Rachel Kiser
Blogger | Mom of Two

Immediately following the arrival of our firstborn daughter, we encountered issue after issue with breastfeeding. As a sleep-deprived first-time mom who just wanted her baby to be fed, I took to pumping in the wee hours of the morning to meet her needs. Although I stayed at home with her full time, I wanted to know I was doing what I could to give her the best I had, and for me at the time, that was breast milk, by any means possible.

But oh, washing those pump parts. So many pieces! When you’re expressing milk every two hours, it is quite a task to stand over the sink scrubbing and rinsing while juggling a newborn. There was a litany of advice out there for full-time pumping moms, and one of the best (I thought) pieces was rinsing the pump parts and sticking them in the fridge between pumping sessions instead of soaking, disinfecting, and sterilizing every piece each session (over a dozen times a day). Genius, I thought! It saved my sanity.

Unfortunately, though, tragedy can strike through a situation such as this. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, otherwise known as the CDC, recently reported on the death of a newborn baby which was the result of improperly cleaned pump parts.

When the CDC investigated the unfortunate death, they found traces of cronobacter in the family’s sink, pump parts, and pumped milk bottles. Although it’s incredibly rare, cronobacter puts infants at risk for other serious infections as well, such as meningitis. This is, unfortunately, one of the things that lead to this sweet baby’s death.

The CDC also found in their investigation that there was little information actually available on how to properly clean breast pump parts based on current studies and science. As a result of this, they wrote their own guidelines. They are a two-page, detailed, printable sheet with diagrams on how to thoroughly and effectively clean your equipment.

Some of these guidelines include washing your hands before handling your pump, having a dedicated wash basin and brush just for your parts, and allowing everything to air dry (NOT toweled-off) between sessions.

Sounds easy, right? Well, maybe not so much. For some, the changes won’t be as much of a challenge, but for others, like moms in the workplace, it may be tricky and at times not possible. Oftentimes women are left washing their pump parts at the community kitchen sink in the office, or in the bathroom. There is not always access to a level, sanitary place to leave parts drying all day long, either. For the average mom who is torn between work and family, but is also trying to provide her baby with the best possible nourishment, this is an emotional and physical challenge.

As always, we are grateful to live in an age of information and solid facts on how to raise our families the best way possible. Women are in need of support and gentle help when they find themselves in an involved and time-consuming stage of life. Hopefully we are able to take this information and empower others, whatever their decisions to feed their babies look like.

About Rachel Kiser

Rachel is a wife and mother living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She’s a fan of good coffee, wearer of gray t-shirts, and is constantly starting books she will never finish. Her family is her joy, and she loves to engage with other moms and dads on matters of parenting. Her blog posts have also been featured on the Today Show Parenting Blog and Scary Mommy.

View all posts by Rachel Kiser here.