Happiness is a Clean Pump

Wednesday, 2/1/2017

Pumping is a selfless act, requiring precious time and dedication. One of the many important parts of the process is cleaning the breast pump. Proper cleaning helps prevent bacteria contamination, and it helps create a more efficient process.

When a mom pumps, she takes on a repetitive routine of pumping, labeling and freezing. While adding cleaning to the mix may seem monotonous, it is an important step to prevent contamination and make things easier in the long run. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a great resource for breast pump information, and features a page dedicated to breast pump cleaning.

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) also has recommended cleaning guidelines, which are reposted here from a previous blog post:

1.       Wash hands well.

2.       Disassemble the pump kit.

3.       Rinse pump parts with cool water before washing with hot water to remove milk protein residue. Residue can adhere to surfaces and provide a place for bacteria to grow.

4.       Wash with warm soapy water. Some rinsed pieces can be cleaned in the upper rack of a dishwasher. To minimize the risk of contaminating pump parts with bacteria, they should not be placed in a sink, but washed in a separate bowl of clean water.

5.       Rinse thoroughly.

6.       Drip dry on a clean paper towel.

For more information about Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, click here.