sterilising info needed

[StaciSylvan]

hi im breastfeeding my 11 week old can i sterilise the expressing stuff in a vege steamer im not going to do it much so dont want to buy something?

I don't know but you can buy cold water sterilising tablets very cheaply. I think i got 64 for about £2. They are pretty simple to use but as I came late to expressing I found the whole thing much more difficult then just breastfeeding!

New guidance is that you don't need to sterilise any equipment for breastfeeding - just clean in hot soapy water and dry with kitchen towel (and not the family drying cloth) i was just told this by Sally Inch, breastfeeding co-ordinator at the JR hospital as I am a milk donor.

If it's safe for preemies, its safe for your baby.

The only caveat to what MotherPanda says is if you have thrush.

Then boiling on in a pan of water on the stovetop is the most cost effective way to kill thrush organisms (steam sterilising is ok too but to be sure you'd reach the required temp you'd need a proper baby steriliser). The water needs to be deep enough to completely submerge the items though.

That's really interesting TruthSweet - I had thought you had to pump and dump with thrush so as not to pass it on - That is a very handy piece of knowledge.

Well, yes pumping and dumping tends to recommended unless you are exclusively pumping and feeding baby milk that you have just pumped (as opposed to storing the milk to give later) as then it would be the same as bfing directly.

However, even if you do pump'n'dump, you need to get rid of the thrush in the pump in case it contaminates milk after you are clear of it, and to prevent you getting back from the pump.