Refrigerating pump parts?

[nismi13]

If expressed milk can be left out at room temp for up to 6 hours, why is refrigerating pump parts recommended between pumping sessions?
I ask because I'm when I return to work, there is not enough room at store all my parts in the apartment sized fridge that everyone shares BUT I don't want to be washing parts 3 times a day since I only get 15 minutes to pump unless I clock out for any extra time... just wondering if I can leave them in my pump bag and take them home to wash each night instead.

[nismi13]

What all do you wipe? Just the flanges or everything?

[nismi13]

Ok thanks

[Widget123]

Yeah you can use wipes but for my sanity i used to bring 3 sets of pump pieces to work each day and washed them all at home in the dishwasher each night... So much easier for me. I wouldnt use reuse pump pieces that werent refridgerated because i would worry about contaminating the milk.

[birch113]

I just keep mine in a cooler with a Medela ice pack.

[nismi13]

How long are yours in the cooler Widget123 ? I work 8 hours, but the parts won't be in there more than 6 hours at most, depending on what shift I work that day.

[meladorie]

Good question. That was my logic too. I rinse with hot water but don't refridgetate. Hopefully I'm not missing something.

[Widget123]

Apr 27, 2015 8:21:41 GMT -5 nismi13 said:

How long are yours in the cooler Widget123 ? I work 8 hours, but the parts won't be in there more than 6 hours at most, depending on what shift I work that day.

Question intended for you birch113

[nismi13]

Apr 27, 2015 9:00:34 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

Apr 27, 2015 8:21:41 GMT -5 nismi13 said:

How long are yours in the cooler Widget123 ? I work 8 hours, but the parts won't be in there more than 6 hours at most, depending on what shift I work that day.

Question intended for you birch113

Oops! Thanks!! That's what I get for being 1/2 awake and posting

[birch113]

Apr 27, 2015 9:00:34 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

Apr 27, 2015 8:21:41 GMT -5 nismi13 said:

How long are yours in the cooler Widget123 ? I work 8 hours, but the parts won't be in there more than 6 hours at most, depending on what shift I work that day.

Question intended for you birch113

I keep them in the cooler for about 9 hours. The Medela website says the ice pack is good up to 12 hours.

[birch113]

Apr 27, 2015 8:41:11 GMT -5 meladorie said:

Good question. That was my logic too. I rinse with hot water but don't refridgetate. Hopefully I'm not missing something.

Definitely not missing anything! My LC said you could go 12 hours without having to wash or refrigerate. There are varying recommended times for how long BM can be out at room temp, and her research found 12 hours to be fine, so she told me to stop washing pump parts and not to worry about refrigerating. I feel iffy about 12 hours, but what you're doing is perfectly fine! At work I don't rinse, so I just keep the parts in a cooler as a precaution.

[nismi13]

Thank you so much birch113 !!!

[milfintraining]

Late to the party for this thread. I was just reading an instruction manual for a pump I'm considering and saw the wash parts after each use thing and I started wondering how that would work. The pumping room at my job consists of a love seat, chair, and a mini fridge.

If I've understood correctly for convenience sake if cleaning after each use isn't possible, either refrigerate or bring multiple sets. To clarify each set includes the shields and tubing. Is there anything else I'm missing?

As far as refrigerating, if you have multiple freezer packs could it be pushed a little further than 12 hours overall before I'm home to wash in the dishwasher? My commute now is 45-90 mins depending on traffic and that doesn't include a stop at day care. Our little one isn't here yet so I don't know how soon I'll be pumping after I get to work. I imagine that I may need to pump 3-4 times as my workday ranges between 8-9 hours. So adding in commuting to and from work and daycare I'll probably need 2 cooling packs just in case.

Thanks

[cloe111479]

I pump twice at work. I have one set that I take with me. I do not clean it in between. I pump and put the parts In a large ziploc and put them in the fridge.

I have a smaller cooler bag that I put the milk in.

[cloe111479]

Also, I use the same tubing everytime. I don't wash that but once a week.

[raechay]

The pump parts should be fine for the same length of time that it's safe to keep milk at room temp for. That being said, I would be really wary of feeding my baby milk that has been left out for 6 hours. That seems like a really long effing time. Use your best judgment here, summer is coming.

[Deleted]

Milk is good at room temperature cause the volume of milk contains enough live antibodies to eat anything virus or bacteria that tries to grow and keep the milk safe. So a bottle of milk is ok Up to 7 hours at room temp ~70 degrees. Hotter room than that less amt of time the milk is ok.

For pump parts, you have small drips of milk within the parts, which may not be enough live antibodies to actually keep everything clean. Also small amts of milk tend to dry up/congeal/get chunky/get funky faster, so then you have dried up pieces of stuff in your parts. Refrigerating the milk slows the growth of any bacteria so the amt of live antibodies can keep things under control. and Putting in a ziplock bag plus the refrigeration keeps the milk drips from getting hard and crunchy in between pumps.

Now take that all with a grain of salt, as breastmilk in a petri dish can eat a lot of really bad bacteria and kills of cancer cells, so it's pretty hardy stuff.