Used breast pumps?

[ananikifo]

I hope people here can help me be reasonable here.

I have been breastfeeding my ds who is now six weeks old. The HV loaned me an Ardo Calypso pump for two months maximum. I like this pump but find it expensive new and hard to find on eBay. I need to buy my own pump by the first week of January.

I know the Medela Swing pump is a similar price but much more popular and has good reviews. I assumed since it was ok to use a Calyso used, it must be ok to buy a used pump. The HV encouraged me to look at used pumps online.

So tonight I won an eBay auction for a used Medela Swing and set to googling which new parts I need to buy for hygiene reasons. I found out that the Swing is an open system, which means milk can go up the tubing into the machine and it's impossible to sterilise the inside of the machine. Apparently you should never use a used Medela Swing. The Ardo is a closed system, so it's ok to buy a used one as long as you replace the pump set.

On one hand I feel so stupid and feel really funny about this pump that I've already paid for. On the other hand I know lots of people buy second hand Medela Swing pumps online and have no problems.

What is the reasonable thing to do? Buy a new pump? Replace all the tubing and sterilisable parts of the Swing and accept a small risk?

I have a medela swing and cannot work out how any milk could get anywhere that you can't clean ... Can you explain?

This blog entry has photos. It's this that freaked me out. It looks like her example of a closed system is the Ardo I'm using.

How much milk goes back up the tubing? Does it ever visibly get into the machine?

That sounds quite scary. I'm not quite convinced , although I suppose it is theoretically possible.

I've never seen milk in my tubing ...

I used an Ameda Lactaline, which is a closed system & I'd recommend as being an effective pump.

Perhaps you could contact the eBay seller. & cancel your bid - maybe they could offer a 2nd chance to someone else who bid on it?

It's a bit like used car seats. The risk is unknown and probably very small but when it's my baby it's hard to ignore any risk at all.

Lots of cheese I already paid them. I didn't think you could change your mind once the auction is over?

Ooh - Ana, didn't realise it was you! I'm an October 2013-er too!

waves

Maybe it's just not worth the risk.

I used a Swing I borrowed from a friend and had no problems. But a fair amount of moisture did get into the tubing.

I know it's not recommended, but I bought a secondhand pump and decided the risk was acceptable to me. I used it for my DS and then loaned it out to three other people so I guess they found it acceptable too. You can get new tubing etc.

i was looking at buying breast pump and found similar info to you on open systems. i have to say it put me off the pump altogether, as was worried it would never properly be clean! if i do buy one i will buy closed system.

I'm really annoyed at having done my research after the fact. If I decide I wouldn't use it I'd feel funny selling it to someone else so I've just lost my money, which I could have spent on a new pump.

I would sell it on again and then buy a closed system.

I used a medela swing for a year and never saw a drop of milk go up the wrong tube or anywhere it shouldn't have.

I can understand your reluctance but if I were you I'd use it. Any milk that may have possibly touched a part of the machine at some point will now be organically dead anyway.

I've just replaced the tubing on my swing after milk got into it - I think there was too much too fast and it kind of backed up In the tube, I could clearly see it moving up and down in the tube as it pumped. Washed the tubing but couldn't get it properly dry and mould grew..... Hadn't realised it could get into the pump itself though (and have used this one with two babies now so don't want to think too hard about what could have grown in the couple of years between uses.)

I wouldn't. That blog was enough to put me off even buying a new Medela. The whole point is that you don't see it doing it- the blogger had to take their pump totally apart to find the insides.

Honestly, if was me, I'd try to find a second hand Lactaline or something closed if you possibly can.

Are you exclusively pumping or is it just for the odd bottle? If the latter, you might find you could try a cheap hand pump. These tend to be open systems, but possible to totally take apart and sterilise.

I used a second hand pump for my children but was comfortable with it. You clearly are not, which is totally fine of course, but I wouldn't let that stand in the way of selling it on. Take photos, put on eBay, sell to someone who is ok with that and buy a different one

It's natural to worry and we all do it but about different things. This is one of yours but it won't bother someone who is worrying about eg sleep so sell with a clear conscience and buy something which suits you better.

Take care and good luck.

In that blog post she says you can run water inside the pump unit, so presumably you can make up a cold water sterilisation solution with a Milton tablet or liquid and run that through, let it sit in there a bit and run it out again. That would sterilise it.

I used a friends medela swing, just sterilised tubes etc. if it were able to get milk into pump it would be unhygienic for first time user too. Anyway it was fine. Intending on using same pump this baby 3-4 y on. Lots of people do the same & you never hear of ill effects do you?

Don't worry about it.