Need help with sterilising

[Empress25]

Hello,

Not sure if I should post this here or the breastfeeding forums, so sorry if it's in the wrong place.

My baby boy had lost around 10% of his birth weight by his 5 day check so the MW advised that I express milk and top up with formula, which I have been doing.

I have the Tommee Tippee Microwave steriliser, but I'm not sure if I'm using it in the best way.

At the moment we are sterilising the breast pump right before use. Then we are sterilising teat for EBM and one bottle and leaving it in the steriliser (unopened) until the little one is due a feed. We are then putting bottle together using ready-made cartons of formula.

Can we sterilise any of the stuff in advance? For example, if I put four bottles in and put them together (empty) will they still be sterile? How long will they remain sterile for?

Sorry if these are stupid questions, but I can't find the answers anywhere. I can't see why they would advise you to buy six bottles if you can only sterilise one at a time!

Thanks

 

[tu123]

I was unsure about this too. I wouls sterilise everthing in one go and just keep everything in there till i needed it.

But! I was never sure and fed up when my TT built limescale up in two weeks of use so binned it and got a ten quid Milton cold water steriliser which i know you can leave the items in ready for use for up to 24 hrs!

 

[Empress25]

I was unsure about this too. I wouls sterilise everthing in one go and just keep everything in there till i needed it.

But! I was never sure and fed up when my TT built limescale up in two weeks of use so binned it and got a ten quid Milton cold water steriliser which i know you can leave the items in ready for use for up to 24 hrs!

Thanks, I might buy a cold water steriliser in future if I can't keep up breastfeeding. For now I'm sure we are doing it safely. I'll ask the MW when she comes to weigh him today (if she comes because of the snow!!)

 

[Odd Socks]

you can sterilise the bottles then put them together & they'll be sterile for 24 hours
xx

 

[veganmum2be]

i sterilise all my things either in the microwave at my mums or cold water at home, and i always sterlilise everything and leave it in there until needed to use within 24 hours

 

[Kitten-B]

I have the TT electric steriliser and as far as I understand it stays sterile for up to 24 hours unopened but once you open it - ie: to take one bottle out - you have to sterilise again. Kind of doesn't make sense why it holds 6 bottles! Each time we take a bottle out, we put it on again.

I assume the microwave one must be the same? Bought the microwave one for my parents house so would be good to know.

We're using ready to feed at the moment too (as he had it in hospital and it just makes the first few weeks easier) but once we move to powder the midwife said it would be ok to fill 3 sterilised bottles at a time with boiled water and leave, ready to add the formula to each just before each feed. I guess then it will make more sense having room for more bottles in the steriliser.

 

[bethx]

get a tub fill it with cold water and put a capfull of milton in it it lasts 4 24 hours miltonis about 1.30 per bottle thats what i do then put what ever you want sterelising in the tub and take out what you ned when you need it x

 

[bathbabe]

yes its fine to put the bottles together, they will stay sterile for 24hrs. But you cant sterilise 4 bottles and then take them out one at a time when needed without sterilising inbetween. IYKWIM? X