Who has time to wash the pump parts?

First off, let me tell yah that washing these pump parts is the most hated job of this lazy mommy! I don't know but i just find it too tedious! It's taking time away from my boy while at home. In the office, i don't have the luxury of time to wash them every..... single.... time!

But what's a mama gonna do? Someone's gotta do it so that someone might as well be me,  since i am too OC to let anyone else do this task!

This is why i'm trying to find ways to make washing pump parts in the office much easier.

First know that I don't wash the parts after every use.  My rationale for this is that breast milk stays good at room temp until  6 to 8 hours   according the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. My own  bm shelf life is 4 hours, because of varied ambient temperature in my workplace.  Personally, if it's within the 4-hour interval, i reuse the parts.

(Disclaimer: If you have access to a fridge, play safe and keep the parts there until your next use.)

Having a refrigerator nearby would have been perfect, but our lactation station is not accessible to me. It's on our ground floor in the clinic, while my office is at the second floor.  I try to limit per pumping session up to 15 minutes. Going up and down the stairs every time is just a no-no for me. So i do my pumping business right on my own work station.

If you're still queasy about leaving the parts at room temp, bring a big cooler to store all parts - bottles, flanges, valves and connector. This can act as your mini ref so bring in a lot of ice packs, too.  Warning: This can be bulky and heavy to lug around!  I used to do bring in a big Lock and Lock cooler to store my pump parts, too! But i got lazy doing this, so when my baby turned one year old, i stopped doing this. Hence, my 4-hour rule.

When my 4 - hour rule is up, then i face the music and wash up.

Here' s my setup:

[caption id="attachment_2235" align="aligncenter" width="256"] Here are the items for my washing up ritual.[/caption]

• Clean water- i raid our office's drinking station for this!


• Lots of clean white cloth -  for drying and wiping


• Food grade container - should be big and deep enough to submerge the parts


• Chicco sanitizing liquid - This is available in most baby section of malls at P300 per 1 Liter. If this sterilizing liquid is not available, a very mild cleanser can do the job. I use Messy Bessy natural dish cleaner.


• Alcohol - to sanitize through out the washing procedure


• Tissue - to wipe any mess or spills

My cleaning procedure

• Mix 1 doze of the sterilizing liquid ( see label for instruction and dosage) with 1 liter of clean drinking water. Or add a few drops of dish washing liquid to the water.


• Dismantle the valves and flanges into separate parts to ensure all the breast milk trapped inside these parts are washed away.


• Submerge the pump parts to be washed for at least 1 hour.


• Rinse thoroughly with drinking water until any trace of soap or grease is gone.


• Never lay the parts on your keyboard or the sink, use the clean cloth as liner. Make sure your hands are clean before touching the parts.


• Air dry for a few minutes and wipe with a clean cloth.  Air drying would have been ideal but since time is of the essence here, use clean cloths to wipe the flanges, valves and bottles to try.

Bring extra parts to save cleaning time!

I bring at least 4 4oz bottles so i have fresh ones every pump.

It's actually a good idea to have spare flanges, valve and bottles so you won't need to wash these in the office. But pump parts are expensive.  Buying extra parts before the need to replace them will eat a large portion of our budget.

There! Just some tips from a lazy mommy like me.  Every second you save on pumping and cleaning  will  give you extra time to do more work in the office, right?

How about you, how do you wash your pump parts? It would be nice to hear some more time-saving tips!

Also worth reading:

• More tips for working and breastfeeding mommies 


• Office Pumping after on year


• How to serve breastmilk while you're not with baby. 

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Get More Milk from Every Pump

I'm almost one year into my breastfeeding journey. Yes, it's fulfilling but at the same time i find breast feeding demanding right now. Baby's almost 10 months and i'm actually struggling to nurse him more often. He's been getting more solids while i'm at work and his breast milk intake has dwindled.

My pumping output has also decreased. During my first months after returning to work, i pumped about 20 ounces in a 8-hour period.  Now, after six months after my maternity leave, it has declined to about  12 ounces.

My only saving grace is that i get to pump three times at work. No matter how busy i am, i try to squeeze in a short pumping session.  Every session takes me about 15 minutes but on really busy days, i only get to pump for about 10 minutes. At times when i can't pump thrice at work, i make it a point to pump when i get home.

[caption id="attachment_1247" align="aligncenter" width="225"] As work day gets busier, finding time to pump in the office gets a bit more challenging.[/caption]

Here's what i do to keep breast pumping as productive as possible:

Use a double electric pump.

It cuts your pumping session in half. Get a handsfree pump support so you can do other things as you pump.

Tinker with the pump settings. You can get an idea at which setting you can get the most milk. Sometimes i get a second letdown when i restart the pump midway through the session.

Do breast compressions.

Try to squeeze out the milk from your breast. While pumping, massage your breasts by sliding your fingers from armpits to the nipples, as close as you can to the flange. Try to touch several different sections of the breast to collect milk from different part.

Use hot compress. 

Heat stimulates milk production. I put hot compress on my breast for a few minutes before pumping.  I found this technique effective, especially during my first months post partum.

Make sure the flanges are a good fit and placed correctly.

With a correct fitting flange or breast shield, your nipple must be placed at the center of the tunnel. Your nipple should move freely and not touch the insides of the flange.

[caption id="attachment_2702" align="aligncenter" width="250"] This is a proper fitting breastshield. Source of Photo: Medela PISA manual.[/caption]

Lean forward when pumping.

The rationale for this that gravity enhances breast milk flow. Avoid leaning back as this can also encourage back flow of milk that already in the pump. Try to maintain one comfortable position.

Regularly inspect the pump parts.

Some parts - like the membrane and valves get worn out over time. If there are cuts and tears on the membrane, this may be a sign it needs replacement.

Know the local distributor of the pump. If you're using Medela, check out the Medela Moms Facebook page. I've been scouting all over for the cheapest valve and membrane for my Medela PISA. Medela Moms is  selling 6 membranes and 2 valve heads for P390. It's the cheapest ones i found.

Bring a bigger cooler to store your used pump parts.

This way you won't have to wash the parts every after pumping.  Actually, if you think about it, breast milk stays good at room temperature for 4 hours. So you need not wash the parts after pumping. Reuse the pump parts for the next session, provided it's within the 4 hour-interval.  When i'm working for just a few hours, i don't bring the bulky cooler anymore since i'll just have to pump twice during that 5 to 6 hour period.

Eat enough..... or more.

I noticed that i get more milk when i'm full. Best to eat right and make those calories count. The best foods for nursing moms are malunggay and oatmeal.

I really get hungry right after pumping. So i keep a stash of oatmeal cookies in my work station to munch on.

Moms, pumping is crucial if you're planning to breastfeed long term. It will sustain your supply even if direct breastfeeding is limited. Baby's demand will dwindle, as he eats more solids. Pumping will create demand for your breast milk, so you'll  produce enough milk.

Here's what you can do to increase breast milk supply at home:

Nurse baby as often as possible.

At daytime baby eats more solids and drinks less breast milk. So during the night, i indulge him by letting him nurse all he want.

Nurse first before feeding solids.

For babies aged 6 to 12 months, breast milk is still a major source of calories. By nursing before feeding solids, you can be sure that your child has the appetite to nurse.

Pump if possible.

Squeeze in a pumping session when baby's sleeping. If doable, pump first thing in the morning. It's when you get the most milk.

Work and Pump is a comprehensive resource  for moms who express milk in the office.

Kudos to breastfeeding moms and i do hope we all breastfeed as long as we want!

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