Question on pumping and sterilising...

[mumtosp]

Hi all,

I've just found out that I will need to be out most of tomorrow, but cannot take 7 mo DS wit me. So I need to pump out quite a bit of milk this evening to make sure DS doesn't miss me tomorrow :)
Do I need to wash and re-sterilise the pump after every use, even though I will be using it again in another hour ? I don't mind doing it, it's just that it may not dry out completely before the next use...

Thanks in advance for all your help :)

I'm no expert but I don't think you have to, no.

Hopefully this will bump for you

I used to wash and sterilize each time, but I used Milton so just dropped the washed bits into the solution and then fished them out when I needed them next. I shook dry too (imagine very vigorous downward swishes - felt a right twit when my grasp wasn't firm enough and the part went flying across the kitchen!) So I wouldn't worry too much if the bits are still wet.

When I was expressing every 3 hours i'd only sterilise the pump once a day. The lactation consultant told me that was fine, as long as you give it a really good rinse out with hot water after every use, to get rid of any milk residue.

With BM you don't really need to sterilize at all just wash up every so often.
I used to keep my pump parts in the fridge in between pumping and just wash/sterilize once a day.

You need to wash with hot soapy water each time but not necessary to sterilise.

I always do sterilse between each use but I'm the odd one out

The instructions on my medela swing say to wash after every use, and sterilise once a day.

Let us know how today works out with Lo.

Thanks everyone for the replies :)

If I have to wash them after every use, then I actually don't mind sterilising ... it's the washing that takes up time - whereas for sterilising I just pop the pump into the madela sterilising bags and use the microwave...

JJJ DS was fine without me... I had left behind 175 ml of milk and he hardly had 75 ml. I have to add that he is on solids. He was having a bottle when I walked back in and the moment he saw me he refused the bottle ! I had to give him a quick feed :)

Another question I have is how do I care for the pump and the bottles if I'm only using them occasionally. Once I wash and sterilise everything and pack it away, can I just use them say after a week or should be sterilising again before use ??

I just got them back out and used them but there might be someone on here less skanky who knows more

You must wash before you sterilise / otherwise you sterilise lumps of sirt...:

Anyway - what I do is to wash, sterilize, air dry and then put In a resealable plastic bag in the cupboard. For a week. Any longer and I would re sterilize when LO was less that 6mo. Otherwise I did not worry.

Thanks T2bM :)