Steriliser

orchidsrpretty

Sorry in advance for the completely newbie question, but was wonder if you can get a steriliser that you could just put the bottles in when used and have sterilised ones ready to go. Or do you have to sterilise everything at the same time? At the minute I'm using a microwave thing that every time I want to sterilise one bottle I'm sterilising everything as I've nowhere to put the unused ones.

ariana`

Some bottles can be self-sterilised. I got Mam ones like that, it was handy cos i breastfed so only very occasionally needed a bottle to give a bit of expressed milk, so there was a certain way you put the bottle together with a certain amount of water and then pop it in the microwave for 1min and it was done. I can't remember the specific instructions but it was along those lines. It was handy for my needs.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MAM-Anti-Colic-Self-Sterilising-Bottle-Starter/dp/B004BATV96

contrary_mary

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

Sorry in advance for the completely newbie question, but was wonder if you can get a steriliser that you could just put the bottles in when used and have sterilised ones ready to go. Or do you have to sterilise everything at the same time? At the minute I'm using a microwave thing that every time I want to sterilise one bottle I'm sterilising everything as I've nowhere to put the unused ones.

A cold water steriliser might work for you?

However why don't you just assemble the 3-4 bottles once sterilised and then they are good for 24 hours and you can use them as needed? That's what I do with my microwave steriliser.

orchidsrpretty

Great, I didn't know I could do that. Do you need to keep them somewhere special or can just leave them on the counter?

indigo twist

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

Great, I didn't know I could do that. Do you need to keep them somewhere special or can just leave them on the counter?

Grand on the counter.

It is of course important to sterilise bottles, but bear in mind that neither you nor the baby nor most things in the baby's environment are perfectly sterile. No need to go overboard.

We use sterilised bottles for up to 24 hours after sterilisation. We usually keep them in the steriliser, but if I'm out I'd throw one into my bag and put formula in when needed. So long as the teat doesn't touch anything, I think it's fine.

We have also always made up bottles 24 hours in advance (after checking with the PHN and with SMA that this was OK.) It's far easier than making a new one each time.

orchidsrpretty

Thanks for advice. Really clueless as had planned on Breastfeeding but got very ill after deliverly so my supply is very slow to come in. Bottle feeding is grand but I'd say I could cut down on a lot of steps.

Do you put the prepared bottles in the fridge or leave them out also? Any special way to cool them? It's taking us over 1 hour to cool the bottles down by putting them in lukewarm water.

contrary_mary

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

Do you put the prepared bottles in the fridge or leave them out also? Any special way to cool them? It's taking us over 1 hour to cool the bottles down by putting them in lukewarm water.

They need to go into the back of the fridge asap. I cool mine by putting them into a sink of cold water and they cool in less than 10 mins - you really need to be cooling them quickly so lukewarm water is a bad idea!

Here's what I do - I make 2 batches a day, one last thing at night to get me through the night and the first morning feed, and then a second batch the next morning to get me through the day. I stick the clean bottles into the steriliser and fill and boil the kettle. After 20-25 mins the bottles should have cooled enough to handle and the water should be around 70°c so I wash my hands well and carefully assemble the bottles. I pour in the water, add the powder, shake really well and put them straight into the sink of cold water and then a few mins later into the back of the fridge.

If I'm going out and need to bring empty bottles I just pop the assembled empty bottles into my bag.

indigo twist

Definitely use cold water, not lukewarm - it's important to cool them as fast as possible. I find it helps to shake them every now and then, seems to help them cool quicker.

Also it says on tin to allow boiled water to cool for 30 minutes before making up bottles - I was told over the phone by SMA that, as long as its no more than 1 litre, anywhere between 10-30 minutes is fine.

I found the helpline on the tin very useful with any queries I had, I'm sure the other brands of formula have similar helplines.

pwurple

contrary_mary wrote: »

If I'm going out and need to bring empty bottles I just pop the assembled empty bottles into my bag.

Just curious... What do you do with the empty ones? Not much use out and about I would have thought! I bring full ones.

indigo twist

Cartons of readymade formula I'm guessing!

Or some people bring a small container of pre measured powder to mix with hot water when needed (eg if you'll be out for a few hours.)

pwurple

indigo twist wrote: »

Cartons of readymade formula I'm guessing!

Or some people bring a small container of pre measured powder to mix with hot water when needed (eg if you'll be out for a few hours.)

Readymade would make sense.

I dunno how you'd cool the hot water for the child though the other way? The water needs to be the 70 degrees to sterilise the formula powder itself... But that would scald a baby if they drink it. Do you end up getting buckets of ice or something? Sounds very awkward.

We stick the fridge ones in a cooler bag. Don't need to be figuring out two different temps then, just take it out of the bag and deploy.

indigo twist

Any coffee shop would give you the boiled water, you'd just have to plan in advance to be sure you had time to let it cool. I just go for readymade formula or cooler bag myself!

contrary_mary

indigo twist wrote: »

Cartons of readymade formula I'm guessing!

That's it! If I'm only out for a couple of hours I'll bring a bottle from the fridge in an insulated bag, but any longer and I bring the premade.

Ocean Blue

pwurple wrote: »

Readymade would make sense.

I dunno how you'd cool the hot water for the child though the other way? The water needs to be the 70 degrees to sterilise the formula powder itself... But that would scald a baby if they drink it. Do you end up getting buckets of ice or something? Sounds very awkward.

We stick the fridge ones in a cooler bag. Don't need to be figuring out two different temps then, just take it out of the bag and deploy.

Once baby is over 2 months it's fine to use cooled boiled water to mix with powder while out and about. See page 11/12 of the safe food booklet. http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Consumer-information/How-to-prepare-your-baby-s-bottle.aspx

indigo twist

Ocean Blue wrote: »

Once baby is over 2 months it's fine to use cooled boiled water to mix with powder while out and about. See page 11/12 of the safe food booklet. http://www.safefood.eu/Publications/Consumer-information/How-to-prepare-your-baby-s-bottle.aspx

It does say it's the least safe option, though. Personally I wouldn't chance it, readymade formula is the handiest if I'm going to be out of the house for a long time.

ceadaoin.

You can get a single bottle steriliser to use in the microwave. This came with a starter bottle feeding kit I got and was handy enough when you just wanted one bottle done quickly.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Closer-Nature-Steriliser/dp/B001U3XVMA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414467521&sr=8-1&keywords=tommee+tippee+single+bottle+steriliser

Millem

OP I was completely clueless too as I had planned to breastfed. I ended up expressing for the 5 weeks and was literally drowning in a sea of bottles! I used to sterilise them and then assemble them empty and put them on my lazy Susan. I was going through over 12 bottles a day.

As regards to making up bottles, I just wasn't able for all that waiting around! If I topped up I used those cartons. When we moved fully onto formula I wanted to give a fresh bottle every feed I bought that machine "tommee tippee prefect prep" and it is lifechanging! Even now that baby is 9 months old it is the best thing we bought.

I also have these microwave steriliser bags that are very handy, they fit 1 bottle and you put 70ml of water in it then put in microwave for 3 mins! Each bag can be used 20 times