Do I really need a steriliser?

[tadah6]

FTM. I'm planning on breastfeeding and not planning on using a dummy or expressing - do I still need a steriliser? I can't think of anything else I'd need one for!

No. You can always have some emergency Milton tablets and throw one in a tuppaware box should you all of a sudden realise you need to sterilise something.

No, anything with breastmilk just needs warm soapy water.

Despite great effort on my part I didn't manage to successfully bf my first baby so had to switch to bottles. However I didn't buy a steriliser before the birth - it's easy enough to get one if you get to the point where you do need one.

I'd get a cheap cold water one just in case. I used it for nipple shields, dummies (they do work), cheap manual pump and eventually sippy cups.

Nope, what would you need it for? I do bottle feed and I don't even have one. I just put bottles in the dishwasher.

We had one we were given for free, which was excellent when we started using dummies and bottles. I didn't think I'd be using either until suddenly I needed to! Most of the other mums I know have either needed to express or give formula or dummies by month 2/3. Or nipple shields - they also need sterilising.

When we first started with sterilising we used microwave bags - maybe just keep a pack of those handy just in case? They're cheap and don't take up much space.

No, you can always boil items in a pan on the hob the traditional way.

I also read, but not entirely sure, that putting things in the dishwasher sterilises them.

@1300cakes a dishwasher won't sterilise bottles.

Op - if you're breastfeeding you don't really need a steriliser. Agree with the suggestion above to just get some Milton.

Also, if you need to sterilise something, you can just put it in boiling water on the stove top for 5 minutes.

Fyi, despite previous posters, NHS does recommend sterilising bottles for formula and breastmilk up to a year. The dishwasher isn't enough.

I know people who only sterilise up to 6 months for breast milk, but it's non negotiable for formula.

I know, but bottles don't really need to be sterilised. Especially for OP who is using breast milk.

No you don't, but you also don't know what your baby will be like when it's born. I didnt intend to use a dummy but DS had other ideas

As PP said, you can use milton tablets or microwave sterilising bags if you find you'd quite like to use a dummy or express down the line.

Never used one. I got a couple of those bottles you can sterilise in the microwave and then one dummy we got came with a little container to microwave sterilise, so I repeated that process with a BPA free lunchbox. Easy and no worries.

I didn't like milton, found it too smelly and faffy trying to get the right dilution.

It seems crazy that the NHS advise that when by 9 months most children are crawling around sticking dog tails, stones and random bits of food off the floor in their mouth!

And we only sterilised bottles because we did some mixed feeding. When I expressed with DC1 I just washed the bottles with hot soapy water and air dried. I don't think I sterilised his dummies at all. He is still here :o

@1300cakes ..... Why do you think bottles don't need to be sterilised? NHS advice is to sterilise bottles to a year for formula and six months for breastmilk.

Well true but warm milk is a great breeding ground for bacteria, unlike dog's tails, stones and the floor. That is why you should sterilise anything you're feeding cow's milk or formula from.

@mrbob Formula is reeeeally nice food for bacteria.

Obviously it's great stuff, I formula feed, but it's a dream for bugs.

Cross post there.

Back in the day there was a great thread on here in the feeding section that got bumped all the time about how microbiologists don't sterilise :o it had all-caps in the title and everything.

You can probably relax about it if you're feeding breastmilk from bottles, your baby isn't immune-compromised, and/or you're feeding immediately after making the bottle. It is a bit of a farce TBH as the bottle is unsterile as soon as you place it on your kitchen counter or touch it with your hands, but it made me feel better to do it. It's a fallback apparently in case you miss a bit of milk remnant while cleaning them, which seemed fairly likely to me as we weren't totally with it at the time.

My baby is about to turn 6 months, EBF and not yet used sterilser. But I just got the milton tablets on standby just in case. I haven’t offered a bottle yet.

It's not the type of milk that is the problem, it's the teats on the bottles and all the nooks and crannies in bottles, bottle brushes, dummy handles etc that are hard to clean by hand or machine. Sterilising them further reduces the risk of bacteria. So if you want to express, bottle feed , dummy, teething toys or anything else yes you will need one.

Lots of types, I had a bucket with Milton tablets / liquid and a microwave one. Used bucket for first 4 months and other after until I stopped expressing. This was for both DC. First combi fed for 4 months then breast, second fully breastfed.

I had one but never used it as I breastfed.

I never used one with either of mine - both breastfed and no dummy.

Good luck, I hope it all goes well

No.

We bought one and it gathered dust (breastfed).

Used about 3 times in total but I can't remember what for. I think once or twice for spoons when we started weaning but that wasn't necessary (I was a nervous FTM!).