New parent to be -Bottle Sterilizer? Need?

[KenReeves]

New parent here (or in about 4 weeks)

What are the pros/cons of bottle sterilizers? Does it basically enable one to wash the bottles without running it through the dishwasher?

Also - if one were to buy the Avent microwave sterilizer, would anyone know if Born Free or other bottles will work in it?

thanks much for the help!

[arivecchi]

New parent here (or in about 4 weeks)

What are the pros/cons of bottle sterilizers? Does it basically enable one to wash the bottles without running it through the dishwasher?

Also - if one were to buy the Avent microwave sterilizer, would anyone know if Born Free or other bottles will work in it?

thanks much for the help! I have used mine constantly with both sons. You are exactly right, it's a way to clean your bottles without running them through the dishwasher. I also like that you are cleaning them separately from all other dishes. I have Born Free bottles and they fit just fine in the Avent one.

[lorinick]

I think they are a waste of money. I used one with ds1 for maybe a month than it just collected dust. Ds2 I did it but hand the first time. I hand wash all cups valves and lids now only using sippy cups. I use boiling water only once in a while.

[ciw]

I've used a sterilizer every single day since my son was born -- he's 14 months. At first it was just for bottles, nipples, etc. but we now do sippy cups and some of his other utensils. It's much easier than running the dishwasher all the time, particularly when you don't have a full load. Plus, when he was an infant I felt a lot safer using a sterilizer rather than relying solely on handwashing. The pediatrician said it wasn't necessary since we're on municipal water so was all that sterilizing overkill? Maybe, but he hasn't had a cold or virus yet. (I just jinxed myself, didn't I?!!)

I bought an Especially for Baby sterilizer at BRU. Target has a similar First Years sterilizer. They're cheaper than the Avent one and mine has held up quite well.

[kijip]

We used a lot of bottles with T and never had a special sterilizer. It went fine. J used to boil the bottles a fair bit but finally stopped that when T was about 4 months.

With F we only use bottles a little bit, only have 3 of them and we just handwash them and the pump parts for the most part. Sometimes we toss them in the dishwasher.

[AngelaS]

Wow, I didn't know people still used them. When I used bottles for the kids I nannied (their mom was a doctor), we just washed them by hand and let them air dry on the counter.

[Binkandabee]

My DD is 9 months and we're still using the Medela steam bags for sterilizaton. LOVE them!

[JBaxter]

I JUST stopped doing Jacks bottles/nipples. I have always sterilzed my boys bottles for the first 6 months. I had winter babies. It made ME feel better to do the bottles nipples and pacifiers. I have the bru band of sterilizer and really liked it. OH I also used it for my pump parts

[KBecks]

We skipped it.

[zag95]

We skipped it- but I did buy the Medela Microsteam bags in the beginning- we used these for 3 months to do bottles and pump sterilizing..... then I went back to work, and just went to washing and air drying.

[ahrimie]

I didn't. In the beginning, I would boil them every now and then (weekly??). Now, only when I remember (once a month?).

[infomama]

We used one.