BTDT Moms: Breast pump question

MNturnsVA · September 2016

Hi ladies- Hope everyone is doing well! Almost there for some of us! I have a question about used breast pumps. I have been given 2 of them from complete strangers- I'm part of this facebook page and there were 2 women who had them and were done with the pumps and said they were free to a good home- so I took them not wanting to drag one bag and forth from work and to have on hand for extra parts, etc. However, since I have now been given these 2 pumps- I was told that I should not use them for sanitary purposes unless I knew the person who had previously used them. thoughts?? Can I just buy replacement parts and still use them? I'd hate for them to "go to waste" per say and I'd REALLY like to keep one at work.....thanks in advance!!

pizzaandwine · September 2016

If you sanitize the parts, I don't see why you shouldn't use them. I would.

asht · September 2016

What kind of pumps? You can buy new kits that have the parts and be fine.

ajn092 · September 2016

I wouldn't. If purchased from a mom on a FB group they probably aren't a closed system, hospital grade pump. But you can check on the model through their websites.

Here is info from LLL about the differences and why you shouldn't share most types of breast pumps.

https://www.llli.org/llleaderweb/lv/lvjunjul04p54.html

rock1cherry · September 2016

What @ajn092 said. I'm a FTM, but when I went to my breastfeeding class at the hospital they said not to use used breast pumps. Insurance should provide one to you for free so maybe look into that. Or check to see what brand you have and if it is a closed system.

yellowrose314 · September 2016

Dang, I had no idea about this. I got a Medela PISA second hand from a friend. She said she'd only used it once before she was gifted with a Spectra pump she liked better. I sanitized everything including the tubing (which I didn't know you're not supposed to sanitize but no condensation left in the tubes after drying thankfully). If it was from anyone I didn't know I'd probably try and sell it and buy a brand new one, but I know this woman really well and I believe her if she says no milk got into the pump.

asht · September 2016

yellowrose314 said:

Dang, I had no idea about this. I got a Medela PISA second hand from a friend. She said she'd only used it once before she was gifted with a Spectra pump she liked better. I sanitized everything including the tubing (which I didn't know you're not supposed to sanitize but no condensation left in the tubes after drying thankfully). If it was from anyone I didn't know I'd probably try and sell it and buy a brand new one, but I know this woman really well and I believe her if she says no milk got into the pump.

You can get new kits for the pump and it's not that expensive.

RG1 · September 2016

FTM but I've also heard you should never share a breast pump! From multiple breastfeeding podcasts as well as the LC at a breastfeeding course

Cricket Bug · September 2016

Systems like the Medela PISA @yellowrose314 should be fine if you buy new kits (tubing, membranes, flanges etc). At the hospitals we were at with DD they just pushed a pump into the room and you brought your own kit, hooked up and go.

Ah825 · September 2016

I'm sure it's suggested not to use other people pumps but if you buy all the new parts- why not? Money doesn't fall off trees. I'll be using my sister in laws pump that was like $400. Insurance doesn't cover that much for a good pump for me.

mamadomino · September 2016

There are some pumps that are closed systems that are fine to reuse because there is no possibility of milk getting in it. I wouldn't use something like a Medela from a stranger.

rock1cherry · September 2016

Hospital grade pumps are ok since they are closed system. Buying new tubing and parts is great, but the actual motor itself is not able to be sanitized in the open systems. Medela Lactina and Symphony are closed systems I believe.

yellowrose314 · September 2016

Cricket Bug said:

Systems like the Medela PISA @yellowrose314 should be fine if you buy new kits (tubing, membranes, flanges etc). At the hospitals we were at with DD they just pushed a pump into the room and you brought your own kit, hooked up and go.

I did buy new parts, and sanitized the crap out of the old flanges and washes the tubing/membranes and stashed them away just in case, but I probably won't ever use them.

skooterblenny · September 2016

STM here, I got a secondhand Medela PISA pump (to use as a backup at work) with my first kid from a mom on a neighborhood listserv- didn't know her, but she gave me tons of nursing stuff (bras, nursing pads, tanks, nursing pillow, pump, bottles, etc. all Free. I washed/sanitized everything she gave me... and used it all. I personally never bought into the "don't use a used pump" thing - if you clean it all and check for mold behind the facing of the pump, and there is none - it's ok to use. I honestly think it's some kind of marketing ploy by the breast pump companies to keep you purchasing new ones. I did buy a Medela Freestyle new that was my primary pump, and loaned it to my cousin when I was done with it.

This time around, I will re-use the Medela Freestyle that I got back from my cousin as my primary, and will have a freebie from insurance as a backup. All parts will be washed/sanitized for both.

I like to store breastmilk/feed baby in glass bottles anyway, so the plastic pumping bottles are very temporary, and often I use the baggies if I know I will be freezing it (like the milk I pump on a Friday at work).

miam4 · September 2016

They are plastic parts... I would buy new replacement parts even if I was getting it from someone I knew. The machine you can use without any problem (thats why hospitals rent them), but not the plastic parts.

KimmySchmidt · September 2016

miam4 said:

They are plastic parts... I would buy new replacement parts even if I was getting it from someone I knew. The machine you can use without any problem (thats why hospitals rent them), but not the plastic parts.

The hospital rental pumps do not work the same way as the pumps
most people actually have at home. See closed/open systems mentioned by other commenters above.

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