Breastfeeding and sterilising/bottles

[bobble53]

Hi, I’m 30 weeks and just trying to plan ahead! I want to breastfeed but don’t know anybody else who has so feeling a little lost with questions.

I’ve bought a breast pump and I’ve also bought the MAM bottle starter set just in case and for when I want to express.

Do I need a steriliser? It seems pointless buying a £70 steriliser or so if I’m not exclusively bottle feeding.

Thank you and any tips welcome x

As others have said, no need to sterilise for breast milk. That's advice on NHS in Scotland (this is very recent advice so perhaps hasn't filtered down elsewhere) and also from La Leche League. You can sterilise cheaply with Milton tablets if you ever need to do dummies or anything else.

It is worth checking local baby markets/nearly new sales. I picked up and electric steriliser for £4

@horehound you're right, it's probably OTT but I dont use my stuff every day so it sits in the cupboard. The NHS expressing and storing milk website currently says make sure you clean and sterilise breast pump parts before use. There is a lot of conflicting advice out there and we all have to make our own informed choices about what works best for our own circumstances .
I work in a health care where cross infection control and equipment sterilisation plays a big role in my job so I'm a bit brainwashed. I have found that occasionally putting a few bits in a pan of boiling water the most convenient and gives me reassurance that when I express and store milk it doesn't become contaminated.
Dishwashers aren't 'sterile' - they run at 65-80 degrees Celsius typically, which is just fine for sanitizing domestic tableware. Sterility is achieved by higher temps or chemically with bleach or Milton's.

I got confused by the conflicting advice on sterilising bottles/pump when expressing and ended up doing so ‘just to be safe’. Rather than buy a big steriliser I just used those microwave bags someone mentioned above and they were great - tucked away in a drawer so didn’t take up counter space, easy to travel with and good value. Would definitely recommend! A couple of times before buying the bags, I boiled the pump parts in a pan and that was much more of a faff.

The current NHS advice on expressing and storing breast milk is:

"Always make sure that the pump and container are clean and sterilised before you use them."

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/expressing-storing-breast-milk/

The downside is potentially serious and there have been some high profile cases of insufficientmy sterilised stuff harming babies:

i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/baby/breastfeeding/95126541/new-guidelines-for-cleaning-and-storing-breast-pumps

I'm afraid it doesn't make a lot of sense to me "not to sterilise for breast milk". Even if breast milk isn't sterile itself, the bacteria that can exist in the unsterilised bottle/pump will be different and potentially harmful to very young babies compared with whatever bacteria is in the breast milk that makes it technically not sterile.

I bought a £5 microwave steriliser. I sterilised the breast pump once a day in the morning and then kept the pump in the fridge between uses. Just rinse off the milk and pop in the fridge.

I did sterilise dd’s bottles until she was about 4/5 months and then just washed in hot soapy water and kept the bottle in the fridge after that.

I found it easier to get dd used to bottles ASAP. So from a few days old I expressed an ounce or so and fed her from a bottle. It’s not always possible to express a lot, and that isn’t an idicication you’re not making enough milk. Babies are far better at feeding than pumps are getting milk out. But it meant dd didn’t resist taking a bottle from her dad when she was older.

Here's the link to the NHS Scotland website about feeding your baby:

https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/breast-milk-storage-and-bottle-hygiene

'Make sure whatever you're collecting your milk in is very clean and dry (you don't need to sterilise it though - this is new advice in Scotland)'

And La Leche League;

https://www.laleche.org.uk/storing-your-milk/

There's no harm in sterilising, of course, but it's not necessary if your baby is full term and healthy

Ok so my baby point blank refused bottles even expressed BM bottles so although I had all the stuff I just needed my boob
I think because I was worried about establishing my milk supply etc I didn't try a bottle until she was 3 months so I think that might be why
The first 3/4 months of BF was so difficult got mastitis often
It was extremely painful I actually lost a bit of nipple after the first latch after birth lol so had a bad start
I didn't hear about nipple sheilds until the 2nd month that were a godsend she didn't like them but they enabled me to heal a bit
I used to sit up during the night crying because she was constantly on my boobs and cried if she came off and because I didn't get much when I pumped I was worried I was t producing enough milk for her your boobs are always producing even when they feel empty
If your baby is feeding for an hour they are still getting milk
I was they do this to increase the amount of milk when they have growths spurts etc
Or if they aren't feeling to well for comfort

Breast is better than expressing because your milk changes for the baby so I'd they are ill your milk will give more or different nutrients to the baby and the is picked up from the glands and saliva I don't know exactly how it works but I know it's better to breast freed off the boob not the expressed if u can

I sterilised my pump and bottles but like I say I didn't need them very often I think they recommend upto 6months but some countries say a dishwasher is adequate
They are not expensive but some take up alot of room
If u was to do it again u would

Make sure I give an expressed bottle or formula milk once a day just to get them used to it could be 2oz doesn't matter

Not let baby fall asleep on the boob as mine still falls asleep on it and she's 27months but that's just personal preference

Done more research before baby was born and found out about local BF groups for support as I didn't have anyone who could advise me

Good luck with your baby I hope u manage to breastfeed without any issues
If you can't don't be hard on yourself not everyone can and there's no shame in giving a bottle

Also it helps you get your figure back quicker and there are so many added benefits from behaviour to helping prevent cancer and it's free

It's conflicting because the NHS cannot say "no need to sterilise" because in some home environments it probably is safer to sterilise because some people's hygiene levels will be low.
It's the same as them saying do not drink. It's not because any amount of alcohol is too much, it's because some people are idiots and would think drinking a pint of vodka is ok rather than a glass of wine. ..

