Anxiety over making bottles

[Sahara]

Hi everyone my name is Sarah and I am the proud mum of 5 month old Nicola.

I have browsed this forum occasialally and everyone seems really nice and friendly so I thought I could approach you with my really daft worries.

I suffer from sevre anxiety and due this had to stop breastfeeding when Nicola was 2 weeks old because I need to go back on my anti depressants.

But I worry so much about my baby getting poorly from her bottles that I make it such a chore making them up I wondered if you all could answer some if these questions for me or tell me how you make your bottles up.

1. Do you sterilise the knife you use to scrape the excess baby powder off. I always run boiling water over mine first. Or do you just get a clean on out of the draw

2. Do you always wait for the kettle to cool for half an hour before adding the powder?

3. Do you always empty the kettle first before boiling.

4. I use a steam steriliser - do you always wipe it dry before you reuse it - if so what with.

5. Do you always wash your hands before you touch the sterilised equipment - I wash mine all the time that my skin is getting so dry and I get really worried if I touch the teat by accident.

6. how do you cool your bottles before putting them in the fridge and do you keep them in the door. I keep them in door because I am worried about food touching them but I worry when I kreep them in the door cos it maybe to warm

7. what weaning equipment do you sterilise?

I worry about so many things when I make up her bottles its making my life a nightmare yet I don't even think about putting a dummy that she dropped back in her mouth!

Please any advice and your methods of bottle making would be such a help for me. Sorry if I sound completely mad - Im not really

Thanks loads and loads

Sarah


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[kellie80]

I must admit i never sterilize the knife, i just get a clean one out. I always wash my hands before i start too. I empty the kettle before boiling the water for the bottles but i leave it 30 minutes to 1 hour to use, i don't wait exactly 30 minutes i just do it when i get chance. when i've made up the bottles i put the in cold water for about 15 minutes to cool them down fast then put them at the back of the fridge where its coldest. I was told not to put them in the door cos its not cold enough. I wouldn't worry about food touching the bottles cos they have the lids on (oviously no raw chicken and stuff). With the sterilizer i just empty out the excess water after i've used it and swill it out with clean water. With my 1st baby i sterilized bowls and spoons too but i didn't with my 2nd i just gave them a good wash and she was fine. You routine sounds fine to me.

 

[Sahara]

Hi Kelly,

thanks for replying to my mamouth essay! I know this question sounds daft but do you think knife that has been cleaned in the sink with washing up liquid is enough or should it go through the dishwasher.

I guess I am also so paranoid cos my brother was really poorly as a baby - not due to bottle feeding cos he was breastfed but it sorta plays on my mind.

Thanks
Sarah

 

[Melly+2]

1. Do you sterilise the knife you use to scrape the excess baby powder off. I always run boiling water over mine first. Or do you just get a clean on out of the draw : i just use the little edge inside the milk tub on the cow and gate milk

2. Do you always wait for the kettle to cool for half an hour before adding the powder? i dont usually do this coz hopes very impatient

3. Do you always empty the kettle first before boiling. i put fresh water in each time i use it

4. I use a steam steriliser - do you always wipe it dry before you reuse it - if so what with. yeah i just use kitchen roll to do this

5. Do you always wash your hands before you touch the sterilised equipment - I wash mine all the time that my skin is getting so dry and I get really worried if I touch the teat by accident. yes i always wash my hands but i too worry bout using teats

6. how do you cool your bottles before putting them in the fridge and do you keep them in the door. I keep them in door because I am worried about food touching them but I worry when I kreep them in the door cos it maybe to warm : i make em as i need em

7. what weaning equipment do you sterilise? none just wash em well

 

[Sahara]

Aah I use aptamil and they have the scrapey thingy! but the powder sticks to the scoop when the water in the bottle is still warm unless I tap it with a knife!

Thanks for your reply it helps me loads

Glad I am not the only one that worries about the teats. I could never make each bottle up each time cos nicola would never wait for the steriliser kettle or anything alse - the 40 seconds in the microwave is too long for her!!

