Planning to breastfeed, do I still need to buy a steriliser?

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I'd like to try breastfeeding but was wondering if I still need to buy a steriliser and bottles too in case I'm not able to. Should I buy it all before baby is born or wait until he is here and see?

I would just wait and see. The more kit you have to bottle feed the easier it will be to just resort to a bottle so if bf is what you really want to do I wouldn't get anything like that unless you need to later.

You'll need one if you express with a pump. My local Facebook groups always have them free or cheap - the microwave ones or ones you plug in.

Yes - even if breastfeeding you might want to try giving expressed milk

You don't need to sterilise breast pumps or bottles that have been used to feed breast milk. Cleaning with hot soapy water and leaving to air dry is fine

Hello! Good luck with it all. I breastfed but used a steriliser to clean the nipple shields I used, the dummy we sometimes resorted to and also the breast pump and bottles. I think the steriliser we used was only a cheap microwave version that I got in boots for £10 or so. Very useful. Also for sterilising those medicine syringes if you have to give calpol etc. So yes I would buy one! Best of luck.

You dont need a steriliser. You can sterilize in boiled water if you want to, but breastmilk is safe to put in washed bottles, they don't need to be sterilised.

Amazon next day delivery can mean you can order in anything urgent. Best to wait and see what you need, otherwise you end up flogging a lot of stuff in a few months!

Personally I didn't buy anything before. If you have trouble breastfeeding you can always buy the single use bottles of formula to start with. Obviously it is more expensive but can be easier initially whilst you figure our your plans. Saying that, if you plan to express then you will need bottles at some point, so you might prefer to get a few. I tried expressing but didn't get in with it so the few times we tried a bottle I just sterilised in boiling water on the hob.

I thought breast milk produced spores if not cleaned properly, and generally the advice is to sterilise everything they put in their mouth up to 6 months old - not sure how overkill that is though!

I wouldn't buy anything. I was lucky and didn't have issues with breast feeding. Didn't fancy using pumps.
Things are easy to buy if you decide you want to bottle feed after all.

No one ever needs to buy a steriliser

But if you are worried pick up a few packs of sterilising tablets from the supermarket for a few £ and a washing up tub.

I breastfed but bought a steriliser in case I needed it. I think I used it once, DD wouldn't take a bottle in the end anyway, and there is no need to sterilise anything other than bottles like calpol syringes - just wash thoroughly in hot soapy water. If you have a dishwasher, it will get anything like syringes plenty clean enough.

I know people who were sterilising spoons and bowls for weaning when their babies were 6 months old and more. That seems like overkill to me.

No. If you express you only need hot soapy water, no sterilising needed (the milk bank I pumped for told me this do I'm pretty sure they're right-hand they wouldn't want to put prem & sick babies at risk!).

I just used milton cold water tablets when I needed to sterilise things. One tablet in a mixing bowl of cold water - chuck in toys or whatever (I had them on hand from day one in case I bottle fed, but managed breastfeeding OK so only sterilised toys etc), and job done.

I'd say get a box of Miltown tablets rather than expensive sterilising equipment to begin with, until you know what works best for you :)

Don't bother. 1. Breastfed babies don't need it 2. The more stuff you'll have in the more you'll want to resort to bottles

if not cleaned properly but hot soapy water IS cleaning properly wrt breast milk. If you haven't washed things properly sterilising won't really help anyway.

Thanks everyone for the replies, I think I'll just wait and see how I get on with the breastfeeding before buying any equipment. Good to hear about the different sterilising methods too.

It seems the best thing you can buy before having a baby is amazon prime for the next day delivery!

Maybe just buy a couple of MAM bottles. As above I don't think you need to sterilise if just using for expressed milk but if you want to sterilise anyway these can be microwave sterilised on their own without an additional steriliser.

I agree just get a box of tablets just in case rather than spending a lot of money on kit. Babies are expensive enough!

I always washed my bottles just in the sink too.

Be wary of Amazon prime during the night feeds OP you'll end up ordering a load of crap on a nightly basis or maybe that was just me

I think it's best to wait and see, they are pretty easy to come by so iyou may as well purchase if and when...

Depends how close you are to shops maybe? I wanted reassurance of having some bottles and cartons of pre-prepared formula as my SIL had a terrible time with a distressed baby in the middle of the night and I didn't want to go through that. In the end I EBF with both DC and never used them but no regrets having them there just in case. If they now do filled bottles that sounds perfect way to get through a rough night or day or 2 if all goes pear-shaped. Hope all goes smoothly for you x

Thanks, luckily we are close to a big 24hr Tesco so can access everything quickly if needed. I like the sound of the sterilising tablets too, will pick up some of them.

Yes. Handy for dummy's, food pots when weaning, and even if breast feeding you'll probably want to express once you've got established for the odd evening out. I made my mil keep mine until I had cracked breastfeeding though as I didn't want to cave in so I understand your reluctance.

I had a travel steriliser which basically was a box you put into the microwave. I also had a stand-alone one which rarely came out of the cupboard.