Babies are quite delicate, and being the helpless little creatures they are, every parent must make sure their babies are safe. One of the primary concerns that parents often encounter is child feeding. Parents have to ascertain their babes get the right nutrition, but that they should also make sure proper hygiene is observed when preparing baby food. As babies have an undeveloped immune system, they become prone to acquiring diseases and infection, and using unsanitized or improperly sanitized baby bottles can make the baby sick. It may lead to tummy upset and diarrhea, which can be stressful for both the baby and the mom. Hence, parents should make sure to feed their babes using properly cleaned baby bottles. But what if you’re using glass bottles. Can you boil glass baby bottles? Read on for more information.
Different Types of Baby Bottles
Plastic Bottles
These days, most parents prefer to use plastic baby bottles. The reasons are apparent. Plastic bottles are lighter in weight, and they do not break easily. Plastic bottles are safe from breaking if a mom drifts into sleep while feeding the baby, and the bottle falls, which is often the scenario. And so parents are fonder of plastic baby bottles. But if you prefer plastic baby bottles, make sure to use newer ones instead of hand-me-down bottles. Plastic baby bottles manufactured before the year 2011 were loaded with Bisphenol A or BPA, a material later known to negatively affect the nervous and reproductive system. Newer bottles are safer as FDA already banned the use of BPA in plastics. To be sure, check the bottle label. Bottles with the symbol #1, #1, #4, and #5 are considered to be BPA-free.
Plastic Bottles with Liners
This type of baby bottle is getting the admiration of many parents due to its practical use. It’s a baby bottle with an inner lining that’s disposable; you won’t need to wash the bottle in between usage. This is great for traveling where washing bottles can be tedious, considering that babies feed multiple times now and then. The removable lining is also made from plastic material that should also be BPA-free.
Glass Bottles
You might think glass baby bottles are obsolete, but a lot of parents still prefer glass bottles. This is because glass is not prone to leaking substances into the milk compared to plastics, so it’s considered safer. The issues with glass baby bottles are that they’re breakable and can be heavy. Some companies now wrap their bottles with silicone covering to prevent bottle breakage. Old is gold as they say, and so a lot of parents still prefer glass baby bottles. But how do you sterilize baby bottles? Can you boil glass baby bottles and other types of baby bottles?
How to Sterilize Baby Bottles
One of the many questions we encounter coming from baffled parents is: can you boil glass baby bottles? There are many ways to sterilize baby bottles, and the techniques may work for a specific type of baby bottle but not for others. Hence, you may want to make sure if a sterilization technique is suitable for the kind of bottle you got.
Boiling:
Since boiling is the most common means of sterilization, parents often ask if can you boil glass baby bottles. Here’s the proper way of dealing with baby bottles.
- Make sure to sterilize the glass or plastic bottle before using it for the first time and every after use, especially when using on neonates.
- Include the nipple and attachment ring when sterilizing.
- Make sure your hands are clean when handling baby bottles.
- Rinse the bottle before boiling it. Do so by washing the container and the accessories using baby-friendly dish soap.
- Prepare a large saucepan, place the bottles and the accessories and fill in with water. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil and keep it boiling for 5 minutes before turning the fire off.
- Let it sit until the water cools. Drain the water, put the bottles in the refrigerator, and take one out only when needed.
- You can also add baking soda to the water when boiling baby bottles to give the sterilization process an added boost.
Sterilization through the dishwasher:
- Place the glass or plastic baby bottles on the upper rack of the dishwasher. Meanwhile, place the accessories in a tray on the top shelf.
- Perform a hot rinse cycle.
- Allow the equipment to dry thoroughly either in the dishwasher or on the counter.
Special Baby Bottles Microwave Sterilizer:
- Make sure the bottle and its parts are microwavable.
- Put a little amount of water at the lower part of the microwave and place the equipment in.
- Run the microwave on high to allow the steam and hot water from the microwave to kill the microorganisms on your baby’s bottle.
- Allow the equipment to cool and store in the refrigerator for later use.
Conclusion
When it comes to the safety of your babies, parents should never lower their guard. Remember how vulnerable babies are with fragile little bodies and an immune system that is not yet fully developed. Therefore, parents should see to it that everything that lands in their baby’s mouth is clean and free from bacteria and other microorganisms that may harm their babies. And so you should learn the proper ways of cleaning and find the right method of sterilizing those baby bottles. Now that you’ve figured out the answer to your question ‘can you boil glass baby bottles,’ you can now go back and tend to your babe’s other needs. Find out more about baby bottles.