pump cleaning away from home?

[SSM]

Hi,

I will be pumping at work once a week, about three times a day. I will not have access to any sterilizing equipment. How should I clean the pump after each use. Will washing with hot water be sufficient or should I just keep it without washing and hope that the breastmilk will keep it OK, as I will be packing it in a thermal bag with an icepack

Please advice. Thanks

[Niki&Isaac]

I would say, wash it then pour freshly boiled water over it, my midwife told me to do dummies like this as the steam steriliser is so much hassle just to do a few dummies.   

[SSM]

I will not have access to boiling water, only hot water from the tap

[Niki&Isaac]

Ah. Ok. Erm... How old is Baby?

[SSM]

He will be 12 weeks when I go back to work

[Niki&Isaac]

I'm sorry, i don't know what to suggest (i'm a newbie Mum myself). I hope one of the ladies can help x

[RachelC]

I used to leave mine out at room temp when I knew I was going to pump later.  Not entirely sure if it was the *best* thing.... but I know you're talking about 11-3, it should be fine.

[tylersmommy]

Medela sells these great sterilizing wipes now for their pump parts. They're specifically for when soap and water aren't available. I'm not sure where you are...the wipes are easy to find here in the US. Medela also sells sterilizing bags that can go in the microwave. If neither of those work, plain old soap and water should be fine!

[Samuel's mum]

From what I've read - because of breastmilk's natural antibacterial properties - during a day it's fine to 'wet bag' it and place it in a fridge ( in fact room temp is also safe believe it or not).

11-3 I think would certainly be fine to just 'wet bag'.

But obviously you should do what you feel comfortable with.

[Niki&Isaac]

When you think about it.... Do African tribeswomen go crazy over sterilizing everything? We don't sterilize our boobs so maybe the 'civilized' world shouldn't be so obsessed either?  As someone said, do what you feel is right x

[jbepko]

Here's what I did from birth until I stopped pumping around 14 months for both. Rinse attachments really well at sink with warm/hot water and wipe clean with paper towels until next pumping session. THen at night wash just like dishes and pack bags. This is where I got smart with second baby and bought about three sets of pumping supplies so if I became lazy I always had extras. If I was running the dishwasher- I threw them in. I changed the white membranes when I thought about it. I used hte Medela sterilizing bags about every other weekend. Never sterilized a single thing outside of the Medela bags b/c I am just too darn lazy!

[bethann]

Medela sells these great sterilizing wipes now for their pump parts. They're specifically for when soap and water aren't available. I'm not sure where you are...the wipes are easy to find here in the US. Medela also sells sterilizing bags that can go in the microwave. If neither of those work, plain old soap and water should be fine!

I used both these products daily. awesome inventions if you ask me.  i also did the "just throw them in the fridge, "horn and all" till the next pump (although the milk would always find it's way out of the container.  Or I would just wash w/ soap & hot water.  It's a pain, but you get used to it.

[Aggs]

I think you might be in the US SSM, but here in the UK you can buy cold water sterilising bags for travel.  They are big strong bags that have the tablets in and you fill with water up to a line, then you hang it up with the stuff you want to sterilise in.  I'm sure that you might be able to find something similar where you are.

[SSM]

Actually I am in UK. The problem is that on that one day I will be in the university attending classes so will not be able to sterilize things

[Samuel's mum]

I thought of this thread today while doing some studying. The LLL breastfeeding answer book in their section on breast pumps say clearly that you only need to sterilize the pump once when you open it for the first time (if your baby is healthy and doesn't have a repressed immune system). As long as there is no possibility of trapped milk and you wash thoroughly with hot soapy water they say sterilising isn't necessary everytime!