can i stop sterilising bottles now??

[mishelfish]

just a quick question,

can i pack the sterilser away now? my lo is nearly 9 months and has been eating solids for 4 months, including everything off the floor etc. have been sterlising his bottles out of habit really, is it time to stop or should you still, just to make sure they are clean?? i dont sterilse anything else.....

yes you can stop

definitely pack it in - floor food was always the decider for me.

wicked i shall hide it in a cupboard right away, thanks!!

You don't need to sterlise after 6 months and if you use a dishwasher that washes over 60 degrees this sterilises anyway! I sterlised bottles out of personal choice until 12 months because i wash by hand and felt milk bacteria can be dodgy so wanted to make sure they were clean but many people told me it was unneccessary!

I thought you sterlised until 12 mths old because of the bacteria in the milk - nothing to do normal dirt etc.....

This really is a question not a critism

I still do mine as the guidelines are to sterilise bottles/teats till 1 year. I dont do anything else though. I dont know why I still do it as when I make up the milk I transfer it into a beaker that hasnt been sterilised - I'm a bit silly arent I?

yes

You actually don't need to sterilise these days. Provided you're sure there is no lead in the water, it isn't necessary right from the start. Good old dish soap and water is all that is needed. That's not to say you won't read/get outdated advice saying otherwise.

Someone told me their HV said there is no need to sterilise right from the start - I keep forgetting to ask mine about it. It does seem silly when my ds is constantly shoving toys etc in his mouth that have never been sterilised. Keep doing the bottles though - he only has 2 a day as bf rest of time so its not much hassle. Why have they suddenly changed the advice on this ?

My DD is 16 weeks and I think I've used the steriliser about six times. I sterilise containers for storing ebm in if I don't have any storage bags, but have not bothered otherwise. She has been fine, with no tummy problems whatsoever.

chankins.....i think that because the current advice is to make bottles up as you need them, then there is no need to sterilise.

when i had ds 5 years ago, I made up my bottles in the morning for the rest of the day, so sterilised as the milk was in the bottles for some time.

Yes chankins - there is evidence and research that suggests dishwashing or washing in hot water, rinsing thoroughly and leaving to air dry is perfectly safe - right from the start.

DS is 10 months and I still sterilize his bottles, and the beaker he has milk out of.

The advice varies, and it's hardly a hassle to sterilize, so I'd rather be on the safe side.

There seem to be lots of people on MN who stop sterilizing at 6 months, or not at all, but everyone I know in RL sterilizes bottles until 1 year old.

Maybe that's because it's the advice our local clinics give out, who knows?

the advice in books, on websites, etc still say to sterilise bottles/teats till 1 year so advice has not been updated to say you dont need to. How many people in RL actually make their bottles up according to the guidelines anyway? (i.e. each one made freshly as needed). A lot of people do still make up in advance and in these instances they should use sterilised bottles (imho of course)

there is a MNetter who had preemie twins many years ago, and she was told by SCBU that there was no need to sterilise and in fact the SCBU didn't sterilise themselves.

I can't remember who it was though

But, it's a personal choice really. As a BFer, my boobs certainly aren't sterile and I have a five year old DS who was getting DD to suck his (none too clean) fingers from day 1, so I didn't see the point.

Interestingly enough though, I stopped sterilising at 6 months with DS, a friend carried on till 14 months. DS is robustly healthy and verty rarely gets colds, sniffles, bugs etc, but my friends little girl always succumbs to whatever is doing the rounds. Anecdotal evidence of too clean = weak immune system???

Daisy, It's ok for the milk to be in bottles for some time. Provided it's kept in the refrigerator. Then I believe it's 24 hours.

Seona1973, which books? I could show you a couple of mine that say there is no need. We should go by our doctors as it's only people writing books.

I am not being pedantic but I am giving the up to date information from UK sources e.g. from uk babycentre website:

Before you first use new bottles and teats, and each time that you use them, they need to be washed and sterilised carefully. You will need a steam steriliser, or a microwave steriliser, or you can use sterilising solution. You can also boil the bottles and teats for at least 10 minutes to sterilise them.

All babies are vulnerable to the germs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting, and so it is best to continue sterilising bottles and teats (and breast pump equipment) until your baby is one year old and has built up more resistance to bacteria generally. The recommended age for starting solids is now six months, and bowls, plates and spoons can generally be cleaned using your usual washing-up method from this age.

From the department of health and food standards agency leaflet about bottle feeding:

Department of Health and Food Standards Agency revised guidance for health professionals on safe preparation, storage and handling of powdered infant formula (last modified 8th Feb 2007)

It is very important that all equipment used for feeding and preparing feeds has been thoroughly cleaned and sterilised before use.
? Wash hands thoroughly before cleaning and sterilising feeding equipment
? Wash feeding and preparation equipment thoroughly in hot soapy water
? Bottle and teat brushes should be used to scrub inside and outside of bottles and teats to ensure that all remaining feed is removed
? After washing feeding equipment rinse it thoroughly under the tap
? If using a commercial steriliser, follow manufacturer?s instructions
? If your bottles are suitable for sterilising by boiling: fill a large pan with water and completely submerge all feeding equipment, ensuring there are no air bubbles trapped; cover the pan and boil for at least 10 minutes, making sure the pan does not boil dry. Keep the pan covered until equipment is needed.
? Wash hands thoroughly and clean the surface around the steriliser before removing equipment.
? It is best to remove the bottles just before they are used.
? If the bottles are not being used immediately, they should be fully assembled with the teat and lid in place to prevent the inside of the sterilised bottle and the inside and outside of the teat from being contaminated.

As always, the guidelines on sterilsing vary from country to country but current UK guidelines are to continue to 1 year - you may or may not stick to that but that is the information given out.

I sterilised dd's milk bottles/cups up 'til a year although stopped sterilising everything else at 6 months. 10mo ds only gets milk from mummy so don't sterilise anything for him.

I found the thread about not sterilising. It was RTKangaMummy....

HERE