When can you stop sterilising bottles?

[bluebutterfly74]

Hi to all those that are bottle feeding. What age can you stop sterilising bottles and just give them a good scrub in hot soapy water? With my first I sterilised till he was 12mths. But I am getting tired of cleaning bottles and sterilising. But my girl is only 7mths? Just curious

[Alimia]

Ds is 14 months old and I'm still sterilizing his

[lil miss]

Midwives now say there is no need to do it at all- hot soapy water/dishwasher is enough.

I personally stopped when the girls were 2 or 3 months.

[Purple Lily]

I stopped at six months when DS started getting around. We just wash in hot soapy water then rinse in warm water :) Oh and if it makes you feel any better hes now 10 months old and hasnt ever been sick :)

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[tormy]

we stopped at around 10 months. as pp said you can just wash it in hot soapy water. my DS only has 1 bottle now and i still just wash them in hot soapy water (he's 21months)

[siansmum]

My son is 21 months and I still sterilize all his bottles. Yes, he is still drinking his formula from bottles. He has a genetic dietary condition called PKU which requires him to have 4 lots of special formula every day. He won't drink it out of a cup and I can't afford for him to not drink it, so he's still using bottles. I'll continue to sterilize his bottles until he moves to a cup.

[2girls1boyplus1]

I didn't sterilize ever.. I just put them in the dishwasher and washed them nightly with the other dishes. Same with dummies, favorite toys, etc.

Once they start putting other stuff in their mouths i think it's kind of pointless.

And as a side question - once they start solids did anyone sterilize their bowls, spoons, plates, highchair tray, etc. ?
I always found it odd when people sterilized bottles but then didn't sterilize any of the other utensils or things that their baby used to eat..

[Nazgul]

My midwife said as soon as bub is crawling as they eat a lot of crap of the floor anyway

[Cluky79]

I stopped at 6 mths DS was putting anything and everything in his mouth :)

[bubbabailey]

Midwives now say there is no need to do it at all- hot soapy water/dishwasher is enough.

I personally stopped when the girls were 2 or 3 months.

This. ^^
I was sterilizing DS bottles until a midwife friend of mine told me that he didn't need then sterilized.
I stopped when he was 8 weeks :-)

[captainscaptain]

I'm not a bottle feeder but I'm with everyone who says that it's fairly pointless after they start sticking anything and everything else into their mouths. That's around 4 months old so I'd say you're fairly safe to stop at 7 months! :fingerscrossed:

[~BEXTER~]

I know some people say you don't need to sterilize but I do and I do it till after 12 months.
It's not hard. You wash in hot soapy water, rinse, stack them and press a button..,

[Lil M]

I stopped when he stopped having bottles of formula and started having cups of milk, as the formula was always harder to wash off than milk and the bottles have more parts to them, so continued to sterilize until then. He was about 13/14 months I think.

[mum2one99]

Bottles do not need to be sterilised at all/at any age

Both my kids have had bottles washed in the dishwasher and rinsed with watee since their first bottle (2 weeks old)

Premature babies maybe, but that's it. My hospitals policy changed in 2009. In fact, for DS1s first 24hrs I was hand expressing and syringing colostrum until he started to feed and was just washing and reusing the plastic container and syringe.

[FiredUp]

Once they start putting other stuff in their mouths i think it's kind of pointless.

And as a side question - once they start solids did anyone sterilize their bowls, spoons, plates, highchair tray, etc. ?
I always found it odd when people sterilized bottles but then didn't sterilize any of the other utensils or things that their baby used to eat..

It’s best to continue sterilising your baby’s bottles until she’s at least a year old. Babies are vulnerable to the germs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting. These germs can develop very easily in milk.

Bottles and teats have nooks and crannies that milk can collect in. Sterilising is the only way to ensure your baby's bottles are free from dangerous bacteria.

[elanora]

well, i never gave up sterilising. as long as he used a bottle, i did this.

