Do I need to sterilize pumping supplies?

With all the stress on properly cleaning your pumping and feeding supplies, Is sterilization necessary? I often see this step listed as *optional.* Why is that the case? (And what sources back up your decision to, or not to, sterilize your bottles and pump stuff?

To sterilize or not to sterilize?

According to the CDC, sterilization is “for extra protection.” They suggest doing this at least once daily for newborns (they count “newborn” as any infant under 2 months old), babies who were born prematurely, babies with a weakened immune system, or babies undergoing medical treatment (such as chemotherapy). For healthy babies, they stress proper cleaning of bottles and pump parts with hot soapy water after every use, followed by air drying. HealthyChildren.org cited the same information from the CDC, and adds that if you use a dishwasher with a heating drying cycle, a separate sanitizing step is not necessary. 

According to WebMD, this practice comes from olden days when water supply was not reliably clean. If your water supply is safe for you to drink, it’s safe to wash/rinse baby bottles with, without additional sterilization. It’s not necessary to sterilize what is already safe. They do suggest getting well water tested if you use a private well.

According to Baby Center, a Canadian publication, it’s not enough to wash bottles in soapy water alone. Before proper cleaning/sterilization, babies would often become sick with thrush, gastroenteritis, viruses, and parasitic infections. They suggest sterilization by boiling or steaming equipment after washing for at least the first 4 months. This reduces the risk of baby getting sick during their vulnerable first year.

According to the NHS (UK), sterilizing after a complete wash and rinse is recommended up until 12 months of age. This protects baby from infections, in particular diarrhea and vomiting that can cause baby to become severely dehydrated. They suggest sterilization by steaming, boiling, or using a cold water sterilizing solution. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, NCBI, sterilization is only necessary when a pump and pump supplies are being used by more than one infant. They state that breastmilk collection kits should not be used by different mothers unless they have been properly sterilized, and that nipples and pacifiers should be used by only one infant. They go so far as to say that in a hospital, if a pacifier or bottle nipple touches any unclean surface, that it should not be cleaned but discarded altogether.

According to the AAP, concerns of water safety come into play when a family is using a private well. Illness resulting from children’s ingestion of contaminated water can be severe. (This also goes for using private well water to prepare formula. More information on well water usage can be found on their website, linked below under “Sources.”

*** ALL baby bottle and pump companies suggest an initial sterilization before the first use of their products. (Be sure to read the instructions provided with your pumping supplies to see what parts can be sterilized!) ***

Sooooo… like many things, educate yourself and do what you feel is best for your baby. 

I do highly suggest sterilization for premature or medically fragile babies, or if your tap water is unsafe to drink, or if you are using a private well.

How do I sterilize baby bottles?

If you’ve decided that sterilization step is important for you, you’re going to need to know how to do it! First, clean your bottles and pumping supplies with hot soapy water. Any dish soap is fine, but you might find that Dapple or Babyganics bottle soap best removes the greasy film left behind from breastmilk. Then, proceed with sterilization. The two most common ways of sterilizing are boiling and steaming.

Boil

• Place your disassembled pump parts and bottles in a large pot and cover with water
• Bring to a boil
• Boil for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally (Set a timer!)
• Remove all items with tongs and air dry
• WARNING– Over-boiling or overfilling pot with items that come to rest against the side can result in damage to your pumping supplies!

Steam

• Use a microwave steam bag or plastic microwave steamer. Follow product directions, adding a bit of water and not exceeding the microwave time they recommend. Vent and allow steam to escape before touching items and allowing to air dry.
• Suggested microwave steamers: Medela microwave sterilizer bags (20 uses per bag, great for travel/work!) Evenflo silicone microwave bag, Philips Avent steamer, Dr. Brown’s microwave steamer, Munchkin steam sterilizer,

Self-contained electric steamers

• Follow product recommendations to sterilize pump parts and bottles using a self-contained electric steamer designed for this use only.
• Suggested steamers: Baby Brezza bottle sterilizer and dryer machine, Dr Brown’s All-in-one, Philips Avent premium sterilizer/dryer, Papablic baby bottle electric sterilizer, Wabi Baby electric sterilizer
• UV sterilizers like this one by Grownsy

Dish washer

• Remember, if you use the heat dry or sanitize settings on your dish washer, no additional sterilization is necessary!

* Melissa’s own experience *

Boiling freaked me out. I accidentally warped a bottle so from then on, I was more careful. Personally, I sterilized via microwave steam sterilization twice a day for my early babies, since my first baby was premature and I was used to that level of care with my second, early-term baby. I eventually moved to once-a-day sterilization for about 6 months or so (mostly out of habit, honestly.) My favorite product was the Medela Microwave Sterilizer Bags but if I did it all over again, I’d either use a reusable microwave sterilizer like this one by Philips Avent, or spring for an electric sterilizer. If money were no object, I’d definitely get a countertop dishwasher for all my pumping supplies!

Sources:

Click each link below to read cited sources in detail

• The Center for Disease Control
• Web MD
• Baby Center, Canada
• National Health Services of the United Kingdom
• National Library of Medicine, NCBI
• American Academy of Pediatrics (well water)