hospital x

I second the pre-packaged milks. They've been a fab option when I was in hospital for both my babies.

Also for dummies, you can get cold water Milton Ball steriliser - https://www.boots.com/Milton-soother-steriliser-silver-colour-10239735

They may have a steriliser you can use in the hospital postnatal ward.

But yes, it's much easier to use the ready made bottles for the (hopefully) short time you'll be in hospital, then use the reusable ones when you get home.

You might find that breastfeeding goes really well though and you don't need many bottles! I never expected to get on with breastfeeding before I had my first, but now I'm really confident with it.

I think feeding needs to be established before you introduce a dummy. None of mine had a dummy whilst in hospital but can't remember how old they were when I gave them one

Just to add when I had mine the hospital provided the milk in bottles,we didn't have to take our own. And with my first 2 they provide the nappies also

I don’t think it matters that it is no longer ‘sterile’

A bottle of milk is washed and then you sterilise to make sure no remaining old milk. It doesn’t then magically get re infested with old milk and become unclean after 24hrs, it’s just no longer sterile. It’s still been sterilised and cleaned though. Just clean dummies and sterilise if you like then put into a small clean Tupperware and they will be perfectly clean to use.

Take Milton tablets and a big sealable tub. Super easy.

I took the pre packaged milk into hospital with me, was a life saver. Maybe take more then you’ll think you need because I used quite a few in 2 days.
In terms of a dummy I’d maybe just get a cup of boiled water from the hospital when I was there perhaps.

My hospital provided formula with teats and also a dummy if I remember rightly (not sure why, I'm sure you shouldn't introduce one so early!) I would check with your local place and then 2 less things to worry about :)

Same as others have said - if you want to formula feed or want to have formula incase breastfeeding doesn't work out then take the pre-made bottles with you that you can buy for newborns. With a dummy this confused me too with my 1st baby. As it turned out she didn't actually take a dummy whilst we were in the hospital as she was either asleep or breastfeeding and never really needed it. Once home her dummies could only be sterilised in boiling water anyway because of the material they were made from so with my second I just figured that if he needed one in hospital I'd just sterilise it in boiling water (you only need a clean mug and I think most hospitals have facilities where you can make yourself a hot drink on maternity wards). But you'll probably find they don't really need a dummy until they 'wake up' a bit more and need that extra comfort.

Premade small bottles. Although we got some in hospital to use. They don't recommend using dummies that early from what I can remember.

Why would you want to plug up your new baby with a dummy when it will literally only be a few hours old when it leaves hospital. Can't you wait till you get home at least? I hate the look of tiny babies with a huge dummy covering half their face.

You won't need the soother straight away so don't stress baby will just eat and sleep at first soother comes later .

Thanks everyone for your help! I will definitely get the pre-made bottles!

Pre made bottles and you can get a dummy steriliser which I brought to hospital.

I formula fed and used dummies at the hospital with no issues.

I never used bottles but I did use dummies. Hardly ever sterilised them.

Just breastfeed then you don't have to bother with all sterilising palava. Much easier.

Very helpful for OP, especially if she is unable to breastfeed for whatever reason. 🙄

Let's not pressure people to feel shit if they can't/won't bf!

When I was in the mother and baby unit they used cold sterilisation with Milton's tablets. The bottles were kept in the tubs until used. Each bottle was washed and put in the steriliser after each feed. After 30 minutes in the steriliser the bottles were sterile so in plenty of time for the next feed. I can't remember how frequently the solution was changed.
What I would do is clean them and have them in the steriliser. When you know the day you are coming home the steriliser then gets set up. For hospital prep I always advise plan for 1 day but have back up for 3 days. Out of my NCT group of 7 I think 5 of us where in for 3 days for 5 different reasons.