[NattyBoo]

Hey there,

I have 4 boys aged between 17 - 6months old, I stopped when they started 2 crawl around & picking up things & putting it in their mouths!..

Cheers
Natty

[2girls1boyplus1]

It’s best to continue sterilising your baby’s bottles until she’s at least a year old. Babies are vulnerable to the germs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting. These germs can develop very easily in milk.

Bottles and teats have nooks and crannies that milk can collect in. Sterilising is the only way to ensure your baby's bottles are free from dangerous bacteria.

When I was getting things prepared to take my premmie daughter home from hospital after 7 weeks I asked the paed and SCN nurses what I needed to do and they told me that I could use a bottle brush and detergent and then wash them in the dishwasher and that it would be fine.

I wasn't doing it to be lazy, I was doing it because I was told by medical experts that it was an easy, safe and effective way to do it.

[labellavita]

My DD is 5.5 months and I'll continue to sterilise until she no longer has a bottle (as I did with my DS!)

It certainly can't hurt, milk breeds bacteria quickly and easily. I would sterilise her bowls and spoons too but apparently they aren't suitable for any kind of sterilisation! x

[Wise Enough]

I sterilised until 8 months. It's not a coincidence that I returned to work at 8 months... Stopped boiling the kettle too. My life is so much easier now and DD has shown no ill effects at all.

[insanity]

I stopped recently at 14 months

[Bonkers]

You don't need to anymore is what the experts are saying. I stopped DS and dd when they were around 8months, and I will still do it this time

[Lil M]

According to the WHO you should always sterilize bottles.

[ShanandBoc]

According to the WHO you should always sterilize bottles.

But if you stop using bottles at 12 months as recommended then u will no longer have to sterilise!! ;)

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[Harliben]

With my first I did until 12 months, with my newest I stopped at 4 months, with all the things he puts in his mouth my dr said it really won't hurt him! :)

[whiteyshun]

I was told by the midwife that I don't need to sterilize every day or after baby used each bottle and to just sterilize once a week or so.

So we sterilize once a week.

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[insanity]

I was told by the midwife that I don't need to sterilize every day or after baby used each bottle and to just sterilize once a week or so.

So we sterilize once a week.

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Umm.. What's the point in once a week? I don't get it?

[darla87]

I believe sterilising bottles once a week or so to be your best bet. Babies need to be exposed to bacteria to strengthen their digestive system. As long as you wash and rinse bottles well.
Ialways think it's a bit funny the mums that sterilise bottles then when a dummy drops on the floor pick it up and put it in their own mouth to clean it.

[darla87]

Sterilising once a week will kill all bugs before they begin to build again, like starting a fresh.
I think it's more important to use different water, sponges etc so they don't get contaminated with food. Lots of different bugs in food to formula!

[insanity]

Sterilising once a week will kill all bugs before they begin to build again, like starting a fresh.
I think it's more important to use different water, sponges etc so they don't get contaminated with food. Lots of different bugs in food to formula!

Interesting.. I have never heard of that

[Happy2be3]

We did for the first 2 weeks and then was told by midwife no need to in Australia because we have great tap water quality full of choline. We never sterilised beyond 2 weeks.

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[Happy2be3]

I didn't sterilize ever.. I just put them in the dishwasher and washed them nightly with the other dishes. Same with dummies, favorite toys, etc.

Once they start putting other stuff in their mouths i think it's kind of pointless.

And as a side question - once they start solids did anyone sterilize their bowls, spoons, plates, highchair tray, etc. ?
I always found it odd when people sterilized bottles but then didn't sterilize any of the other utensils or things that their baby used to eat..

Amen to that! Common sense right?! :-)

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[ShanandBoc]

It’s best to continue sterilising your baby’s bottles until she’s at least a year old. Babies are vulnerable to the germs that cause diarrhoea and vomiting. These germs can develop very easily in milk.

