For those bottle feeding

I'm just wondering when you stop sterilizing the bottles. My girls are only 2 1/2 months and I know its too early at this point. I was thinking once they start putting other things in their mouths there is no point??? I had initially set out to use the platex drop ins but they never could get a hang of the nipples so I am using the ventairs with standard nipples and Dr. Browns and sterilizing is a pain. Howw long do I do it for??? Thanks

 

What do you do to sterilize? I always cleaned them in hot water with soap but really only sterilized by pumping stuff.

 

we were told by the hospital and our ped not to sterilize them at all so we never have.

 

Never sterilize but run them through dishwasher on extra hot water setting. I always wash my hands before taking them out of the dishwasher or preparing their formula.

 

We use the Ventaires too and I haven't sterilized them by boiling them since we bought them 4 months ago. On occasion I will run some of them through the dishwasher, but usually we just scrub them good in hot soapy water, rinse, and let dry on a bottle drying rack. We have a little square plastic bin that is ONLY used to wash bottles and nipples in. We never put bottles or nipples in our sink cuz its gross and rarely cleaned like it should be, LOL.

 

After the first 2 weeks, I just washed everything in hot, soapy water. ardon:

 

The only thing I ever sterilized was my pump equipment when my boys were still in NICU. Personally I think that its a waste of time because unless you sterilize each bottle right before you use them there is no way that they are going to stay sterile. As soon as you put them on the counter to dry or where ever they are contaminated. I used a microwave sterilizer for my pump equipment but have only ever washed my bottles with soapy water and rinsed with hot water.

 

Same here, just washed with hot/soapy water or threw them in the dishwasher.

 

I sterilize with Avent Sterilizer. It's so quick. Just 2 min in a microwave.

I am going to stop soon though because at 5 months they put everything they see in their mouth, so I don't see a point.

 

I sterilized everything before it's first use, but since then I only sterilize a bottle if it rolls under the bed and gets lost for a few days. I wash my bottles in the dishwasher so I figure they're almost sterilized daily. I do sterilize our binks every week or so, but I feel like they get so much dirtier.

 

I used a micro sterilizer for 3 months and then just ran them through the dishwasher on the heated dry cycle after that.

 

WE sterilized everyday for a couple of months and then went to once a week and then stopped. Don't think it's actually necessary. We stopped after a few months of them being home-probably 3 months or so. Dont' think it's too early for you to stop.

 

I sterilized before first use and that was it, after that was hot soapy water or dishwasher. Even cold soapy water in a pinch!

 

wow i'm surprised, we are still sterilizing everything using a microwave sterilizer maybe we don't have to (although we only do 1 bottle per day). we were told 4 months before we should stop sterilizing. We also still boil water.

 

The only thing we still sterelize are the the nipples and the pacifiers, we have always done this from day one. We have never sterelized the bottles.

 

this may sound bad but i've never sterilized any of our bottles or pacifiers. my thought is, they stick their dirty hands in their mouths, their toes (if they can get to them) in their mouths and suck on anything and everything they can get a hold of and i can't sterilize the whole house....so yeah, just hot-ish water and dishsoap is all i've ever used.

 

LOL...I only sterilized things for the first couple weeks...after that...got too crazy busy...just used hot water and antibacterial dish soap.

 

I am sterilizing nipples, bottles and all! using boiling water and sometimes a microwave sterilizer someone gave me. Also the water is boiled for the formula and all the utensils I use to make it are doused in boiling water. Thanks for all the posts. I was thinking I can stop in another month and feel ok about it. Sounds like most of you are along the same lines. I'll still boil the water for the formula I think to be on the safe side

 

FWIW, having preemies is a whole different ball game when it comes to sterilization stuff. We too, were told to boil the water for the formula for at least the first 3 months. Then I went to the sterile nursery water. IMO you are doing the right thing.

 

Mine weren't preemies, but FWIW, I think we only literally sterilized the bottles for about the first 2 weeks. After that, we washed them (nipples too) in the dishwasher on the "sterilize" cycle. We had enough bottles for 2 full days, so every day we would wash one set and then have it ready to make up the next day's bottles.

We still did this even after they were crawling (because you have to wash the bottles somehow -- might as well do it on the sterilize cycle), but I pretty much gave up on caring what else they put in their mouths as long as it wasn't a choking hazard.

We did not boil the water, but we used cold water from the tap (rather than warm water which has been sitting in the hot water heater) and warmed it on the stove to make the bottles.