How to Sterilize Medela Pump Supplies

If you choose to use a breast pump, either occasionally or exclusively, proper cleaning and sterilization of your pump supplies are critical for protecting your baby. The process of removing and storing breast milk for later use creates an opportunity for harmful bacteria, viruses and other germs to contaminate your baby's milk. Conditions such as thrush, increase the risk of contamination from dangerous germs. If you use one of Medela's breast pump kits, following the manufacturer's guidelines for sterilizing will ensure your expressed breast milk only contains the beneficial nutrients and antibodies your baby needs.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Distilled water
• Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam bag
• Stove top autoclave

Instructions

1. Boil your pump supplies in a pot on the stove for 10 to 20 minutes using distilled water, if possible. Do not apply pressure on the outside of the supplies while sterilizing them, as this may damage the parts. Drain the water off and let them dry in the pot.

2. Disinfect your pump supplies with a Medela Quick Clean Micro-Steam bag. Add water to the bag, place it in the microwave and run the microwave for three minutes. Reuse each bag up to 20 times.

3. Sanitize your pump parts in a stove top autoclave. Autoclave the parts at a maximum of 272 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes at 29 PSIG or 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes at 15 PSIG.

Tips & Warnings

• Take apart pump accessories that can be separated when you sterilize them.

• Pump supplies, such as the tubing, that do not regularly come in contact with breast milk do not need to be cleaned or sanitized daily. Sterilize them only when you notice milk in or on them. After sterilizing, run a little bit of rubbing alcohol through the tubing to help it dry faster and prevent the development of mold and mildew.

• To prevent hard water stains on your pump supplies, sterilize them in distilled water or occasionally in a mixture of three parts water to one part vinegar.

• For a general cleaning, wash the parts of your breast pump kit that touch the breast or breastmilk in the top rack of your dishwasher. However, a dishwasher doesn't wash the parts at a high enough temperature for a long enough time to sterilize them.

• Medela does not recommend using electric or microwave sterilizers, other than their Quick Clean Micro-Steam bags, and can't guarantee their pump supplies, if you sterilize them in this manner.

References

• Breastfeeding Essentials; Breastpumps 101; Becky Flora; December 2004
• Medela: SoftFeeder -- Instruction Manual
• Medela: Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) -- Instruction Manual
• Medela: Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags -- 5 Pack
• Medela: How Does Medela Recommend to Sterilize Breastpump Kit Parts?
• Medela: Can I Sterlize My Kit In a Dishwasher?