sterilize or not??

[helenas81]

someone told me today you dont have to sterilize baby bottles after 6 months, is that right?

 

[beancounter]

I think its 12months recommended these days.

 

[elsielouise]

As long as you are using formula unless you are an expert washer upper. Milk breeds bacteria v easily and can be harder to clean than juices or water (not that I used a bottle for juice or water even).

 

[soup]

i have stopped sterilizing everything except bottles, i think the most improtant bit is to sterilise the teats but as milk is ther perfect breeding ground for milk. but anything else, no chance, he puts everything in his mouth anyway so whats the point!

 

[craftymum]

I'll keep sterilising until Jacob is a year old but recently we had a friend over from the States and her grandchildren never had a sterilised bottle from birth and they are all perfectly healthy and never get sick so I don't know, I guess it's a personal choice really.

 

[elainegee]

a health visitor in my work gave me into trouble for still sterilizing my daughters bottles at around 11 months she said it was no longer needed?

 

[Pyrrhic]

It's recommended that you sterilise up to 12 months.

However some people see it, that at 6 months most babies are crawling around putting things into their mouth anyway, so why sterilise.

We did up until 11 months.

 

[emilyjade]

i was told by HV to do it up 2 12 months

 

[candeur]

I stopped sterilising at 12months. Wouldn't have felt comfortable stopping before then x

 

[helenas81]

thanks ladies, i just thought you always had to, will carry on till around a year then

 

[mamalove]

I never sterilized bottles.

 

[sobersadie]

Its up to yourself really. I sterilised up to i stopped using bottles (12 months). I never sterilised bowls, spoons and cups though as the food u put in them isnt sterile and by that age they are putting everything in thierr mouths anyway. The milk can go sour quick though so thats why i did the bottles up till i finished with them.

 

[helen1234]

i'll sterilise till 12 months, i keep my bottles in the steriliser i havent got room to put them anywhere else lol

 

[britt1986]

Should You Sterilize Your Baby's Bottles?


In the old days when water supplies were not reliably clean, it made sense to sterilize baby bottles. But now, sterilizing bottles, nipples, and water is mostly unnecessary.

Unless your water supply is suspected to harbor contaminated bacteria, it is as safe for your baby as it is for you. There is no reason to sterilize what is already safe.

Sterilizing the bottles and nipples is also unwarranted. Thorough cleaning with soap and water gets rid of almost all germs. And once on the bottle, the nipple begins to pick up all the germs in the environment, so a "sterile" nipple and bottle is just a pipe dream anyway.


I never sterilized my son's bottle or nipples and he is just fine. Although, I think it is a personal choice, but if you read up above it is no longer nessesary if you have a reliable water source, then soap and hot water will do the same thing.

 

[dizzyspells]

I always steralise the milk bottles till 12mths but cups,spoons,bowls etc I do not.x

 

[Faerie]

I think if she was having milk from a bottle I would still sterilise it as long as she's using the bottle, however she doesn't and the only thing I sterilise (by boiling for 5 mins) are her dummies.
She drinks her water from a cup and I just wash that up normally.

 

[Abz1982]

I stopped steralising Emmas at 6 months, adn she hasnt had any issues so far. She puts all sorts in her mouth so she is more likely to get something off that than her bottles as we make them up v hot, then cool immediately.

 

[Faerie]

I just thought I'd add the reason I would sterilise is purely because I'm lazy and unlikely to wash her bottle up straight after she's finished it. If you wash up imediately I don't see the need.