Up to you whether you would feel more comfortable sterilising but if so you don’t need an expensive electric steam steriliser. A plastic tub and some Milton tablets or a cheap microwave thing will do. You might not even need a pump, and then a cheaper manual or Hakka will probably be fine. If you turns out you need to do some serious pumping it’s often possible to borrow or hire a proper hospital grade double pump. Best thing you can do to be prepared for breastfeeding, especially if it’s not the norm for your family/friends, is find out where to get help and information to support you in your choices. Do you have a breastfeeding support group locally? Its well worth trying to go and have a chat with a breastfeeding counsellor before the baby arrives if possible.

Thanks everyone!! Lots of help :)

The MAM bottles sterilise in the microwave. We also had a cheap steam steriliser for the pump and storage bottles.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/sterilising-bottles/ I’ve always been advised to sterilise bottles for breast milk? It’s NHS advice as well... the mam bottles just sterilise in the microwave, or get a milton set or microwave steriliser for £15.

(I would anyway just to be safe, it takes minutes, and the bottles may have bacteria in, just seems worth it to me)

You don't need to sterilise bottles for breast milk

@Amanduh think about it logically though..is breastmilk sterile? No.
Are your breasts sterile? No

Thanks for posting the Scottish Govt link Celebelly, that's really interesting the advice has been revised.

I guess, as someone upthread says, it's about the balance of risks. Also maybe if people are so put off the faff of sterilising that they might give up BF altogether, that's a net negative for them and for the health service. Maybe these things are also cyclical and, if there were to be a case of serious illness linked to not sterilising, the advice would filp back.

It must follow however that, if sterilising isn't always required, this applies equally to liquid formula and breast, possibly also powdered milk, otherwise or doesn't make sense.

Why must it follow that if you don't sterilise for BM you don't need to sterilise for powdered formula? Just interested, as to my mind they are totally different beasts. BM has specific antibodies in it which means it doesn't need to be sterile and powdered milk needs to be made sterile by almost by boiling water when made up indicating its a totally different thing. Not sure it does necessarily follow but happy to be corrected.

@StargazyDrifter powder can be contaminated wit dangerous bacteria in the production process. That’s why it’s needs boiling water to make it up. You also must sterilise with liquid or powder formula and again harmful bacteria can populate in the bottles if left sit. Hence why you can’t make a bottle up and leave it for hours and then feed to baby.

BM is different because it’s a living liquid, there are antibodies and lymphocytes that protect against harmful bacteria.

Breastmilk has natural anti-microbial properties. It's also generally either frozen or consumed very quickly.

Powdered formula, on the other hand, may have been sitting for weeks or months in the tin before consumption and may have been contaminated during manufacturing. It also has no antimicrobial properties and in fact is very good at growing harmful bacteria.

That is why sterilising is not needed for BM and is needed for formula (I admit I don't know exactly how things fall for the readymade).

@Horehound as I said earlier, I don't sterilise for breast milk but the theory behind doing so is that the pump/ bottle/ container may contain bad bacteria which will contaminate the breast milk. Whether what's going in to it or not (formula or breast milk) is actually irrelevant.

Dishwashers are definitely NOT sterile. They don't get hot enough (everything would have to be above 72degrees Celsius continuously for 45 seconds to be even close to sterile, most domestic machines don't get close to that consistently).

MAM bottles are great for doing breastfeeding and expressed milk. We just used to sterilise in microwave as they can be done individually.

We introduced a bottle about week 6, my husband would do a bottle of expressed milk for last feed before bed. Best thing we introduced so I could have a bath/shower/nap.

Just remember it's best for you to not be in the room when introducing expressed milk in a bottle. Babies can smell their mums and will just want you not the bottle! They can go a little 'milk crazy'. It's why sometimes baby settle better with someone else at certain moments.

Coldwater sterilising - milton tablets or liquid will be fine. It's what i used in the hospital with DS and then at home.
Sterilising bags - also what i used in the (different) hospital with DS so literally, wash and then pop in the special bag with a bit of water. Just buy them as you need them (i think they're good for 3 uses)

Def don't buy a £70 steriliser if you then manage to exclusively BF and will never use it.

I'm afraid it doesn't make a lot of sense to me "not to sterilise for breast milk". Even if breast milk isn't sterile itself, the bacteria that can exist in the unsterilised bottle/pump will be different and potentially harmful to very young babies compared with whatever bacteria is in the breast milk that makes it technically not sterile.

Yip, I'd stick with NHS guidelines OP, speak to your mw & take their advice.

The bottles aren't sterile so advice is to sterilise prior to use. The milks no longer sterile once it's in contact with another environment. Just like the babies mouth, completely sterile until it's in contact with the environment. The baby won't have built up an immune system to fight anything initially.

Mine was a preemie in hospital so different I know it we always sterilised everything. I mean, surely it's better done than not and risk it?