sterilising bottles

[Samraves]

Hi there,

Although I am going to try to breastfeed, I know I will also want to express so my DH to give our baby her dinner. I think I remember seeing a thread somewhere which gave great advice about sterilising bottles. I don't have a dishwasher... so that is not an option.

Also it spoke about how to make up a number of bottles, and I wanted to re-read this just in case the breastfeeding doesn't work out. I have read so much advice and it isn't all clear. Basically I don't want to be obsessive, just practical and make sure I don't make my baby ill....

Not due for another 8 weeks, but have a day off and obviously too much time on my hands if I am worrying about this!

I have actually recently read in a book writen by a peadiatrician called Aldo Naouri that sterilising bottles was completely unecessary.

His argument is that once your bottles have been sterilised, you handle them with your unsterilised hand, interact with all sort of objects that are not sterilised and by the time the bottle reaches your baby's mouth the whole thing is obsolete.

He actually recommends cleaning the bottle with hot water and soap (or of course dishwasher for those who have one) and says that the sterilising of bottles was only relevant in different times and under strict hygiene conditions (or in certain countries where hygiene is poor) and was primaraly to fight diseases like cholera etc.
Over time, the idea of sterilising bottles became mainstream but does not actually make sense.

Now, that may sound controversial but I sort of see where he is coming from.

what do you guys think of this therory?

I sort of see your point zahara1 but personally would rather be safe than sorry. The inside of the bottle stays sterile, presumably, even if you handle the outside? And most sterilisers come with a little pair of tongs with which to pull through the teat so you handle it as little as possible.

The dishwasher argument is a strong one, but if you're bottle feeding a v small baby (we started with one expressed feed a day at 3 weeks) I wouldn't take any chances.

You don't need enormous expensive sterilising machines. If you've got a microwave there are smaller ones that go in those, or do as our mothers did and use cold water sterilising - all you need is a big plastic container with a lid and a bottle of Milton's!

Half a dozen bottles should be plenty, especially if using it for one or two expressed feeds a day. As for making up bottles - I think you're not supposed to do it too far in advance, but you can put the boiled water into the bottle in the morning for a feed later the same day.

Either way, can I recommend the truly excellent book What to Expect When You're Breastfeeding and What if You Can't? Got me through 6 months of full-time bfing and beyond, and covers all the bottle/sterlising issues.

I just find the whole process complicated and people seem to be giving conflicting advice. Like you can sterilise the bottles and put boiled water in the bottles in preparaton so you don't have to wait for the water to boil and cool each time. But then I have also heard you should always add very hot at least 70 degrees water to the powder in order to kill any bugs in the powder - how can you do both? And then if you make up the formula you should discard any unused stuff after 2hrs... and that you shouldn't just have measured out the formula into bottles as the formula isn't sterilised. It all makes no sense to me :( I hope I can breast feed :(

I BF but thought I might used the odd bottle so I brought a travel steriliser from Mothercare. Its the size of a lunchbox (in fact DP now uses it as a lunchbox) and you use Milton or sterilising tabs. It does 2 bottles etc at one time & was perfect for our very limited sterilising needs.

I never really sterilised as they didn't on the NICU my daughter was on- figure if they don't there with most vulnerable babies then I wasnt going to bother with my little one (although I probably would have done had I not had that time on NICU). Hot soapy water good scrub rinse well and air dry. Especially if its bottles of breastmilk as has antimicrobial properties- formula on the other hand needs more care.

Defo add formula powder to 70 degree water though.