Pumping Milk for your Baby

Dr. Ruth Lawrence, professor, author and researcher, serves on Breastfeeding.com's medical advisory board.  Dr. Lawrence is a professor of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Rochester.  She is also director of the university's Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center.  Dr. Lawrence has answered many of your questions on pumping and storing breastmilk.  Look for more of Dr. Lawrence's answers to your questions next week!

Dr. Lawrence is the author of "Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession," the standard medical reference book for breastfeeding.  She was one of eight doctors who helped the American Academy of Pediatrics draft its 1997 policy statement supporting breastfeeding.

Is not cleaning my pump between sessions dangerous?

I can't always make the time to clean my pump in between pumping sessions (my company is very rigid about 15 minute breaks).  What kind of health risks does this pose?





This is a real problem. Perhaps the best solution would be for you to have more than one set of equipment.  So, when you go to pump the second time, you could use the second set of equipment.  That way, you could clean everything at the end of the day when your job is over. While human milk has a lot of protective qualities, nonetheless, it is important to take precautions to keep it bacteria free.

How many times per day you are pumping?  How long are your shifts?  If you work 8 hours at a time, pumping twice is probably adequate.  And then having two setups would work.

Most pump equipment should be rinsed out with clean water and stored where it could dry.  A cleansing solution provided by the pump company should be okay, but regular soap can give the baby diarrhea.  Be sure to clean the area well where the milk comes in contact - mainly the collecting bottle, which you fill, cap, and refrigerate.  Be sure to wash your hands before pumping, too!  At the end of the week, you should bring your equipment home and wash it thoroughly, preferably in the dishwasher.  Here, you have a non-sudsing detergent, so it is OK, and the high temperatures reached in the dishwasher are important.




 

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