How long do bottles stay sterile

[Natsmiles]

Hi,
I need to take bottles into the hospital with me as I am bottle feeding. I’m going in tomorrow to get induced and I was wondering if anyone knows how long bottles stay sterile ? So if I put them in the steriliser tomorrow morning and put them in my bag how long would they last ?

I think they'll be absolutely fine and wouldn't worry about them at all. They'll have hygiene caps on. The main reason for sterilising is to clean bottles that have had formula in because of the bacteria in formula

Oh and good luck!!!

You could always pick up a pack of the ready made pre sterilised ones from supermarket. Saves the faff.

I agree with getting the premade starter packs as they come with glass bottles and teats. Sterilised bottles, once assembled should be ok for 24 hours.

When I bottle fed, I got mixed up with using ‘cooled boiled water’. Anyway the water needs to be hot enough to kill any bugs that could be present in the formula, but not too hot. Honestly I did wrong for months until I read all about it on MN. I am only mentioning it because I felt like a nitwit.

Your bottles will be sterile unless something touches them, so out the kids on and they’ll be fine. Good luck.

Aptamil, cow and gate and SMA all do starter sets with bottles and teats

Hipp organic does too

*put the lids

The dummy boxes say they stay sterile for 48 hours, I agree that as long as you make them up properly with hot water they'll be fine for a lot longer though. Ready made would be easiest while you're in hospital though, as you won't have a kettle right there to use.

Our bottles had a separate lid system. You got the bottle out of the steriliser and put the teat in the wrong way round (poking into the bottle) then put a lid on top. Once sealed like that the inside of the bottle would stay sterile indefinitely.

If left unsealed for random germs to drift in from the surrounding air then it's anyone's guess. Depends how many people sneeze or cough nearby.

I assume you just mean the bottles, you're not talking about making up the formula in advance? If so, 24 hours as long as the lids are on. That's the guidance and I personally wouldn't risk longer with a newborn.

It would be easier to buy a starter pack though, where the formula comes in little single-use bottles. Most hospitals only allow these, have you checked you can actually take separate bottles and formula?

Hi thanks for the help. It’s just the bottles I’m on about as I have the little pre made containers with the milk already in it the ones that pre made bottles are a little expensive so I thought I would do it this way. Now I’m wondering if I should just buy some saves a lot of haste I suppose. But thanks everyone 😁x

Sterilise and assemble with lids on and they're ok for 24 hours.

I'm taking the premade aptamil bottles (not the starter kit) and 2 bottles as the hospital I'm going to doesn't have anyway of making up formula feeds.
I've packed some steriliser tablets so I'm planning on sterilising the bottles when we're there and then pouring the premade aptamil in

I would check that you are able to do that. My hospital have given out notices saying they will only let bottles from the starter kits be used on wards. It actually states

"The only type of milk you can use on the maternity unit or birth centre is pre-prepared milk that comes ready made in a bottle with teat provided. These are often referred to as starter packs."

Our DS is now 12 weeks and we FF him from day 1. We took the little starter packs in and although they are pricey I would strongly recommend you do the same. Our hospital had nowhere to wash and sterilise bottles after they had been used, and you don't know how long you'll be in for. It would be a nightmare if someone had to keep taking bottles home to wash them for you.

Our hospital did provide formula (they were surprised we brought our own), but they offered either SMA or Cow & Gate starter bottles, or pre made prescription formulas for poorly babies with disposable bottles and teats. So no milk kitchen at all, and the midwives wouldn't be happy with you washing up bottles in a ward bathroom.