when is it ok to stop sterilising my baby's feeding bottles?

Answer 1

I waited until my baby had all her jabs (Pre MMR) which I think was about 4 months. She was an early crawler and loved to chew shoes, bits of dirt etc off the floor and even ate a few spiders. Plus I took her swimming in the public pool which is hardly sterile and I know she drank lots of the water. You can be too obsessive about these things, if you over sterilise you run the risk of them building little immune system.
Trust your instincts and just ensure everything is washed and rinsed throughly!

Answer 2

12 months.
The milk/formula can produce a bacteria that can upset your child's stomach if the bottles aren't sterilised properly. I think that that's definitely the safe bet but use your knowledge and instinct as a mother - some people choose to stop around 10 or 11 months, not many people continue past 12 months as you know your child has been weened and developed a stronger stomach.

I wouldn't personally stop at 6 months as some other Yahoo Answerer's have been told only because it's not that because children put all sorts into their mouth at that age (so therefor they think sterlizing is a waste of time from then) but that it's specifically the bacteria the milk produces that is the reason the bottles are sterilised past 6 months.

Answer 3

My daughter was told 6 months is safe to stop sterilising bottles, baby is now 1 year old

Answer 4

this i one of the silliest things that docs go on about - i stopped sterilising at 3 months... why you say??? well, the bottles are sterilized then left to dry.... air particles and everything contained in these particles falls on the drying bottles/dummies etc...you sneeze in the lounge room and these particles end up where?? all ver your home... if you are hygenic and clean enough what difference will sterilization make unless the bottle is put in the babies mouth immediately after sterilization? logic here, lease some logic.... my mother never sterilised anything, neither did my grandmother or my great grandmother... and i am still alive and strong!

Answer 5

In the UK the official answer is one year. I've got three kids, and I remember when my first baby turned 1, I was so anxious that I continued sterilising for another year! Bit of a waste of time really, considering how much he liked putting his shoes in his mouth, I have to say....

Answer 6

I stopped sterilising between 6-7 months with my 3 & had no probs with tummy upsets or anything, although i was still breastfeeding. As long as you are cleaning the equipment well with detergent, hot water & rinsing & drying well then your baby should be fine.

Answer 7

Even when baby is older, bottles should still be sterilised once in a while.

Answer 8

I was told that from 6 months it was ok to stop sterilising bottles.

Just make sure that they are washed and rinsed in hot water.

Answer 9

Doctors will say approx 1 year old but to be honest its all down to your personal feeling. I stopped sterilising mine at about 8months old. Its all down to how you feel though. My son was a very healthly weight and never had any illness when he was young. If your child is prone to picking up infections easily or becoming sick easily Id say keep sterilising til at least a year old but if they are perfectly fine and healthy theres no reason to keep doing it unless you feel you want to.

Answer 10

Up to this day I still sterilize my son's feeding bottles along with my 8 months old daugther this way it kills the bacteria completely so you wouldn't have to worry for the bottles being contaminated. I use the hot water for my daughter's bath since we don't have a direct hot water.