How do you prepare bottles?

monica96 · March 2011

I don't know if it's me that's crazy or a friend of mine. I was complaining the other day to a friend of mine that has a 1 yr old how it takes forever to make bottles and I am really starting to hate doing it. She asked why it took me so long, so I told her what I did and she thought I was nuts. Maybe I'm old school since I have almost teenagers but tell me what you all think and do.

First off I have Dr. Bown bottles which have a extra parts to wash. Then I boil every part to sterilize them. I never asked the doctor if I needed to do this because this was how it was done when I had DS1 and DS2. I then boil bottled water to mix the formula. The whole process is getting exhausting!

sarag0116 · March 2011

According to the Dr. Brown packaging, you only need to sterilize the parts before the 1st use. Then you can just wash them with hot soapy water. I don't do formula, but boiling bottled water to mix with it seems like overkill to me.

Jenniferk08 · March 2011

I do not boil mine after the inital time. I was everything with hot water and regular dish soap, if I had a dishwasher I'd just toss them in there.

I am pumping so no experience with formula but to save time why not buy a large bottle water (think 1+ gallons) then reuse the bottle by boiling a large amount of water at once, let it cool and then refill?

sbuxsweetie · March 2011

We boiled everything before the first use, but since then we just hand wash everything with hot water and dish soap. To prepare the bottles, we use tap water, mix in the formula, and heat using a bottle warmer. If you don't want to use tap water, you can buy distilled water, which has already been boiled and is sterile.

Lilystar82 · March 2011

You don't have to boil the bottles everytime. Just before the first use, and then like once a week (thats what I do anyways). Also, we boil our water in a big quantity on Sundays and put it in air tight containers and use it all week. Boiling water everytime is so time consuming! Don't do that to yourself.

RumbleLina · March 2011

You do not need to sterilize them every time LO uses them. Sterilizing them the first time around is a good thing but the dishwasher or handwashing will be fine after that.

Also, you are boiling bottled water?? Why? If it was your tap water I could understand but you are boiling water that has already been purified.

We just use bottled water(gallon jug) that is sitting at room temp with bottles that we hand wash. No need to overkill everything.

twirlyjack73 · March 2011

I have the Dr Browns dishwasher bottle rack so everything gets washed in there. Then I mix the formula in a mixer, the dr. brown's is only $15, then pour all bottles for 24 hrs, refrig & use the dr browns bottle warmer as needed. It takes a few minutes but shouldn't be a big deal. Also I read on my booklet from the hospital that if you have city water (not well water) you only need to boil for the first use.

daniellepanda · March 2011

I don't use formula, but I know you only need to boil the bottle parts before the first use and then after that just wash in hot soapy water. Also why don't you just buy bottles of nursery water? It is only like $1 a gallon, and it is already purified so all you do is poor it into the bottle and mix with formula if you are using powder. Also it can sit at room temp so depending on if your baby is picky about it being warm or not you don't even need to heat it up in a bottle warmer.

Jennabug25 · March 2011

I agree with PP to save money we bought a PUR water pitcher. It's actually not a pitcher its a water dispenser. We just leave it on the counter top next to the fridge.
https://www.purwater.com/pur-products/water-dispensers/

We heat his bottles in a bottle warmer for a short time only because LO prefers them warm and not room temp. I will sterilize parts in re-usable Medela bags every once in awhile probably once a week and it only takes like 3 mins!

Lucky_Dragonfly · March 2011

run everything through the dishwasher. Fill the bottle up with the amount of water you need and then stick it in the microwave. Add formula after you check the water temp. I do 10-15secs. And feed. much easier. I boiled the nipples for the Doc Browns when I first got them and they all turned yellow. Never again.

Lucky_Dragonfly · March 2011

sbuxsweetie:
you can buy distilled water, which has already been boiled and is sterile.

Distilled water is not for drinking. If you drink it you can do damage to your body.

heehee611 · March 2011

Nope you're the crazy one Stick out tongue

You just need to sterilize before 1st use, and unless you have problems with your water, tap water is just fine and there's no need to boil!

monica96 · March 2011

Thanks so much ladies for letting me know I am the crazy one, hahaha. I am just so afraid LO is going to get sick, but seems like everyone is on the same page about the bottles.

I was boiling the bottled water, not sure why. But I was told not to use tap water from the doctor because I have city water and it has fluoride in it and babies shouldn't have that much until after they are a year.

But thanks again for making my life a bit easier.

sbuxsweetie · March 2011

Lucky_Dragonfly:
sbuxsweetie:
you can buy distilled water, which has already been boiled and is sterile.
Distilled water is not for drinking. If you drink it you can do damage to your body.

Oh, whoops-- my bad. I guess I was thinking of nursery water.

Lilena · March 2011

I use ready to use formula, but as for cleaning the bottles I hand wash after every use and once a week I just run them through the dishwasher. Works for me =D

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