How To Sterilize Baby Bottles

Hi, I am Laura Campbell from Babyladies, and I am going to be giving you some tips on how to look after your newborn, and how to achieve the birth that you want. I am going to be talking about sterilizing bottles, and I am going to do it in the simplest way possible. What we want to do, all times, is to make sure that we have a sterile surface.

Choosing your antiseptic wipes, or your milton spray, just clean down your surfaces. We are going to take some soap and water to the bottles. Make sure you separate all the parts of the bottles, and give them a good old clean.

I am going to take the teats out as well. Give that a good old wash. We are looking to clear out all the milk parts caught, because that is what can make baby ill.

Giving a good clean of the teats. Make sure you rinse it really well. There are 3 methods of sterilization.

You can either boil all of your equipment. You can use a cold water sterilizer, or you can use a sterilizer that uses chemicals in which to sterilize things. I prefer to use the steam sterilizer, purely because we are not using chemicals, just water and heat.

I am following the manufacturer's directions, and I know that I need two hundred millilitres of water to go into here. Measure that out, pop it into the sterilizer, turn it up, make sure everything is nicely separated. Pop the lid on there, and again, following the manufacture's instructions, I know this is going to take three minutes at 800 watts.

Pop that in the microwave, three minutes, and off that goes. Now, a really good idea, as well, when you are preparing bottles, is to have two separate kettles. One for baby, and one for you.

So you have got your home usage one, and you know that you got one in the morning that you can fill up, and you can leave that for the day. It is cool, boiled water, and you have enough water for your baby's milk throughout the day. So I know that this is cool boiled, and once the sterilizing is finished in the microwave, I am going to get that out and be able to prepare a bottle with milk.

Before I take my sterilizer out, I am going to wash my hands. It really is common sense. Just keep making sure that your surfaces are clean, and that you are using a nice clean towel to wash your hands, then you don't need to worry so much about touching things.

It does become quite an issue with some people that they are touching things, sterilization becomes a bit obsessive compulsive. I am going to open it up. Be very careful if it just came out of the microwave, you are going to get steam coming out of it, so just let it cool down for a little bit.

I am then going to put the bottle together. The bottles that I am using today are anti-colic, so I have a few more components that you would normally have. I have got the bottle base, these little bits here are the anti-colic, and they just literally slot together like so.

I am going to take my teats, take the bottle ring, and I literally just pop that in there, push it down. Try not to touch the top of the teat, just going to pull it through like that. Screw the lid on.

Pop your top on, and you have got your sterile bottle. If I am going out and about, I am going to take my sterile bottle, and you can get these fantastic cartons of ready made milk. Which means that you are not having to worry about having to make up a bottle.

You can get separate milk dispensers that you can put your powdered milk into. I find that these are easiest on the go, and you know that you are not going to make any mistakes. If we are going to make up a bottle, what we are going to do is leave the top on the bottle, so that stays nice and sterile, I am going to open up the bottle, take off the cap, using our cool boiled water from our separate kettle, we are going to place in here.

I am going to use 200 millilitres because this is what my milk suggests that I use. Obviously, if you are using pumped breast milk, you just put th