When do you stop steralising?

[ilovemygirl]

Hi there,

Just wanting to get some opinions on when to stop steralising bottles?? I don't know if i should still be doing it but am in such a habit. Also is there a time when you can just use hot-ish tap water?? Just to make life easier. They chuck everything in their mouths anyways...and crawl all over the floor...and share yukky toys with other babies!!

Thanks

[westerner]

I kept doing it until my child was no longer using bottles.. :thumbsup:
Just because a baby starts "eating dirt" and "putting things in there mouth" doesnt means the bottles suddenly become immune to germs.. Bacteria can still grow and still make your child sick despite what "other things" they may put in there mouth..

Thats my opinion..:)

But it is a personal choice that is up to you..

[rennie]

it is recomended to keep sterelising for 12m.

[Myztik]

I dont steralize, never had.. I still remember the midwife saying to me "you dont steralize your boob everytime you feed him do you" lol..
I was told with ds1 that hot soapy water is sufficient for cleaning bottle, then rinse with cold water.. I was told the same thing after ds2 was born.

[bigglet]

I stopped steralising when my baby started to move and mouth all the toys - seemed pointless that I had nice fresh clean bottles for her when she was mouthing all the toys and rolling about on the floor!

She was about 5-6 months if I recall - A little bit of dirt builds up the immune system.... :D

[ilovemygirl]

Thanks guys. Just saw a similar thread on page 3... DUH! May be time soon put pack the steraliser away.

Thanks again.

[kalamadae]

i didnt stop sterilising bottles till my first was completely off bottles and drinking from a cups

[Funtimes]

ds is 8mths and I plan to keep sterilising up until 12mths ......

[mum2bubba]

I dont steralize, never had.. I still remember the midwife saying to me "you dont steralize your boob everytime you feed him do you" lol..
I was told with ds1 that hot soapy water is sufficient for cleaning bottle, then rinse with cold water.. I was told the same thing after ds2 was born.


I just wash the bottles thououghly, rinse them with boiling water from the kettle and let them air dry. Never had a problem.

[leane7]

The booklet that came with my microwave steriliser states that it is recommended to be done until bubs is 9 mnths.

[rennie]

i just found this info -

What is the latest opinion on sterilization of bottles, nipples and formula? Is it necessary?


The short answer to your question is a qualified no. It is not necessary to sterilize your baby's bottles, nipples or formula.
To understand recommendations on whether to sterilize or not, it is important to realize the history of why sterilization was necessary in the past. In the 17th and 18th century there was a very high mortality rate for infants fed cow's milk. When pasteurization became available, technology allowed for sterile condensed milk to be used for infant feeding. However, during this time, the public water supplies remained largely unmonitored and formula was usually made in batches and left unrefrigerated, Thus, bacterial contamination tended to be a problem. Therefore, it became commonplace to sterilize the water, bottles, and nipples. However, by the 1950s, city water supplies became much better monitored and free of bacterial contamination. Studies were done back in the 1950s, which showed that babies could be safely fed formula made with clean (not sterile) bottles/nipples and tap water. However, by then, sterilization was so commonplace that it was difficult for doctors to stop recommending the practice to their patients, and it was also difficult for grandmothers to stop recommending it to their daughters.
In summary, formula prepared with city treated tap water in the U.S. is as safe as sterilized formula. United States water from wells, cisterns or other sources should probably be sterilized by boiling for at least ten minutes, plus one additional minute for every 1,000 feet of your city's elevation.

[Pices_79]

They say to stop sterilising at 6 months if you are making up formula one bottle at a time but keep sterilising until 12 months if you make a batch up for the entire day...

[grass is always greener]

My bub is almost 21 months old and we wash all his bottles and teets in the dishwasher, that way they are still be sterlised by the hot water.