Expressing dilemma!

[Karmamother]

I'm going back to work in a few weeks time & I'll be expressing whilst at work. DD is 21 weeks old & is fully BFed. During my working day, I plan to express once, round about lunchtime. The problem is, I'd normally feed her at 11am & 3pm. I don't want my supply to drop by only expressing once. Once I've pumped there's no way of resterilising the hand pump in order to use it a second time.
To those of you who epxress regularly, how do you get round this problem?

[Karmamother]

Forgot to say, I don't get in from work till 6:30. Just in time for her bedtime feed.

[starlover]

you don't need to sterilise it. just pop it in the fridge with the milk and use it again.

i expressed for ages before I found out you can do that!

[georginarf]

Any chance you could hand express if you do a second bout? I was rubbish at this at first but actually, after a while found hand expressing just as easy - wouldn't have believed this at the start when i read similar comments on MN, but it was true.

Am sure other expressers will have better advice though!

[TicTacsMum]

Really starlover? How long can you leave it? Can you use it a few times between sterilising it? What a revelation!!!

[Karmamother]

Thanks, seems so obvious now! How did you keep the milk chilled on the way home? I think I'll get one of those little picnic bags you put freezer blocks in.

[georginarf]

oh yes and I did used to reuse the pump as starlover says

[starlover]

You can leave it for a while... breastmilk can also be left out of the fridge for about 8 hours because it has amazing antibacterial properties!
hence being able to re-use breastpump etc etc

the avent isis breastpump comes with a cover for the funnel so you can express and tghen put the cover ona nd shove the whole thing in the fridge.
or, you can remove the bottle/bag and store that and then cover each end of the pump and just pop it in the fridge.

I think I used to pump twice and then sterilise

[Karmamother]

I suppose it doesn't make any difference whether the milk is on the pump or in the bottle, as long as it's chilled it shouldn't grow any bugs. Thanks for that starlover.

[pupuce]

Definitely can confirm you do not need to sterilise. At the Association of BF Mothers we recommend once a week.

[Karmamother]

Thanks, pupuce. I did follow RTKangaMummy's thread about not sterilising bottles & was totally convinced. However, I don't have a dishwasher & often run out of hot water, (economy7 tariff....crap!) So I decided to get a microwave steriliser just to be safe. I'll just cover the ends of the pump in between expressing.

[pupuce]

Karma just wash it well with soapy water.... no need for a dishwasher
Now that you know.... don't worry if you canb't always sterilise.

BTW I did express once at lunchtime to make 2 feeds too, it worked well for me.

[chipmonkey]

Karmamother, I usually use a coolbag with icepacks. Once a week I bring a little fridge in as that day I work for 12 hours and I'm not sure the icepacks are up to it! I got it in Argos very cheaply and it also plugs into the car cigarette lighter.