Bottles and teats have nooks and crannies that milk can collect in. Sterilising is the only way to ensure your baby's bottles are free from dangerous bacteria.

This. Just because babies start putting things in their mouth doesnt mean u dont need to sterilise anymore!!

Off, warm Milk harbours bacteria so u need to ensure bottles are very well cleaned.
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[ShanandBoc]

I didn't sterilize ever.. I just put them in the dishwasher and washed them nightly with the other dishes. Same with dummies, favorite toys, etc.

Once they start putting other stuff in their mouths i think it's kind of pointless.

And as a side question - once they start solids did anyone sterilize their bowls, spoons, plates, highchair tray, etc. ?
I always found it odd when people sterilized bottles but then didn't sterilize any of the other utensils or things that their baby used to eat..

Its Irrelevant thats why :) See above. Its the milk thats the issue

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[2girls1boyplus1]

This. Just because babies start putting things in their mouth doesnt mean u dont need to sterilise anymore!!

Off, warm Milk harbours bacteria so u need to ensure bottles are very well cleaned.
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Each to their own. I'll follow my paed and midwives advice.
I wasn't in the habit of reusing dirty bottles or leaving off, warm milk in them?? As I said, I washed them with water and soap and then ran them through a hot dishwasher cycle, which they advised me was more than adequate.

[3InATub]

I understand it may not be needed anymore, but out of habit and my personality (a tiny bit ocd) I did it to 12 months for each of my babies!

[starla]

I had a midwife appointment the other day and asked as I'am planning to bottle feed from birth. She advised to sterilize from birth till at least 6 months of age.

[Smartiecat]

When I was getting things prepared to take my premmie daughter home from hospital after 7 weeks I asked the paed and SCN nurses what I needed to do and they told me that I could use a bottle brush and detergent and then wash them in the dishwasher and that it would be fine.

I wasn't doing it to be lazy, I was doing it because I was told by medical experts that it was an easy, safe and effective way to do it.

We were told this too

[ShanandBoc]

Each to their own. I'll follow my paed and midwives advice.
I wasn't in the habit of reusing dirty bottles or leaving off, warm milk in them?? As I said, I washed them with water and soap and then ran them through a hot dishwasher cycle, which they advised me was more than adequate.

Fair enough.... it was a general comment not aimed at you personally, but for those that dont have a dishwasher sterilising will give them a proper clean and get in all those nooks and crannies Even my sisters told me sterilising isnt necessary. I didnt listen lol.

Like alot of things with parenting theres conflicting info. We all just do what we think is best!! :)

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[WhiteTulips]

Stopped s'ing at 11.5mths but still continue to disinfect highchair table with antibacterial spray and leave on for 5-10mins then wipe off.

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[southcoastmummy]

Hi to all those that are bottle feeding. What age can you stop sterilising bottles and just give them a good scrub in hot soapy water? With my first I sterilised till he was 12mths. But I am getting tired of cleaning bottles and sterilising. But my girl is only 7mths? Just curious

I guess we may never agree with this one. I never really stressed about it. Once a day I popped DS's 2 bottles in a pot of water until one day i left the stove on and melted them both and from thn on DH hasn't let me sterilise them lol.

Can someone enlighten me on what happens if you don't sterilise the bottles? I have always assumed a stomach bug, perhaps food poisoning. But then if that were the case we'd all get food poisoning from not sterilising our own drinking and eating items. So perhaps just an upset tummy and unsettled baby?

[escapethefate]

I'm pretty sure once baby is moving about and putting things in it's mouth or eating solids there's no point as you don't really sterilize the floor/spoons/bowls/toys etc..

[Mama of 1]

I stopped at 6 months, but took up mopping and disinfecting surfaces instead!! I wash my bottles in really hot water and detergent soak them in boiling water whilst I do all the other stuff!! I personally think all the crap on the floor is worse then a non sterilised bottle!!