 

[Gemma & Jake]

Hi I wouldn't worry too much as I think babies need a few germs to keep their immune system up. I never sterilise the knife I just make sure that it has been washed well. I usually boil the kettle with fresh water and make the feeds up straight away and then put them in a pan of cold water for about 10- 15 mins before putting them anywhere in the fridge (away from raw meat though) as the lids are on so nothing will get on the teat. I usually every now and again just wash the steriliser out with some hot soapy water on a sponge and then rinse it without getting the plug or lead wet but not everytime I use it. I do sterilise Jake's spoons but not his bowls I just wash them as normal. Oh yeah and I always wash my hands before touching the steralised things. A good thing to buy is alchohol gel (like the stuff outside hospital wards) which you can get in supermarkets. I bought a couple small ones at 41p each which are ideal if you are out and about and can't wash your hands.

 

[Urchin]

Awww Sarah sorry you are so worried about this, it's really not that much of a big deal if something eg food touches the bottles, and if you touch a teat with your finger by mistake try not to worry about it. Soon enough your baby will be crawling all over the place sticking god-knows-what in their mouth so try not to worry too much. With a newborn I would be more careful but at 5 months their immune system should be well on the way.

 

[nicki]

Totally agree with Urchin on this one.
I know its easy for everyone to say don't worry about this & that but having the anxiety causes these feelings, saying that tho. once your little one does start to crawl, walk & get older Nicola will be shoving all sorts into her mouth but she will be fine & her immune system will be able to cope with it all.

I just use a knife from the draw to scrape the milk off. We still steralize (we have a microwaveable one ) the bottle, teats etc but when we have been on holiday, the first Jamie was 7 months old, we just washed the bottles & he's perfectly healthy & hasn't fallen ill through doing this. Once he hits a year old I won't bother.

We wait for the kettle to cool at least half hour coz if the waters too hot it tends to spurt everywhere when we shake the bottle.

You're not suppossed to keep the bottle in the door as its the warmest part of the fridge & we always make up the next days feeds & store them in the fridge straight away.

Can't say I always wash my hands before use, it all depends on what i've been doing prior to making them up.

If Nicola does get ill it probably won't have anything to do with her feeding. Children get ill as do adults, its just a fact of life but they recover, so please try not to worry to much about this. I'm sure you had flu, colds etc as a kiddie & you're still here to tell the tale!

 

[Sahara]

Thanks Urchin and Nicki,

Its daft on my part that I worry so much about these things. I do worry about Nicola loads, but I guess worry about what will happen when I have my second (hopefully) and I know then I won't be able to make such meal out of making bottles, but I will still be worried especially when they are tiny and I can't remake and remake like I have done with nicola when I have her running around and a tiny baby!!

But you are all reassuring me loads

Thanks

 

[Sahara]

Hi Gemz,

just a quick question when you say you make up the feeds straight away do you not let the water cool down at all cos I find if I don't let it cool a bit the milk squirts every where. I always leave mine on the side to cool. never put them in cold water why do you do this?

Thanks
Sarah

 

[Gemma & Jake]

I usually let the water cool a bit but not usually for more than about 15 mins as I am usually in a rush but yes it does squirt everywhere if I use the avent bottles so it is probably best to let it cool for a bit longer I suppose. I put the bottles in cold water for 10-15 mins so that they cool down a bit quicker than if you leave them on the side as it says in the book I got from the hospital that you should cool the bottles with cold water quickly and then refridgerate straight away.

 

[Jen79]

If you are bothered about the hygiene of the knife you use there are antibacterial washing up liquids available. I use them and so I dont worry too much about how clean the knife is cos the liquid should have got rid of any bugs. I think as long as you use your common sense then theres nothing to worry about with the bottles. I think so long as you sterilise everything and dont reheat/ use really old milk then it'll be fine. Babies arent good for easing anxiety are they?! I got told by a friend who is a midwife that the weaning bowls and spoons etc dont need to be sterilised cos I am sure if your daughter is anything like mine she is probably shoving all sorts in her mouth at the moment, and half of it has probably been on the floor!

Take care