When I was in hospital with my newborn I was told to just run the breast pump through the hot tap and leave it to dry, they used to supply the bottles to me straight from the dishwasher so i tend to do the same with my breast pump at home but I do sterilise bottles and teats (which i know doesn't make sense) but it's easier to do those

Also a friend was recently in kinderspital with her son and they made formula up with tap water not cooled boiled water

I dont think it harms them really, as a previous poster said we all survived and really as soon as a baby starts crawling and has everything in his mouth it starts to make the idea of sterilising a bit pointless

That's a good point - it's all well and good going down the "expose them to bugs, etc." but it's bloody exhausting for you and them when they are up all night barfing all over the bedding.

I was borne in 1940,what`s Sterilizing ?

Consider yourself lucky you survived pre-Milton!
http://www.milton-tm.com/about_milton.html

In the UK steralising bottles etc was first recommended beacuse some parents were not washing them properly and the boiling (the old fashioned way) would get around this. There was never a real need for it if things had been washed properly in the first place. Of course I never learned this until after my babies were older so I steralised bottles & teats until they were 4 months old & starting on solids.

I sterilized bottles/breastfeeding equipment and dummies until baby was 3 months using the microwave sterilizer then later the dishwasher.

The gradually reduced to sterilizing once a week and stopped all together at about 5 months as we started solids and baby started nursery, so like others said, felt a bit pointless to sterilize everything when she would then pick up anything and put it in her mouth

With second baby am planning similar approach but I may resort to dishwasher sterilizing earlier than first time because of time constraint

Ciao
K

I think it depends. Thinking about it now, it would depend if I use bpA free plastic, they I would sterilize. If not, then I would just wash the plastic spoons/bowls/containers properly and get everything that is plastic for handling breast milk in bpA free plastic.

So, one prioritizes. It is less harmful to not sterilize and just wash, exposing kids to bacteria, rather than sterilize all but expose you child to leaking bisphenolA. Since it is the heat that does bad stuff with plastic softeners and leaks them into baby's food.

The ideal would be to get all non plastic and sterilize the stuff that handles milk.

__________________
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On a slightly different note ...... has anyone come across `Sterile single use feeding bottles`here in Zurich? Any idea where I could buy them?

We will be taking a 12 hour flight with our 4 month old. Any tips to make it easier are welcome too

The Doctors, and the pharmacy strongly recommend to stop sterilizing after the baby is 12months old. At this age the baby's immune system is strong enough to handle these type of bacteria, also exposure to bacteria helps your baby to become immune , but we already know that.

To be on the safe side, i would sterilise once a week, or twice a month.

My sister protected her only daughter from EVERYTHING, the poor kid wasnt even allowed to play in the sand pit (ok, they lived in Berlin city) But at 12 she had a Yeast problem in her digestive tract, and she is always having tummy problems, I guess because her system is not used to a sterile environment anymore. well, ok my sister was abit extreme......

If you have ocd than it's normal you think too much of whether the baby things are clean enough or not...
For my kids I haven't been extra careful. They do have their immune system, and it gets stronger if it's being put to a test So , apply the 5 second rule from now and then :P, and don't try to get things squishy clean all the time.
Good luck!

My 3rd is 6 mths i dont sterlise the bottles any longer i wash with soapy water then chuck in the dishwasher. I use boiled water as someone else said the powder milk isnt sterile so it is recommended to be made with hot water in the uk.

I dont sterlise his plates and as he is BLW he eats with his hands and although we wash they are not sterlised and he is ok. If you feel more comfortable sterlising then it wont do any harm to carry on till 12 mths.

I do have anti bacterial wipes for his high chair tray and carry these in my bag if we go out to make sure its all clean esp back at home!

Hayley do you make the formula up with boiling water?

i do normally make just after it has boiled and add some cool boiled water as well after mixing the powder to make it at the right temp to drink.. when he was little i used to make up with the hot water and stick in the fridge but that was when he only had 5 ounces..

I am just starting with formula again with my 11 month old (he had formula briefly around 4/5 months)

I thought it had to be made at a certain temperature? I didn't realise it could be made from boiling water? Instructions state 40 degrees or something. I always use cold tap water with a top up of boiling to make it warm then mix the powder in

Although the sterility of the powder doesn't worry me too much. I am sure there's chance of many more nasties getting him from many other avenues

i would think at 11/12 mths you will be ok, the water i normally use after i have drunk my cuppa its cooled slightly.. they seem to always change the guidelines well in uk they do and you used to be able to make with cool boiled water and just add powder at room temp.. i did this with my 2nd and he was fine, but connor will only drink warm milk or just spits it out and laughs at me ...
I am not sure what the milk contains in us but in uk they had added vit d and here the doc gives you supplements to add, i didnt want to change brand etc so i still bring my powder back from the uk till 12 mths/or fully weaned will move to full fat cows milk.

My 4 month old puts everything withen her reach into her mouth. I put her toys around her.... but after a while she pushes them away and looks for new intersting things around her. She has discovered that her socks come off when tugged - these days she takes them off and puts them in her mouth. If there's nothing else around, she pulls at the bed cover and chews on it !!! I have stopped sterilizing her pacifier (wash with hot water and soap) - what's the use when everything else seems to be in her mouth !?!
I am a bit worried though ...how do I stop her from putting everything in her mouth ?

Your baby is still very young and until around 8 months, babies mouths are their primary sensory organs. It's normal for them to put everything into their mouths. If they have an oral fixation problem, they will continue to put things into their mouths way into toddlerhood. Have a chat with your babys pediatrician if you have any concerns.

I have a 3 year old little girl and an 18 month old little boy and I still get grossed out with gob covered objects

Our method was to cook bottles etc in the pressure cooker for 15 mins at high pressure.

Seemed to work.

Cheers,
Nick

Yep, it's gross but totally normal, not to say essential for a baby's healthy development.

Now, this evening my 5.5 mo tried to put the dog in her mouth...

Sorry just a small adjustment here. You still have to avoid certain real issues and just letting them catch whatever is bad advise.
I agree that sterilising everything that moves is stupid and if you watch in the hospital that do not do this every time but I would suggest every 3rd time but always wash with hot water and dry with clean towel or parer cloth.