Expressing and sterilising - help me because I'm lost.

[Caladria]

Help!

I get that I need to sterilise the pump before using it, but I don't get what 'before' means. Can I put it in a drawer and take it out when I need it, or do I have to use it as soon as it's sterilised?

Puzzled.

Not 100% sure, but I just use common sense and sterilise within the hour or two before I need to use it, but probably wouldn't leave it much longer than that. X

Argh, this had never occured to me. Do you have to sterilise it every single time you use it?

I think so otherwise milk residue might be left there to fester :( but I am no expert, sure someone else will be along soon with informed advice :)

I don't think that you have to use it as soon as it's sterilised. As I understand it, we sterilise rather than just wash because milk's a particular bastard for festering. If that's dealt with, you're good to go. Certainly I sterilised my pump at home each evening and used it at work the next day. I must have got the idea from somewhere.

But why not check Kellymom?

Thanks everyone -

Kellymom has advice on what to do with the milk once it's expressed but not on what to do with the pump.

Sorry, that made me sound really dim. What I meant was that it never occured to me to sterilise before use, rather than after.

With the hand pump I used last time I kept it in the fridge when I knew I'd be pumping again an hour later.

I wonder is that's because it's a non-issue?

I phoned up the national breastfeeding helpline. They said you wash everything in hot soapy water, rinse and leave to dry. If you pump more than once in a day you don't have to wash between using, only once a day. It's formula milk that's nasty if not sterilized, not breastmilk. BTW I picked up a leaflet from children's centre which said to sterilize. I told the lady I spoke to on phone, she was surprised. She said all HCP should advise not to sterilize for expressed milk.

I have a large tupperwear from Poundstretcher. I keep the bits that need to be sterilised in there with sterilising fluid and water between expressing so I don't need to worry about it.

I sterilise the evening after if i have pumped at work during the day then pop the reassembled pump bits into a new ziploc sandwich bag and seal then the pump is ready to go again for next time...usually a week later as i work parttime. I figure thats fine as the bag is sealed. HTH

Did the bf helpline really say you don't have to wash between pumping sessions? I'm sure you do, but it's not necessary to sterilise every time.

You should wash between pumping sessions bits the only time you need to sterilise is if you have thrush, and then it needs cold water sterilising rather than microwave or steam.

I was told 2.5 years ago that there was no need to stealer items used with breastmilk. Just with formula. Apparently the big neo natal units don't stealer things except between patient.

I used to store pump parts in the fridge during the day and sterilise once a day.

It doesn't have the same nasties as formula but I never heard of never sterilising them :-/ I sterilised everything with DS though lol, even his spoons when starting weaning

I don't understand the argument that breast milk residue wouldn't breed bacteria like formula residue does. Surely breast milk is more nutrient dense so should breed more bacteria?

There is newish research showing that washing properly with hot soapy water is as effective, and sterilising isn't necessary. We discussed it at my local NNU but are still sterilising at the moment as the washing facilities are not perfect and not all mums follow the instructions.

I think the argument is that the bugs are already in the formula, it's not sterile and that's why you have to make it up with water above 70 degrees. bm doesn't have the same risk.

BM is sterile, apart from the bacteria on your boobs which the baby eats anyway.

Formula is subject to all sorts of potential contamination during the manufacturing process, plus the tin or carton (once open) acquires new, exciting bugs every time it's opened it closed. Ready made cartons are pasteurised but you can't pasteurise a powder so any hint of moisture will allow the bacteria which are present to breed. I did a fun experiment involving Petri dishes, agar jelly and formula powder..