Moms who pump at work (long)

jlthompson19 · September 2010

Can you give me a rundown on how you clean up and transport the parts at work? Here's what I do now:

I pump 3 times a day at work. I bring 3 sets of shields/valves/membranes each morning. I pump into 2.5 oz bottles. Once finished, I cap the bottles and put the dirty shields into a big ziploc bag.

I then go the kitchen, where I pour the milk into a 5 oz bottle and put it in the fridge. I rinse and dry the 2.5 oz bottles to use at the next session. I rinse the shields, etc. and put them in another ziploc (I add the others as the day goes on). I then rinse the ziploc I transported the dirty shields, etc. in and reuse that to transport at the next sessions.

When I get home I soak everything in hot soapy water, including the ziplocs and pack it all up for the next day.

I'm wondering what everyone else does, to see if there's a more time efficient way of doing things. I'll repost on bfing as well.

azuremama · September 2010

I only used one set of parts each day, and I didn't even rinse them out most of the time. You can put them in the refrigerator, or even leave them out (bm is good for 8 hours out of the fridge, so the parts should be okay, too).

I also had a couple sets of pump parts. I'd put one in the dishwasher (with one of those baskets in the top shelf to hold the same parts) and grab the other set for the next day.

To me, the key was spending as little time messing with stuff for each session as possible. The more hassle it was, the less likely I was to keep pumping as much as I needed.

CHI-06 · September 2010

I only have one set. I pumped twice at work directly into storage bags. I either use the Medela ones that connect to the pump or I use rubberbands to hold the bags onto the shield. I use wipes to wipe down the parts after each session and I put the milk into the little cooler in my pump bag with ice packs. I keep it at my desk in a drawer. Everynight at home I put the parts into the dishwasher or use my steralizer.

mrs. sage · September 2010

I was pumping 3 times at work until recently, now it's 2. But I just bring one set of parts in a ziploc bag and keep the parts in the fridge throughout the day. To get me through my commute and since I have to pump one more time when I get home I bring an ice pack and keep that on top of the ziploc for the ride home. At the end of the day I wash and sterilize the parts.

I have two sets so I don't have to do much thinking in the morning. I just grab whatever set is clean and go.

cpmNH2010 · September 2010

azuremama:

I only used one set of parts each day, and I didn't even rinse them out most of the time. You can put them in the refrigerator, or even leave them out (bm is good for 8 hours out of the fridge, so the parts should be okay, too).

I also had a couple sets of pump parts. I'd put one in the dishwasher (with one of those baskets in the top shelf to hold the same parts) and grab the other set for the next day.

To me, the key was spending as little time messing with stuff for each session as possible. The more hassle it was, the less likely I was to keep pumping as much as I needed.

I have two sets of parts. I bring one set to work, I pump at 9am into 2 5oz bottles. I combine what I pump at that session into 1 bottle. I put the parts in ziplock bags in the fridge. (and put the milk in the fridge too of course!). I pump again at 12, pump into two bottles, combine into 1, etc...my last session, I use the last two empty bottles, then put all the dirty parts in the ziplock bag in my pump bag, put all the milk in the freezer bag with the ice pack (my last pumping is at 3, I leave work around 4) and am ready to go home. When I get home I get bottles poured for the next day, freeze any "extras" I have, and then throw everything in the sink to wash after LO is asleep, and re-pack my pump bag with another set of parts for the next day.

Like PP said, the easier I can make it on myself, the less work I have to do washing / preparing ,etc, the more likely I am to continue.

aocain02@yahoo.com · September 2010

I bring one set of shields and 4 bottles to work each day. I pit the shields in a Ziploc bag in the fridge between pumping sessions and after the milk sits on ice I consolidate bottles to reuse them. I go for the least amount of stuff to wash when I get home from work.

kar5162 · September 2010

I just stopped pumping, but I had one set of pump parts and would pump ~9 into 2 5oz bottles, combine the milk into one bottle, cap it and do a quick rinse of the other bottle and pump parts. Then I'd pump at 12 into 2 5oz bottles (one from the first session and one new), combine the milk into one bottle and make the two bottles "serving size" and put any additional milk into a freezer bag, then rinse the extra bottle and pump parts. My last pump was at 3 where I'd pump into 2 bottles and then top off the earlier bottles to equal serving size if necessary and add all extra milk to the freezer bag, then rinse all the parts. The bottles were all ready to go for the next day. I brought the pump parts and two used bottles home and DH washed them nightly.

