What age to stop sterilising bottles?

[FullMoon]

What age did you stop sterilising your babes bottles?

What is the recommendation>

[MumNeedsCoffee]

I've heard 6 months as by that age babies are normally crawling around sticking everything in their mouths anyway.

I still sterilise but I have an awesome Avent steriliser, I just wash out the bottles, stack them in, pop in some water and press a button. Couldn't be easier.

[FullMoon]

So should I wait until he starts crawling.. (his breastfed) But does get EBM.

But he is a LONG way off crawling...

Thanks!

[MumNeedsCoffee]

Not entirely sure myself Fullmoon.

But I do recall seeing a few threads about the section on bottle feeding and the general consensus was around 6 months.

Hope that helps.

[Raising Leprechauns]

Hospitals dont do it all anymore with bottles. Just wash with hot soapy water.

Second time round with FF I didnt bother so much - would just pop the teats in the microwave sterilise.

[lambjam]

I've always been told that 12 months is the recommended age and have always sterilised right up until the 1st birthday. I know they're crawling and sticking everything in their mouth, but I'm dealing with things that have been in contact with milk and feel it's best to err on the side of safety.

If I was boiling or something I might feel differently, but I use electric sterilisers, so there's really no inconvenience at all... I actually find it easier to keep them in there than have them cluttering up the drainer!

[florence]

No need to sterilise, hot soapy water is enough. Once you touch a bottle it isn't sterile anymore, anyway.

[~BEXTER~]

I've always been told that 12 months is the recommended age

I agree I didn't stop till after 12 months and even then it felt weird

[~BEXTER~]

Once you touch a bottle it isn't sterile anymore, anyway.

I always though the whole reason was so the inside is clean.

[florence]

I always though the whole reason was so the inside is clean.

It doesn't matter. Either way, as soon as a bottle is taken out of a sterliser, it isn't sterlie anymore- inside or out.

[TripleTime]

I stopped today at 5.5months, hot soapy water is enough.

[MumNeedsCoffee]

Hospitals dont do it all anymore with bottles. Just wash with hot soapy water.

Second time round with FF I didnt bother so much - would just pop the teats in the microwave sterilise.

We've just come back from the hospital this week and they were sterilising the bottles in Milton solution

[~BEXTER~]

I still would not feel right about stopping before 12 months. Thats what I plan to do with the bub due next year any way. But everyone is different.

[lambjam]

It doesn't matter. Either way, as soon as a bottle is taken out of a sterliser, it isn't sterlie anymore- inside or out.

I think if we're going to get technical about the term "sterile" we'll run into trouble, as properly sterile items aren't allowed to be wet! However, a far greater number of organisms are killed when a steriliser is used, regardless of how many are applied when the bottle is subsequently touched. In any case, there is no need to touch the teats or inside of the bottle when removing them from the steriliser.

[HollyHotLips]

Never sterlised as they dont at the hospital and they said there was no need - simply wash in hot soapy water, rinse under running water and leave to air dry (we had a bottle rack thing to make it easier). Intend to do the same this time round too.

[Opinionated]

I did until 6 months.

My second was exclusively breastfed.

Now with my toddlers, I occasionally boil the valves to their sippy cups, just to kill any bugs in a place I can't wash.

[MsMummy]

My son has EBM while I'm at work and I still sterilise everything in the microwave.

It just doesn't look as clean otherwise.

I find the sterilising doesn't take that long as it's only a couple of feeds four days a week.

[kellstar]

The hospital i had my DD at didnt sterilise, but i had bought a steriliser only a couple of days before i knew about this so i intented to get my moneys worth.
I sterlised up until about 10 mths.:)

[zephani]

Never sterlised as they dont at the hospital and they said there was no need - simply wash in hot soapy water, rinse under running water and leave to air dry (we had a bottle rack thing to make it easier). Intend to do the same this time round too.

We were told this as well.

Even so we sterilised till about 6 months.

[~Temet Nosce~]

I don't plan to sterilise this time around. Maybe once a fortnight at most.
I stopped sterilising at about 5 months with dd.

[Jamaica]

I have a 4minute sterilizer & a bub that has had a lot of health problems including pneumonia so Im a little anal about it. I will do it until 12months just because it cant hurt.

[maybe baby]

Doesn't washing them in hot soapy water, even if you rinse the bottles afterwards leave a few chemicals behind? I've been told this can be done but it just seems it doesn't sit right with me?? So I'm still rinsing and sterilising for dd and she's 4.5 months.

[mum2cat]

According to my early childhood nurse, any bottles, utensils used with milk should still be sterilized.

[TripleTime]

Its a topic that you need to use your own discretion & do what feels right.

[Bellini]

Just to get technical :p, "sterile" is something that can't be achieved at home ;) As long as the bottle etc is clean (which is achieved with hot, soapy water), then it's ok to use. The "sterilization" of baby bottles and teats etc is an old practice from way back when town water was often contaminated with bacteria. It isn't necessary in this day and age, as we now have reliable, clean tap water.

However upon saying that, I do sterilise everything anyway (even my own water bottles), as i'm a bit of a germaphobe :D

But to answer the OP, in my travels I have read that 12 months is the recommended age to cease this practice.

[growingbelly]

In WA hospitals the policy is not to sterilise and mums are advised that hot soapy water and air dry is enough.

The WA Dept. of Health conducted a study and it found that there was no value in sterilising as the same amount of germs and bacteria were present.

I think we are the only state that has this policy. This is what your hospital, chn and dr's tell you to do in accordance with the health dept. reccomendation.

For what it is worth I never sterilised and DD was never sick :)

[Teegzie]

Yeah I had DD in WA and when I expressed at the hospital (KEMH) they just told me to take the parts to the ward kitchen/tea room and wash them in hot soapy water. They even had a special rack to dry the parts on so the next woman could use them.