As a parent, you will do whatever it takes to give the best for your baby. There are a lot of sterilization processes that you need to do before giving them their toys, feeding them with the use of bottles, and giving them their pacifiers. But when can you stop sterilizing baby bottles and all other items that they use? There will be a point when you can stop sterilizing the baby bottles, but you can always place them in the dishwasher for further cleaning.
How Often Should You Sterilize the Baby Bottles
Newborn babies are still weak and fragile. They gather all the nutrients they need from their mother’s breast milk. But it’s not all the time that a mother can give them breast milk. It is the reason why babies drink formula milk from a sterilized baby bottle. Sterilizing baby bottles should be done every day for babies under three months and for those who are premature. They are more prone to bacteria contamination and exposure to other illnesses because of their weaker immune systems. As much as possible, every after use of their baby bottles, it must be washed and sterilized. But if you’re wondering when can you stop sterilizing baby bottles completely, you can stop as soon as they reach 1 ½ year old. Because at this time, their immune systems are a bit stronger than when they were still infants. It also depends on your children’s health, whether their immune systems have completely strengthened or not. There are still children who have weaker immune systems at around the age of one, which makes parents continue to sterilize their bottles.
Different Bottle Sterilization Process
When it comes to sterilization, a lot of people think that boiling it with water is the only way, or submerging it into alcohol. But in fact, there are three ways that you can do to sterilize a baby bottle. It depends on your preference on how you want to make the baby bottles sterilized. Either way, it will still be clean and safe for your baby to use.
- Steam – Steaming is a common process when it comes to sterilizing baby bottles. You get to use an electric sterilizer or the microwave. Every sterilizer has its instructions that you need to follow to prevent plastic bottles from melting. You will need to keep all of the openings of the bottles facing down. Set the time according to the instructions or the suggested sterilizing time of the bottles’ manufacturers.
- Boil – Boil all of the bottles in a large pan. Also, make sure that every part of the feeding equipment is under the water. If you’re wondering when can you stop sterilizing baby bottles by boiling, be sure to set the timer to 10 minutes so that it will not damage the quality of the bottles. Be sure to check the teats and bottles because there is a tendency that they might crack.
- Cold Water – Cold water sterilization is a longer process compared to steaming and boiling. You will need cleaning solutions to mix with cold water for sterilizing. You can soak all the bottles underwater with the cleaning solution and rinse all the milk residue. In a separate container, pour in cold water and a little solution and mix it well. Place all of the bottles, bottle nipples, toys, pacifiers, and anything that you need to sterilize. Leave it for 30 minutes; you can let it dry and use the items instantly.
Why Do You Need To Sterilize Baby Bottles?
The reason why you need to sterilize baby bottles is also the reason why we need to wash our dishes. As adults, we still need to use clean utensils when we are eating. It keeps us healthy and prevents all types of illnesses. The same goes for sterilizing bottles for our babies since they are still growing; they need all the nutrients they can get from the milk. Drinking from a clean and sterilized bottle will help them grow up healthy.
- Builds immunity – Babies are still growing up and developing their overall strength. If it is interrupted, it can delay the full development of their well-being. Clean and sterilized baby bottles can help build their immunity by drinking all the right nutrients that the formulated milk has.
- Prevents food poisoning – Unsterilized bottles can cause diarrhea or food poison, which makes your baby weak. Also, it affects their overall health if they continuously drink from an unsterile bottle.
- Eliminates bacteria exposure – Sterilization means removing, killing, and deactivating certain microorganisms that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Regular bottle sterilization removes these microorganisms, leaving the baby bottle clean and safe to use.
When Can You Stop Using Baby Bottles?
Since babies will not be forever babies, you will need to train them in drinking from a sippy cup. Transitioning from a baby bottle to a sippy cup is a first step to stop using baby bottles slowly. You can start transitioning at the age of 3 years old, where their muscles are healthier and stronger. And if you’re wondering when can you stop sterilizing baby bottles, during the transitioning stage is the best time. Their immune system is stronger compared to when they are little. Also, they are bigger and rarely use baby bottles. Get more tips on baby bottles.
Conclusion
Feeding our babies is our duty as a parent. We are responsible for their health and protecting them from all types of diseases. Having clean and sterilized feeding equipment can help them get all the right nutrients that their milk has. If you’re wondering when can you stop sterilizing baby bottles, it is when they stop using them. Even though you can stop sterilizing the bottles when they reach the age of one, it is still best to keep them clean and sanitized to make sure that they are healthy.