did you get one and if so, what brand? I am unsure which bottles E will be using when he comes home so I can't really go by that brand. I am thinking I should and will want to sterilize everything for him... any suggestions??
Honestly, I didn't get one... I thought it might be a waste. I just put them in the dishwasher on the hot setting. I figured that would kill any germs and such. I know plenty of people that use them though. I did, however, buy the sterilizer pouch things for my pumping supplies that Medela makes. When she was in the NICU, I definitely didn't want to give her "contaminated" milk. It's all personal preference and what you are comfortable with.
I think they make a Munchkin brand, I think it is, at Target or Walmart. Much cheaper and fits most bottles. You don't necessarily have to get the brand that your bottles are. I have a Munckin bottle warmer and I love it and it fit all bottles fine except for Tommee Tippee (which she didn't like anyway, we stuck with Dr. Brown's because of her reflux)
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We also just used the dishwasher. If you wash with hot water, and use the heat dry setting, it sterilizes them (that's what the instructions that came with our bottles said.) You can also buy the drop-ins, which are pre-sterilized.
I kept using NICU bottles for the two months he was home and using one. I just washed them - boiled for a little while. I think the germ-obsession slipped away for us at home pretty quickly.
Someone gave us a sterlizer but I just used the medela bags for bottles and pump parts. They are good for 20 uses and like Urban says, the NICU nurses can usually hook you up. Most of the time I just use the dishwasher now though.
I dont have a dishwasher so we had to buy one of those Dr. Browns Microwave bottle sterilizers. I first soak them and wash them in the sink them sterilize them. Works for us and only takes a couple minutes.
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Re: sterilizer...
Does your NICU use the medela bags? You can probably get the nurses to give you a ton of them when you go home and then not have to pay for anything.
Otherwise the munchkin one works great for all kinds of parts and pieces.
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
Honestly, I didn't get one... I thought it might be a waste. I just put them in the dishwasher on the hot setting. I figured that would kill any germs and such. I know plenty of people that use them though. I did, however, buy the sterilizer pouch things for my pumping supplies that Medela makes. When she was in the NICU, I definitely didn't want to give her "contaminated" milk. It's all personal preference and what you are comfortable with.
I think they make a Munchkin brand, I think it is, at Target or Walmart. Much cheaper and fits most bottles. You don't necessarily have to get the brand that your bottles are. I have a Munckin bottle warmer and I love it and it fit all bottles fine except for Tommee Tippee (which she didn't like anyway, we stuck with Dr. Brown's because of her reflux)
Peanut Butter and Jelly!
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