sterilising breast pump?

[aprilbaby]

I have just started expressing and would like to know how often I need to sterilise the breastpump? I haven't bought a steamer yet so I'm just boiling it for 5 mins.

If I'm expressing a bit after every feed in the day do I need to then re-boil the pump after every go? Or just once at night and then wash it in hot soapy water throughout the day?

Also, can I keep adding more milk to the bottle throughout the day if I'm storing it in the fridge and using it within 24 hours?

Any advice would be apprecaited. thanks :)

[FourAngelKisses]

I always sterilised my pump in the microwave after every use, it would only take 5mins.

[steph_alyssa]

i only sterilise if i plan on using/freezing the milk. when i'm just going to dump it down the sink i just wash it in soapy water. yes you can add the little bits together and use it, i do the same thing as long as it's only 1 days worth.

[Nickster]

From memory, you only need to sterilise your pump once every 24 hours - providing it's not left out in a hot environment eg. summer where little festy bacterium can thrive in it....

The ABA has a fabulous little laminated fridge magnet that you can buy from them that details how long EBM can be kept for - fridge and frozen stores - etc. You can order it online - and it's really cheap too!:)

[annb]

I would just wash in hot sopay water and rinse in hot and then leave to air dry
but I wouldnt mix the various lots in the bottle, I would use separate bottles each time or put in the sterile bags.

[FourAngelKisses]

When I expressed small amounts, I would put them in separate bottles but then tip them into one when they were both the same temperature.

[Milis]

I sterilised my breast pump after every use - that was what they told me to do at the hospital, and I was told that it was fine to keep the milk from a few different expressing sessions in the same bottle, as long as it is the same day.

[kadownie]

I used to just put mine in the fridge after I'd used it- and wash it once a day. I think I sterilised it when the bubs were tiny- but after a month or so I gave that up.

I can't remember if I mixed milk- but knowing the kind of person I am- I'm sure I would have!;)

[xkwzit]

An LC told me that sterilising was not needed at all for EBM, as it has antibacterial qualities that actually fight any bugs. She said that washing everything (bottles, teats, pump) in the dishwasher was just fine.

I would also keep my pump in the fridge (or in a cooler bag with an ice brick at work) during the day figuring that if EBM was good in the fridge for a few days, the pump could not go festy. I usually kept EBM from separate sessions separately in zip lock bags in the freezer, just because it was simple. Did this with both DDs for several months and never had a problem.

Cheers

[aprilbaby]

thanks girls!

[Natsmummy]

I sterilised my breast pump after every use - that was what they told me to do at the hospital, and I was told that it was fine to keep the milk from a few different expressing sessions in the same bottle, as long as it is the same day.

I did the same.

If you don't want to keep boiling it then buy a microwave steam steraliser. I bought a Target brand one yesterday for $24.95 less 15% (they have a sale at the moment). It was substanially cheaper than the other brands I looked at and I can't see any difference. In fact its bigger than quite a few of them so I can fit more in.