Mrs.Greeko · September 2010

Here's what I did for both my kids. Never had any issues.

I had one set of flanges, valves, etc and six bottles. I would pack the flanges and whatnot in a ziploc to take to work. The bottles went into the mini cooler bag that came with my pump. I would pump into two of the bottles at each session and then just cap them and stick them in the cooler when I was done and then combine at home in the evening when making the next day's bottles. I would rinse the flanges and stuff and then put it back on the pump till the next session (my pump just sat on my desk between sessions). At the end of the day I would do my last pump and rinse the flanges and stuff and stick them back in the ziploc bag that I brought the parts in that morning. I didn't even rinse the ziploc out at night, just used it again the next day. Then at night I would stick everything in the dishwasher so it would be clean the next day.

BM is amazing stuff and can sit out at room temp for 10 hours and I've even read some things that said that pretty much nothing will grow in BM even though some scientists have tried they just can't really get anything to grow in it because of it's properties.

shopgirl78 · September 2010

I have 4 sets of flanges/bottles/parts. I bring one daily and two 8 oz bottles. I have a private fridge in my office. I pump in the AM and the PM. Between the pumping sessions I put the flanges/bottles/parts in the fridge. The bottles go to day care in the AM. I bring home two bottles in the PM and they are for tomorrow's shift. And repeat...

My freezer stash is gone and DS is supplemented some at this point. (usually only 2 oz tho)

zarapipe · September 2010

I bring one set with me, but have an extra back up at work in case I forget. I bring three bottles. I pump twice at work. I pump into two bottles then combine then into one. I leave my pump parts in my pump bag for 3-4 hours until I pump the next time. I place full and empty bottles in a cooler.I then pump into the one clean bottle and one bottle I used earlier, but then combined.

I was weirded out about leaving my pump parts out-acually in my bag, but they are only at room temp for 4 hours between pumps then I wash them good when I get home. I too figure if milk can stay out 8 hours then so can my pump parts. I've been doing this for 3 months now.

arobert123 · September 2010

I pump 3 times a day - once at work after lunch. I too aim for efficiency! I pump directly into 10 oz. bottles using these playtex lid converter things (we use drop ins) and then cap with flat lids. I use medela to-go wipes to clean up my parts after use and stash them with my pump in my office until the next use. Once a week I try to bring them home and wash in the dishwasher or sterlize in the microwave. Although I've concidered just bringing a microwave serilization bag in to the office. I tote the full bottles back and forth in a small bottle cooler meant for a diaper bag. I pump 18-24 oz a session, so my biggest problem has been finding bottles big enough to pump into. Thankfully, pumping directly into the bottle the kids will then use saves a lot of time and clean up.

njshar · September 2010

I BF'd for a year with DD and intend to with this pg, as well.

I brought the pump in every day and at first was pumping twice a day - once in the AM and once in the PM. I always pumped directly into bottles. I would rinse off the flanges in between sessions (I had the Lansinoh pump).

After a while I thought I could cut it down to one pumping session, which is exactly what I did. I would pump at lunch into the bottles. As long as I left at around the same time every day I was good to wait until I got home. I was pumping plenty of milk and exclusively pumped for a year.

Once I got home I gave the flanges a better cleaning and resumed my at-home pumping schedule.

bliss611 · September 2010

I have a medela pump with the 5 oz bottles. I use 1 set of parts and 6 bottles. After I pump, I take out and cap the bottles with milk, attach clean bottles to the parts and put the entire thing in the fridge. Only thing I do wash is the shields and air dry them - mostly because I dont like using cold shields.

I wash and sterilize the parts once I get home. Don't think sterilizing would be necssary every day but my commute is really long so I do that daily.

Bears1 · September 2010

azuremama:

I only used one set of parts each day, and I didn't even rinse them out most of the time. You can put them in the refrigerator, or even leave them out (bm is good for 8 hours out of the fridge, so the parts should be okay, too).

I also had a couple sets of pump parts. I'd put one in the dishwasher (with one of those baskets in the top shelf to hold the same parts) and grab the other set for the next day.

To me, the key was spending as little time messing with stuff for each session as possible. The more hassle it was, the less likely I was to keep pumping as much as I needed.

I pretty much do this. I sometimes will put the pump parts in the fridge. I just keep using the 5 oz bottles and fill the bags.

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Moms who pump at work (long)

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