Bottle Sterilizer

[Anonymous]

Do you need to get this or can you wash bottles in the dishwasher? Or Do you boil everything? We will use born free botles if that helps.

[Anonymous]

You can wash the bottles in the dishwasher (top rack). I ended up using the sterilizer because we don't normally run the dishwasher every day. It's very fast too - 2 minutes to sterilize 6 bottles. I only boiled the nipples, and only before the first use.

[Anonymous]

I liked the sterilizer because we preferred handwashing the bottles with a gentle detergent to putting them in the dishwasher.

[Anonymous]

I never sterilized the bottles (well, once before using them the first time) just washed them in hot, soapy water. The nipples I would sterilize by boiling them. Medela also makes bags that you can use for sterilzing (steaming) in the microwave.

[Anonymous]

I think it's the best buy ever! I either wash them in the dishwasher or handwash them and then put them in the (Avent) sterilizer. I prefer sterilizing them when baby is really young, just to be sure.

[Anonymous]

Medela makes these really handy sterilizer bags that you add a little water and pop into the microwave for 2 minutes. I love them because they are reusable(up to 20 times per bag), portable and don't take up much room. You can sterilize everything from bottles to pacifiers and small toys.

[Anonymous]

To what age do you sterilize bottles.

[Anonymous]

The first month or two, I washed the bottles in hot, soapy water then either sterilized them in the Medela bags or boiling water. After that, I used the dishwasher. For DC #2, I'll probably just go straight to the dishwasher, as many of my friends have. When I open the dishwasher, I'm always blasted with a burst of steam, so I don't see how that can't be sterile enough.

[Anonymous]

I boiled the nipples for the first use and then everything went into the dishwasher. We just ran the dishwasher every day (had enough dishes b/w breakfast and dinners plus bottles, nipples, and pacis.

[Anonymous]

We got a sterilizer from a friend, used it constantly for a couple months or so then went to every few days, then by about 6 months we stopped. I did use those Medela bags too (got those from a friend, too) and they were convenient. For kid number two though, I'll admit I'm likely just going to sterilize for first use then stick them in the dishwasher. Second kids always get the shaft

[Anonymous]

We used an Avent sterilizer - lots faster than the dishwasher and I could use it multiple times a day. I used it up until she stopped drinking from bottles (around 15 months).

[Anonymous]

I had the Avent sterilizer that i used more at the beginning, esp for pumping parts when DS was a real infant. Then I'd only pull it out if I wasn't going to run the dishwasher. When I went back to work, I got the medela bags at home (what a WONDERFUL invention) and brought the bulky avent to work because it was good for storing my cleaned parts when they weren't in use. I'd say to just go with the medela bags. I probably won't even pull out my Avent this time around.