How to keep baby bottles sterile???

[MimiKay]

I've been so busy getting ticket for shows, PS, ressies,etc. that I haven't even thought about keeping baby bottles sterile for my infant!! How do you guys with children keep bottles for feedings sterile?

 

[KathyTX]

It's been a few years since I needed to worry about it, but I always used the bottles with disposable liners...

 

[CarolMN]

Must be your first child, LOL!

After the first few weeks of trying to sterilize absolutely everything, I gave up and sterilzed nothing. Just used hot soapy water or the dishwasher.

My daughter's doctor said sterilization wasn't necessary for a healthy child and taken to extremes could actually impair the development of her immune system.

JMHO. YMMV.

P.S. Perhaps you could put water in the bottles and then nuke them or boil water in the food court microwave and dip the nipples and lids in that. Just a thought.

Best wishes -

 

[skuttle]

Hot water and soap is all we every used. And DS is still alive.

 

[justhat]

Not sure if you can do this with all types of bottles, but my breastpump came with milk storage bottles and a special plastic bag that you fill with2-3 oz. of water, microwave for a few minutes and it sterilizes the bottles and breastpump equipment. Medela sells the microwaveable bags separately so you coukdtry that. Each bag can be used 20 times. Medela also makes 'Quick-clean Anti-bacterial Wipes' that you could use after you handwash your bottles if you'd feel better. In the event that we use a bottle, we use the Playtex disposable nursers, that way we only have to worry about the nipple. We usually just bring a few nipples to avoid cleaning them well on vacation.

 

[LMC]

My pediatrician said that it was not necessary to sterilize bottles/pacifiers either. I did it for maybe the first couple of weeks, then just washed them in HOT water or the diswasher. I would use the disposable bottles and take alot of nipples. Just re-use the bottle portion and replace w/ a fresh liner and nipple at each feeding; that way you are not carrying a ton of stuff w/ you. Take along plenty of ziplocs for storage and take a plastic bowl and dish detergent to wash them in each night.

 

[Barbday62]

DOnt forget to carry a bottle brush too!! We had to go buy one. My daughter washed them in the sink then let them dry upside down on a hand towel.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by MimiKay
I've been so busy getting ticket for shows, PS, ressies,etc. that I haven't even thought about keeping baby bottles sterile for my infant!! How do you guys with children keep bottles for feedings sterile?

From your post Im guessing you are talking about on a trip? If so, we used the premade nursette bottles, like the ones you get in the hospital. Not only dindt we have to worry about cleaning, but there was no need for refrigeration, warming up, mixing, measuring, etc.. And all the extra space on the way home was great for souveniers.

If you are talking about everyday, we always used palmolive and water and did fine...although I think the first few weeks with my first I did sterilize them in a boiler thing we had gotten. That didnt last long, LOL!

 

[mbb]

this question...

Nursing babies don't have sterile conditions
Wouldn't want them to...Yikes!!

Hot water and soap, rinse well, and your little one will be fine

Have a wonderful vacation with your baby!!

 

[ahutton]

In order to get really hot water to wash stuff in the hotel I would run plain water through a coffee maker, then you can either put that in a sink or cup and put what you need into it. Most hotels will have one, even if small, in the room.

 

[LMC]

You can also just take the powder and mix it up as you need it (don't forget your bottled water)--come to think of it the small nursette bottles sound easier! If you are lucky your baby will take a bottle at room temp or even cool???? The one I bottle fed, always wanted his warm so that is a task trying to get it warmed. You can do the running under warm water thing or maybe they have microwaves you can use? Anyone w/ info on that? I know that MK has a family room somewhere.

 

[RadioNate]

I only ever sterilized before first use. After that it was the dishwasher or dish soap and hot water. At WDW we used the premeasured powder and bought the "display" bottled water since it wasn't cold. I choose to use bottled since Orlando water has a taste.

The premixed nursette bottles are also a great idea. The only reason I didn't use them is my formally breastfed child wouldn't take the standard nipples they come with.

 

[MimiKay]

Great ideas-- thanks--

 

[Christine]

I gave up the sterilization thing after about two weeks. I just washed the bottle components in hot, soapy water and used the disposable liners.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by CarolMN
Must be your first child, LOL!

Hot water and soap should be just fine. There is no need to sterilize everything for a healthy child. And as MBB points out, nursing babies (nature's very own method) do not have sterile conditions. And they shouldn't have completely sterile conditions either, or else their immune systems won't be able to develop properly.

Good luck!

 

[msdznyduck]

I too, was not a sterilizer for very long, 2 weeks or so, and then everything was washed in hot soapy water, and if possible run through the dishwasher.

I read once about a woman with 3 kids:
with the first one she sterilized everything forever,
the second, she rinsed everything off,
and the third, she wiped it off on her pants
and her kids were all healthy

 

[Celluloidgal]

You don't want your bottles to have anymore babies? You could have it's tubes tied...

Sounds like you've gotten some good advice. Enjoy your trip & your little one (they are but fleeting pleasures )

 

[hughjulia]

Buy the Pytex bottles that take the disposable drop-in liners. The liners are pre-sterilized and easy to use. The bottle portion does not need to be sterilized, and is really just a shell for the liners. You could probably get by with just a couple of the bottles. In addition to solving the sterilization problem, this would also cut down on the bulk you have to pack. The only part that needs to be sterilized is the nipple. Depending on how long your stay is, you might be able to get by with packing a whole bunch of nipples.

Another thing to consider is a microwave sterilization bag. There are a few brands out there. You microwave for three minutes with 2 oz of water. If you only need to sterilize the nipples, then you might only need to “borrow” the use of a resort microwave once.

 

[justhat]

I almost forgot!! The baby care center in AK (not sure about the others since I never looked) has an Avent sterilizer. That would probably be the easiest thing for you to do. It's one of those steam sterilizers that takes 7-8 minutes and it holds a lot of bottles/nipples/pacifiers/anything else you want to throw in. If you were to go with the Playtex disposables, you could bring a lot of nipples and stop at the AK baby care center once a day/every other day and sterilize them. Of course, since AK has one, there's a pretty good chance the baby care centers at the other parks have them too so then you wouldn't have to trek over to AK.

 

[Keli]

Ok, I am in shock here. I did not know that so many people didn't sterilize their babies bottles. Of course I was practically a baby myself when I had my dd so I was afraid to not do anything that the dr or my mom said I should do. I was sterilizing those things until she was 3-4 months old and still heating her milk up until she was 10 months old (no microwave, this was a pain, lol). Who knew? LOL. Oh well, it was a long time ago and I'm sure the extra work didn't hurt me.