When it comes to being a parent, there are a lot of things that you have probably never thought about before. One of those things is how often you need to sterilize your breast pump. It may not sound like the most glamorous or exciting topic, but when it comes to keeping your baby healthy and safe, it's important.
If you're unsure how often you should be sterilizing your breast pump, don't worry! We've got all the information that you'll need right here in this article (sorry not sorry). Let's dive in!
Why Sterilization is Important
Firstly, let's talk about why sterilization is crucial for breast pumps. When milk is expressed and collected using a breast pump, any bacteria present can contaminate both the system and later on the milk stored in bottles or bags (yikes!). Babies have a delicate immune system hence exposing them to contaminated milk puts them at risk of many infections which could potentially lead to sick days at work (nobody wants those).
It’s essential therefore new moms must observe strict hygiene practices such as washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before expressing any milk from their breasts; cleaning all surfaces that will come into contact with pumped-out more frequently since they provide perfect breeding ground for bacteria if left unwashed (trust us, learn from our experiences), avoiding preparing several doses ahead thus preventing contamination especially during long term storage.
While hand sanitizers are convenient during outings they cannot supersede basic hand washing hence washing hands regularly with water and soap remains key (I trust #Hands&Water than anything else).
How Often Should You Sterilize Your Breast Pump?
Now we get down into the nitty-gritty: How frequently doable moms need sanitation?
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After Each Use Ideally after each use because getting rid of any bacteria that might have sneaked themselves into the system (let's oust them out!)
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Daily Sterilization In instances where it is not practical to clean between every use, sterilizing daily without fail (mark your calendars!) helps in eliminating germs that may have been accumulated.
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Weekly/multiweeky Alternatively sanitizing breast pump parts once a week or after each week of use can help eliminate harmful pathogens and even extend the device’s lifespan thereby saving you some bucks chums.
Best Methods for Sanitizing Your Breast Pump
Now let's get real about how to go about cleaning these pump accessories which may take less than 10 minutes when done properly:
Boiling
Our grandma always said boiling would kill all germs; How right she was! Boiling has proved as one of the most effective ways to sanitize breast pumps due to its ability to remove any microbial residue that remains behind from previous uses.
Directions: - Disassemble all pieces. - Put everything except for electric components in boiling water for five-seven(5 -7) minutes. - Rinse thoroughly with warm water making sure there are no food particles remaining on surfaces. - Allow drying in an air-tight container away from dirt and dust.
Dishwashers
Dishwashers offer the quickest, least-hands-on method available in dish washing history…ever!
Directions: - Specialist dishwasher baskets designed specifically for educational purposes/sanitation merchandise are readily available online. As such pack everything into ONE basket then load inside dishwasher apart from electronic devices which require hand scrubbing.
Inaccurate loading like stacking items on top of each other could make cleaning difficult but if placed “lying down” sterilizes better surprisingly!
- Set dishwasher temperature mode high suitably above 82oC and operate on heated dry otherwise manually towel-dry when done.
UV-C Light Sanitizers
Yep! You heard it, UV light to kill germs,… or deactivate…whatever it's called.
Directions: - Disassemble all parts. - Choose a sanitized surface or better yet invest in sanitizing bags which are compact and foldable easy for business than bulky basket cases. Put pieces into the container and seal as directed. - Turn on the device using remote control if applicable or follow instructions carefully if manually operated
Note: Make sure you only buy FDA approved products, don't get caught up by scams targeting new mothers without adequate research.
Commercial Steam Sterilizers
Businesses too have been swept off their feet by baby fever hence there is already a readily available means of sterilization good for medical facilities thus is overkill UNLESS your baby has special health concerns (or he/she deserves some oversanitizing pampering.. haha).
Directions: Items can be assembled straight in then fired to at least 90oC leaving them inside steam chambers until completion of cycle outlined by manufacturer then allowed cooling till ok to handle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, performing regular sanitation on y'alls breast pump saves not only money but also keeps your babies free from unwanted infections ensuring they grow just fine with minimal chances of sickness. So moms know that the frequency of cleaning depends largely on usage preferences -- daily use requires daily sanitization whereas weekly/multi-weekly sterilization would suffice for those who extract milk intermittently (Only_if_you_can_abstain). Try out different techniques presented above which prooves easier keeping an eye out for hygiene practices (hands thoroughly washed hands preferably) prior and after handling clean gear since one wouldn’t want germs hitchhiking on themselves(wink wink)