Sterilising Bottles

[natalie_1982]

Ok, as you have probably guessed, the realisation is now kicking in ...... a baby is coming to live with me in 10weeks. Forever. And i am just learning about nappies and sterilising and all other baby related things (apparently they don't feed themselves).

So, what are your experiences with sterilising? What is the most effective way in your opinion? Thanks all xx

[redcrx]

hi natalie, me again with my two penneth worth.

I mainly use cold water sterilising. a change of water once a day, milton liquid and its ready to go. Bottles can be kept in all day and are sterile for when you need them, i need to check on how long it takes to sterilise but its not long

Steam / electrical sterilisers, sterilise quickly but once the steriliser has been opened they dont stay sterile for very long. so you cant keep things like dummies in there for as and when needed.

[redcrx]

here are some basics http://www.babyworld.co.uk/information/product s/product_tests/sterilisers/sterilisers_intro. asp

[natalie_1982]

Awww, thanks red. I was looking at the Milton tabs and was wondering what I could use to stick the bottles in whilst they're sterilising. I guess some kind of bucket / large container with a lid would do?
I think I read that sterilising in cold water only takes half hour or so, but I guess if you had a load on rotation then they'd be in for longer anyway.

As a side point, how many bottles am I likely to need? I'd like to breastfeed, but I know some people have real problems so want to be prepared for both. Plus if I express then my fella can help with the feeds too, I am sure he would like to get up during the night whilst it is still a novelty and not a chore! Haha

[redcrx]

if only wanting them to feed expressed milk or for use if baby doesnt take to breast then id say 2.

you can use andything to sterilise in. I bought a steriliser from kiddicare that had free bottles with it but the bottles were awful so i binned them and used Dr Browns

[B00]

Hiya nat :-)

I used a microwave steamer for Mini Boo's bottles. Nowt simpler, put them in, an inch of water in the bottom of the container and ding it for 2 minutes. Think it was about �20 from Boots.

[Katie~77]

I also had a microwave steriliser. It was sooooo easy to use and quick.x

[Psychick]

Hi natalie,

Last time I also used a cold water steraliser with milton. The steraliser I had held for large bottles and dummys, I was using Avent bottles. This time I have brought a Tommy Tippee cold water/microwave steraliser that has got 3 or 4 bottles free with it. Im hoping to feed myself but, like you said, the bottles are still needed for when expressing and also if breastfeeding doesnt work out ( unfortunately it didnt for me last time but Im better prepared and more determined this time!) The bottles I have are the closer to nature anti colic ones. You will also need a bottle to use for babys drink of cooled boiled water, Im going to get a couple of the little bottles for this. I think I will probably stick to cold water steralising again this time even though I can express steralise everything in the microwave. Like red has said, you can keep things sterile til you need to use them that way.

[natalie_1982]

Thanks for all your answers pees, it's really helpful.

It's scary that my fella knows more than me about preparing for babies - he is from a very large family and here has always been somebody pregnant or with a baby at some point or other, but I am the first in my family being the oldest, and haven't even changed a nappy before! And now it is just about dawning on me that I should probably start thinking about these things! LOL.

Actually, I changed a nappy once, but it was on a two year old who was only wearing them at night time and she told me that I had put it on her backwards. How shameful is that?! LMAO

[Psychick]

At least it wasnt inside out lol

[redcrx]

natalie, Mr CRX put little CRXs training pants on backwards yesterday so dont feel bad lol

Even those of us that have been through this before are still worried you know. Its always different. My mum is a great mum and has had 4 children. She looks after little CRX two days a week and she was so worried when she first looked after him that she wouldnt know what to do etc. Shes now even more concerned that there will be 2 little ones to watch over come April.

Ive forgotten a lot of what i did last time around and thats only 2.5 years ago! I wonder if i will know what to do if its a girl or isnt as good a sleeper as little CRX was. i have moments where i cant remember what ive got to get for baby or pack in my hossy bag too

[B00]

I'm sorry, but none of you have known shame at your lack of parenting skills more than me.

On holiday I bought Mini Boo a little swimmer nappy so we could go to the baths, however I hadn't noticed that it was a pair of trainer pants until we hit the water and her backside swelled to five times its size and she weighed a ton.

[redcrx]

lol B00 what did you do? couldve been worse though! :)

[Psychick]

No excuses on the bag for hospital red, we have covered that one recently lol I have been having the same worries as you though regarding what if baby is different, which of course it will be. Looking back, my daughter was a good baby and, despite a few exceptions, was pretty easy going and in a good routine early on. She didnt even give me much trouble when she was teething! So Im expecting this one to be the opposite and be a nightmare lol

[redcrx]

Snap psy! little crx was a brilliant baby and i just know ive had it easy til now lol

[Hellyon]

Hi Girls - I keep sneaking in here 'cos it's quiet and peaceful!

Re steriliser I used an electric steriliser as someone gave it to me (and I didn't like the idea of chemical sterilisers - I know they are fine it's just me) it was really easy - to be honest though you might as well buy a �9.99 veg steamer from Tesco's value as it's the same principal but cheaper. Having said that I didn't really sterilise for that long as I breast fed and after the first 3/4 months the dishwasher is adequate for bottles. Also when young Master Hellyon was a babe they were quite keen that babies weren't over protected (10 years ago) trouble is it can change from one week to the next these days. My midwife, very sensible mother of 6 always used to say 'it's actually quite hard to kill a baby so don't get hung up about it'

[redcrx]

i stopped sterilising bottles at about 10/12 months old. Once little CRX starting putting everything into his mouth i though it pretty pointless lol.

[Ice.Maiden]

Natalie - can I just add that my eldest son was poisoned by a steam sterilizer. He kept throwing his milk back (and I couldn't breast feed), and was losing weight rapidly. He was about to be taken into hospital for invasive tests, when, for some unknown reason, I was descaling my kettle, and put the last of it into the sterilizer. Within a few minutes, a sludgy brown residue'd formed, & I instinctively knew it was the cause of the problem. The sterilizer'd looked pristine at all times, but obviously WASN'T. To test out the theory, I went back to the old fashioned method of boiling each bottle in a pan. My son drank from that first bottle & was never sick again (I stayed with that method, long-winded though it was, as I couldn't bear to subject my baby to the bleachy smell of tablets). I was compensated by the makers of the sterilizer! x

[natalie_1982]

So sorry to hear what happened to your little boy ice.maiden - I hope he is ok now. Thanks for your post x

[MsHallFl]

Okay. I am overwhelmed by the resonse to this post.
Are you attempting to reheat mothers milk, or are you using a 'formula'? I am confused....?

[natalie_1982]

Erm, neither at the moment Mrs Hall - baby not due for another 9 weeks, although I am hopinh to breastfeed. I was looking for advice regardng the different types of sterilising as it is all new to me, and my midwife appt isn't for another 4 weeks so I thought I would start having a think now.