Thoughts on bottle sterilizers?

Kristil2014

How do you plan on sterilizing bottles is you are using them? I never even thought about one until I was shopping on the weekend and my DH brought it up. (He remembers his mom sterilizing bottles in boiling water on the stove for his younger sisters when he was a kid.)

My plan is to BF, but I do want my miss to have a bottle every once in awhile.

I had it in my mind that just washing the bottles would work.

I do have some medela steam bags for nipples and smaller items like pacifiers. Just wondering what is easiest for the actual bottles.

Also, any idea how long things stay sterilized for?

I also hate to post and run, but I have to run out for a few hours.

Thanks ladies!

abbyful

We just run them through the dishwasher. Our dishwasher has a sanitize option.

fyreandblood

I've read that you really only need to sterilize once, and boiling on the stove or running through the dishwasher is fine. I plan on combo feeding and probs not nursing, and i'll just boil them on the stove like my mom did every couple of weeks to be safe. Saves money and space. If you want a sterilizer though, try a bottle kit that comes with one!

lizzielu82

I don't have a dishwasher (boo) so I am planning on getting one of these for that reason alone. 

missnacholover

Dishwasher, top rack.  Don't know if I'll "Sterilize" or not. 

PineApple85

abbyful said:

We just run them through the dishwasher. Our dishwasher has a sanitize option.

This.  If our dishwasher wouldn't sanitize then I'd just boil them.  Baby stuff takes up a LOT of space so I'm trying to avoid buying things that aren't necessary.  And a pot is easier to clean than a dedicated sterilizer ... I would think at least.  Like I said we never had one with DS1 and we aren't getting one for DS2.

Kehlepop

I nannied for a family that just used those steam bags. Two bottles and they're parts fit at a time. I gave a quick wash, steam, then drying rack. I thought it was super easy. That's my current plan.

wallygirl

StacyMarie33 said:

I boiled them upon first purchasing. After that I used the sterilization setting on our dishwasher and washed in hot water immediately after feedings. I never had any issues. 

This

jac409

I will only sterilize once, before baby is born. After that the dishwasher will be good enough. I did that last time around too.

Kristil2014

Thanks ladies!

aa98

I'm curious, for those using the dishwasher, do all of you have a sterilize option on your dishwashers?  

My apartment's dishwasher is close to bottom of the line.  Function is not a priority no matter how often they have to replace them, it just has to match, that's just how my building rolls. It doesn't have a "sanitize" setting.  I also don't use the heated dry setting as my top rack dishes remain wet even after using it, so why bother.  Am I better off boiling bottles/using a sterilizer for the first washing vs. using the dishwasher? 

Sorry to hijack.  This is a great question that I would never have thought of.

Kristil2014

@aa98‌ that's a great question.

mussalynn

The microwave sterilizing bags are AWESOME!  That's all we ever used, and like a PP said, you can actually fit a couple bottles and pump parts etc in there at once.

lauren_m

You have to boil them before the first use.  When he was very small, I continued to boil them to clean them, but as he got a little bigger, I used the sterilize feature on the dishwasher.  If I just needed one in a pinch, I would hand wash them, but I wouldn't ever use a sponge that I'd already used on other dishes (but I'm a little neurotic).   

alysonmh

I didn't sterilize and don't plan to this time, I just don't believe it's necessary. Obviously if something falls on a really dirty floor or the cat gets a hold of it that's different though. I do sterilize them once when I first buy them but that's it. If you want to sterilize, the dishwasher is the easiest option. I'm sure you'll find after you have the baby that sterilizing just isn't worth the time.

meeshybee

Our dishwasher does not have a sterilize setting. I had a coworker whose husband had a kidney transplant and their doc told them the dishwasher was fine. I figured if it was good enough for a transplant patient then it was good enough for a baby.

Maelara

I think your medela sterilization bags are just fine. If you end up needing to ff or supplement then yes, invest in a microwave sterilizer. I sterilzed bottles after every use and soothers upon purchasing. At 5 months I stopped as it wasnt necessary anymore. Don't forget what province we live in and what is in our water. Gross.

aa98

@meeshybee thanks, that helps a lot.  I think I'll boil everything the first time and then after that, it's into the dishwasher (mostly because it's quicker than washing by hand)

@maelara I had forgotten about soothers, I need to write all this on my to do before baby gets here list.  

Does anyone have a wubbanub?  How would you go about sterilizing the soother attached to that?  

meeshybee

@aa98 - just to clarify a bit, she told me the doc said the dishwasher was better than hand washing specifically because it uses hotter water than your hands could tolerate.

aa98

meeshybee said:

@aa98 - just to clarify a bit, she told me the doc said the dishwasher was better than hand washing specifically because it uses hotter water than your hands could tolerate.

Thanks for the clarification

sAAmFam

Can I ask a question???

I don't sterilize my cups or any utensils. Why am I sterilizing babies??? Isn't soap and hot water good enough??? Just asking. I dont get it.

Maelara

@aa98‌ I have a wubbanub too. Usually your baby gets those a little later once their immune systems have developed better. Until then, give them the gumdrop soothers. You can't take the wubbanubs apart so soap and hot water.

@sAAmFam‌ you need to sterilize everything at least once for the baby. I know some people might think I go to far with sterilizing bottles every time I use them, which is fine. It's my time, not theirs. But you need to sterilize everything before use because you don't know how those items were handled before packaging and your babies digestive and immune system are not the same as an adults.

sAAmFam

@Maelara‌

Ok that's what I thought. I didn't with my 1st. I had to google this to see if I missed something somewhere. It's been over 10 yrs since I've had a baby. I was just wondering since they said don't use soap on your nipples when you breast feed. I guess you wouldn't be sterilizing your boobs.

Kristil2014

All of your replies have been super helpful. I think I am pretty much just going to use my micro steam bags for the initial use - and for the nipples. Then just use my dishwasher for the bottles for everyday use.