sterilizing baby bottles?

I'm due in June with my first baby and wonder if I need to sterilize the baby bottles. I bought something at BabiesRUs that you use in the microwave to sterilize the bottles but then I was thinking it's not needed, but more importantly it might be unsafe, given the info that came out about not microwaving food in plastic. Supposedly, the microwave causes some chemical or other change in the plastic, which might cause cancer. So I was thinking if the baby bottle is plastic then that's not good though the milk wouldn't be in it at the time but later on fill it. Any thoughts about this microwave issue or sterilizing bottles in general?

[surprisebaby]

after initially sterilizing the bottles...I haven't sterilized them again.  I just poured BOILING hot water over them, let them sit for a few minutes and then let them air dry...finished.  Now I just rinse them out good between feedings.  I use soap when needed. (I am using Playtex,...with the drop in liners) but I never STERILIZED with my other two boys, and they weren't using the Playtex nursers.  Hope this helps.  

[Me2mommy2b]

nowadays, they recommend buying glass bottles or bottles with "safe" plastic.  To tell you the truth, the study that was done on these bottles was done in extreme conditions (very high temperature).  I still would not microwave anything especially for a baby.

[jd1419]

I never sterilized any of my bottles.  Washed them in hot soapy water and then rinsed in hot water.  I also used the Platex drop in's so then you only really have to wash the nipples.  Sterilizing I think is a waste of time.  I did use the Nursery Water that you can buy at Wal-Mart for the formula once I switched from nursing.

[mum2beagain]

My first son was born in the UK where the advice is to sterilize all bottles, nipples etc for the first year . The reason I was given is that milk residue you cannot see can still be left on the inside of bottles even after a thorough washing and bacteria could grow on this residue, I religiously sterilised all bottles, breast pump parts and everything for a year. Now my second son was born here in Canada where the advice given is different, ie a thorough washing with dish soap, a good rinse with very hot water and air drying will suffice (or using the dishwasher which sanitises everything anyway). Even so the cautious person in me spent over $100.00 on a steam sterilser and sterilised everything at first. I am pretty much exclusivley nursing now so don't have many bottles nowadays but I have to say I don't sterilse his stuff now he is nearly 5 months, everything he gets his hands on goes in his mouth now so I am sure he has been exposed to plenty of germs now. That said if I were in the same situation as Annie I would sterilize and I also intend to boil tap water before giving it to him as a drink also.

[gembo26]

hi ive asked my midwife about this and she tells me that sterilizing is very important. so got myself a steam sterilizer. i still think dish washer is just as good.

[AnnieBrooke]

We get our drinking water from a well, so the pedi told us to use distilled water for bottles (boil and cool the water) and to use a bottle sterilizer.  That's the only reason I'd bother -- if you don't know for sure that the water source is free of anything that might harm the baby.

[anxiousmomtobe?]

I mainly breastfeed but my babies always had a few bottles here and there.  I boiled them when they were new then ran them through the dishwasher after each use.  When camping, I rinsed them with boiling water from the kettle.

[kim1990]

how many months or yrs should you sterilise babies bottles and other feeding equipment?