To Sterilise or Not to Sterilise

Howdy
I have a now 7mth old son, Reece. I have a few friends with children the same age and we were discussing the other day when to stop sterilising bottles. A couple of my friends no longer sterilise their babies bottles (and in fact are introducing cups which also aren't sterilised) and are giving their children tap water instead of boiled water. I'm wondering what other parents out there have done with respect to sterilising bottles and using boiled water?

Hi T
Good question!!!
I still sterilise my 8 1/2 month old"s bottle and boil her waterand probably will for a little longer.
Mind you in the bath she sometimes drinks a little water,and she's been fine.
Anyway lets see what the other mums have to say.

bye bye
mary

I stopped sterilising once my son turned 1. Not too sure why I just did. I still soak the bottles in very hot water and scrub them. I then let them air dry before storing them in the fridge. I still give my son boiled water but I think this is more due to habit. If I was out it would not be a problem in use tap water. I have no doubt this is what he is offered at day care anyway. It does seem a strange thing to keep doing when your baby is picking up any old thing and putting it in their mouth. I think it is really a personal thing. After sterilising for so long it is very strange not doing it now. I sort of feel like I am "slacking off" but I know my son is growing up and I should be greatful for one less thing to have to do.

There is some literature out there that advises to sterilise up to 12 months but I know a lot of mothers who stopped between 8-12 months. For us, it was no hassle to sterilise, so we figure it is probably better to sterilise than not and our son is 11 months. Mind you, we only sterilise our son's bottles and his water, his sipper cup is the first thing to be washed before the regular dishes. When we've been out and about and been 'caught out' we have no big issues about giving our son tap water and he has done well. As the other mum posted, they're picking up a lot of stuff off the ground and putting that in their mouth and that is part of their wonderful 'unsterilised' environment! We'll probably stop sterilising in a month when we take our bub off the bottle.

I agree once the habit is started i just kept doing it! I stopped at about 12mths but I'm now doing it again as i have a new born and its no extra work with a microwave sterilizer. Mind you it is only her sipper cup now and the dummy!

Ok, the medical world recommend that we sterilise everything until 12 months however, when I went & saw clinic sister when Benjamin was 10.5 months, I made a comment saying 'woo hoo, no more sterilising in 7 weeks'. She said to me, does he crawl around & put stuff in his mouth? I said that he does - he loves his pram wheels. She said well if he's doing that then there is really no need to sterilise as long as you was his bottles/dummies/sippy cups in hot soapy water & rinse them really really well. So we stopped! We still use cooled boiled water for his bottles though.

Hi my daughter is 11mths old and I stopped sterilising her bottles at six months, with the advise of my plunket nurse. She still drinks boiled water and had a cup at 5 months and she is very healthy.

Hi Tanya,
My daughter is nearly 13 months old and I still sterlise her bottles and boil the water for her to drink.
It is just a habit now for me as our Child Health Nurse said that from 12 months of age you don't need to sterlise the bottles or boil the water.

Hi,
I still sterilise the bottles for milk and boil the water for my seven month old son. I dont sterilize the bowl and spoon or cups. I think bacteria is more likely to multiply in milk. It is also just a habit in a way and it doesn't take long to put some bottles in the miltons. I will probably stop when he is one.

Danielle

I've been told not to stop sterilising until at least the age of 12 months and the same for boiled water. I don't think it's a huge hassel to put everything in the microwave and sterilise it or to boil the kettle.

Regards Dayna

Hi everyone,
Are you ment to stop gradually, or do you just stop all of a sudden. Sterilising and boiled water too?

Hi there,

Interesting topic...

This is what I have done. My daughter is just over 12 months and has a morning milk bottle and an evening milk bottle. I still sterilize them everyday and probably will untill she is completely weaned from the bottle.

During the day my daughter drinks Juice diluted with cooled boiled water, and just cooled boiled water from a cup - not sterilized. I only drink cooled boiled water myself, so that is what my daughter has too. But I've never worried about sterilizing the cup.

I think our little ones need to be exposed to some germs, otherwise they can become sick little kids. I personally wouldn't stop the bottle sterilizing before 12 months - but that's just me.

Goodluck.