when do you stop sterilising and boiling baby's water?

[babyfromgod]

Just wondering where you live what your guidelines are as to when you stop sterilising your bottles and stop boiling the water for your bottles? In New Zealand we are allowed to stop at 3 months as our drinking water is really good here. I stopped last Friday and he is doing fine. I just make sure i clean them really well with hot soapy water

 

[AlwaysPraying]

I think it's four months here. Keeps it easy!

 

[bubbles123]

In the UK you're supposed to sterilise bottles up to one year but you can stop sterilising weaning stuff at 6 months (if you start before 6 months). You have to boil water to give as a drink until they are 6 months then you can stop and they can drink regular tap water after 6 months of age. You are supposed to always make powdered formula up with boiled hot water (over 70) for as long as you use it, no matter how old the baby is. This is because the hot water is needed to kill any potential bugs in the formula, not because the tap water is not suitable for the baby IYKWIM. The UK rules are very strict compared to the rest of the rest of the world it seems!

 

[emsiee]

^^^^ I didnt know you could give them tap water at 6 months, you learn something new everyday!

 

[babyfromgod]

wow it is really strict in the uk, we don't have to put our formula powder into really hot water to make it sterile as ours already is sterile

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

I have given both mine tap water from 6mths but I always try it first.
After we have a lot of rain the water tastes of strong chemicals and I wont give her that.
For bottles I will always boil and cool as long as she drinks formula but the boiled issue isn't a fact for me because we are using staydown you can ONLY add the powder to icy cold fridge water.
Bottles I haven't sterilised for what, 5/6 weeks now.
Antibac washing up liquid, very hot water and air dry on a bit of kitchen roll upside down.
She eats everything in sight now so I don't see the point.
Once a week they get a boil up but only because I like doing it!
(uk)

 

[kiwimama]

I'm in NZ too and yes, you can stop boiling water for babys bottles at 3 mths if you live in a city. Needs to be done up to 12 mths if on tank water.
They say you should still sterilise babys feeding things until 12 mths though. We only did it til 8 or 9 mths I think.

 

[babyfromgod]

the plunket nurse told me i could stop sterilising at 3 months and i checked the plunket book too and it says in there. Which i am glad about as i thought i was doing the wrong thing there for a minute lol. I think i will sterilise them once a week just to give them a extra good clean as well as washing them each time i use them

 

[babyfromgod]

I have given both mine tap water from 6mths but I always try it first.
After we have a lot of rain the water tastes of strong chemicals and I wont give her that.
For bottles I will always boil and cool as long as she drinks formula but the boiled issue isn't a fact for me because we are using staydown you can ONLY add the powder to icy cold fridge water.
Bottles I haven't sterilised for what, 5/6 weeks now.
Antibac washing up liquid, very hot water and air dry on a bit of kitchen roll upside down.
She eats everything in sight now so I don't see the point.
Once a week they get a boil up but only because I like doing it!
(uk)

I use antibac washing up liquid too as i feel better using that rather than just the regular one. Doesn't your formula go lumpy mixing it with icy cold water? The formula i use goes lumpy even if the water is only slightly cold

 

[ShanandBoc]

wow it is really strict in the uk, we don't have to put our formula powder into really hot water to make it sterile as ours already is sterile

No formula powder is sterile

 

[babyfromgod]

well then why do the uk have to put their formula into 70 degree water and we don't? I'm not worried as i follow the NZ guidelines i am just curious as to why there are different rules

 

[TattiesMum]

well then why do the uk have to put their formula into 70 degree water and we don't? I'm not worried as i follow the NZ guidelines i am just curious as to why there are different rules

It's really because the UK follow WHO guidelines to the letter ... and the WHO guidelines advise hot and already boiled water to accommodate 3rd world and developing countries where formula powder can become easily contaminated and water sources are often impure

The UK Gov't justify this by quoting a reduction in baby gastroenteritis when these rules are followed, but the figures/statistics they use are provided by WHO and include babies in developing countries .... they just don't make that clear

Oh ... and we stopped sterilising Kaylums bottles at 6 months ... given that he was already crawling and quite merrily sucking the dog's ears and tail whenever he got the chance it seemed a bit pointless

 

[ShanandBoc]

^ hahaha yummm, dogs ears!!!

 

[ShanandBoc]

Oh im in Aus and no formula tins say to make up using 70 degree water either...very confusing. But the fact is that formula powder isnt sterile.

I didnt know anyone who made up their formula this way and hadnt heard of it till i came on here x

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

I have given both mine tap water from 6mths but I always try it first.
After we have a lot of rain the water tastes of strong chemicals and I wont give her that.
For bottles I will always boil and cool as long as she drinks formula but the boiled issue isn't a fact for me because we are using staydown you can ONLY add the powder to icy cold fridge water.
Bottles I haven't sterilised for what, 5/6 weeks now.
Antibac washing up liquid, very hot water and air dry on a bit of kitchen roll upside down.
She eats everything in sight now so I don't see the point.
Once a week they get a boil up but only because I like doing it!
(uk)

I use antibac washing up liquid too as i feel better using that rather than just the regular one. Doesn't your formula go lumpy mixing it with icy cold water? The formula i use goes lumpy even if the water is only slightly cold

Using SMA Staydown (a reflux formula) you cannot mix with even warm water as the thickener in it starts activating with heat and will actually cause huge round balls of formula and block the teat up.
So you have to use icy cold fridge water to add the powder and then roll, not shake.
I always thought the whole 70deg c mix thing odd after making this up - I mean, why one rule for one and not another?? Staydown isn't sterile

 

[ShanandBoc]

^exactly, damn confusing.....i still dont know what ill do when i out bubs on formula. Not one tine of formula here says to use hot water....its either cooled or luke warm boiled water

 

[babyfromgod]

man this is confusing lol, i used to add my formula powder to really hot water out of the jug and then cool them rapidly in the sink and put them at the back of the fridge but now i just use warm water out of the tap. Where i live we have the best tap water in New Zealand but if i ever went anywhere else in the country i would definately boil to be on the safe side

 

[bubbles123]

^exactly, damn confusing.....i still dont know what ill do when i out bubs on formula. Not one tine of formula here says to use hot water....its either cooled or luke warm boiled water

Yeah, it's as others have said. UK follows WHO guidelines to always use water over 70. No formula is ever sterile but then again no food stuff is ever sterile either. The chances of there being any contamination is tiny tiny but the UK go with the strictest option, many other countries have chosen not to follow the WHO advice for whatever reason and to be fair they are not full of ill babies. UK is very over cautious IMO.

Ps. And yes I don't get about SMA stay down either. If it's bad to make regular formula with cold water, why is it OK with the stay down? Surely it's dangerous and should not be allowed if you follow the WHO logic. Goes to show it is rather over cautious.

 

[ShanandBoc]

Well ive decided majority rules and that is that its not necessary to use water at 70 degrees. Everyone i know never has and i havent heard of one problem. And like ive said before if it was that much of a risk surely formula companies would say to do so to cover their butts.