February 2011 Moms
sbuxsweetie
member
Poll: Would you buy a used breast pump?
sbuxsweetie
member
I just agreed to buy a friend's pump for a great deal.. it's a Medela system, and it's so much cheaper than you'd ever find it in stores! I got to thinking, though.. is it weird that I'm not bothered by the fact that someone else has used it? What do you think?
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Re: Poll: Would you buy a used breast pump?
to me it's gross
BFP#1 5.27.10 DS became an angel at 21 weeks on 9.22.10
BFP#2 4.16.11 Healthy baby girl born 12.14.11
BFP#3 9.3.12 A healthy, bouncing baby SISTER on the way! EDD 5.12.13
Do you know how much she used her pump? For example, I EP'd for DS for 1 year, so I figure I have used my pump well over 1,000 hours. While it still technically functions OK, I will be buying a new one for this child because I question how great the suction still is. I'm not sure if there's a way to evaluate how well the pump actually still works, but I would be worried about the suction.
The most expensive part is the mechanism itself, which doesn't touch the breasts at all. The parts that touch the breast and milk can all be easily replaced, so I don't think its gross.
I actually used to think it was gross until I saw my girl friend pump and I realized the mechanism itself never touches the milk.
TTC #1 - May 2010 - IUI #3: BFP
TTC #2 - May 2012 -IUI #2: BFP
She only breastfed/pumped (did both, only pumping at work) for about 3 months; then they weaned her son onto formula. So, I figure it hasn't had a whole lot of use. It such a nice system. This is it: https://tinyurl.com/29utdfo
Did some research on this after a friend offered me hers. Found this online. I know it is a personal decision, but still, good to know.
Though it may be tempting to share or borrow a friend's personal-use breast pump, or buy one used, the FDA and breastfeeding experts caution against it. Breast milk can carry bacteria and viruses ? including hepatitis, HIV, and cytomegalovirus ? that can contaminate these pumps and pass an infection to you and your baby. Because droplets of milk can get into the internal parts of these pumps, using your own collection kit doesn't necessarily make them safe to use.
Pumps designed for multiple users, like rental pumps and hospital pumps, don't have this problem. They're designed to prevent breast milk from getting inside the pump. So as long as you use them with your own personal collection kit, they're safe.
To find out whether a pump is okay to use secondhand, check the packaging or call the manufacturer. If it's designated as a "single-user" pump, it should be used by only one person.
I went to a "seminar" about breast feeding and the pumps and there is this tiny white part that actually controls the pumping and how well it pumps. You can buy a replacement "little white part" for your pump and it should be as good as new. At least this is what I was told.
Agreed. My pump has been around the block! My sil gave it to me, I gave it to my bf, she gave it back and Ient it to another friend lol. You're exactly right, nothing touches bodily fluid except the tubing, valves, and membranes and I've become very good friends with an authorized madela sales rep that works in the maternity ward at our local hospital over the last few years, as I've bought parts from her several times.
O - and I'll be using the same pump in abt 6 months
A lot of times your insurance will cover a new one for free or at a very minimal cost as long as you get it from a hospital pharmacy and get a note from your doctor. I would check into that if you are having second thoughts!