Re-Using / Sharing Breastpumps

I want to start this post out by saying it is wonderful when a mother, and or family, decides to breastfeed their baby.

There are so many unique benefits to breastfeeding; listing all of them would be an entirely different post, (one I hope to write soon.)  By deciding to breastfeed, you can be 100% certain that you are giving the absolute best to your sweet baby.

I wanted to share some information that I have come across in my research on sharing or re-using breast-pumps.  After Ryan was born, I knew I was going to return to work part-time when he was 4 months old.  I bought a hand held manual pump that didn’t work for me.  It would take a half an hour to express 1 or 2 ounces of milk.  I decided I needed an electric pump, and had heard and read rave reviews on the Medela breastpumps.

After seeing their prices (ouch!) I wondered if I could find a used one for a lot less.  I saw them listed on e-bay, and even saw them sometimes at some second-hand shops.  Since the thought of using a previously owned one, kind of freaked me out, I started to do some research on it, and I was really amazed on the potential that exists for contamination on the “open system” pumps, even if you purchase new tubing.

On the Medela there is an internal diaphragm that can’t be taken out to be sterilized, so if there is blood in there (from a cracked nipple) or droplets of some other pathogen (from the milk), every time there is suction from the pump, these items could contaminate your milk.  That alone was enough for me, but having worked as a safety consultant for doctors’ I know that many bloodborne pathogens can live in and on surfaces and dried blood for a long period time.  Hepatitis B (HBV), is just one example. Also, some people can be carriers of diseases and not show any signs or symptoms for years- they could have HIV, or HBV and not even know it!  I was also surprised to learn that the FDA and experienced lactation consultants advise against sharing or re-using breast-pumps, because of the potential risk. Medela also will also void the warranty on a pump if it is being shared or re-used because of the legal implications involved.

Furthermore, not knowing who had used the pump previously, or any medical history of any other people who may have used the pump before me, definitely made me decide it was not worth risking the health of my baby to save some money.  I kind of view it like handing over my baby to a stranger and asking her to nurse my baby for me.  I also think on some baby items, save money by all means where you can- buy nice second hand clothes, buy diapers in bulk, or use cloth diapers, etc. but when the risk exists for exposing your baby to an illness at the very least, or a life threatening disease or even death, at worse, this was not an area that I wanted to compromise in, however small the risk may be.

You may be thinking you agree with me- that you would never use a used pump from someone you didn’t know, but it is safe if you know who the mother is, or even if she is your friend, co-worker, or relative.  While the potential risk for infecting your baby could decrease if you know the mother’s medical history, there is no guarantee that you still would not be exposing your baby to an illness or some other infection, because bodily fluids are being exposed, and there is always a risk when this happens.   

To illustrate: about a month ago, I had a milk blister and a plugged milk duct, and I popped the blister with a sterilized needle.  I pricked my nipple too deep, and my nipple bled.  I was trying to relieve the pressure from the clogged duct, and since Cole was sleeping, I pulled out my Medela pump to pump milk, from the released blister.  I pumped for about 10 minutes, and there was a lot of blood in the milk.  I threw that milk out, but who knows if any blood is trapped in the internal diaphragm?  Another example from a friend, is she knew someone who used a previously used breast-pump and had constant problems with thrush.  The mother and the baby kept passing it to each other, even though there were no outward signs of either one of them having it.  My friend suspected there could have been thrush in the pump, and eventually this mother gave up breastfeeding because of this. 

Obviously, there are people who have shared and re-used breast-pumps with no problems, but there is always a risk involved.  When my sister was looking into this subject, she was surprised that none of her pregnancy books mentioned the possible risks involved, and I had to look outside my books as well, when I was researching this. 

My goal in this post is not to scare or alarm anyone needlessly, or to make anyone feel bad about their choices, but only to raise awareness to some of the possible harmful and potentially life threatening risks involved- no matter how small they may be-in re-using breast-pumps.  I would hate for anyone to unknowingly expose their baby to a disease or illness, simply because of a lack of information.

When discussing this with my sister, she has a friend who is a nurse, who had never heard of the risks involved, and pointed out that if you don’t want to re-use a pump only because of the bacterial risk, then you probably shouldn’t be re-using them with any other children as well.  I see her point in that if you never clean or care for your pump, it will become a breeding ground for bacteria, and if you never clean your pump, it probably wouldn’t be good to be using that with any baby.  However, I am discussing passing a normally maintained pump from one mother to another and the risk involved because of bodily fluids. 

Please note that this only applies to personal use pumps, or “open system” pumps that have internal parts that cannot be removed or sterilized. This does not apply to hospital grade pumps that have “closed systems” where the parts can be removed and sterilized.  Many hospitals rent the “closed system” pumps, and their NIC units have these so mothers can pump for their babies.  Please see the Medela link for more information on open and closed systems.

Below, I have posted links to three websites that I have used in my research, and an excerpt from the articles. There is more information in each article.  A fourth link is to Medela’s website and what they say on the subject, but I did not include that in my research, since it could be argued they would tell mothers it was not safe to share pumps, so they could sell more pumps.

If you want to breastfeed and need a pump, but can’t afford a new pump, many hospitals will rent the “closed system” pumps.  It is worth checking into.  Also, please keep in mind, that even if the new pump is $250, if you buy one can of formula at an average price of $20 a can, it would only take buying about 12 cans to pay for the pump.  After my research, I ended up buying a brand new Medela Pump In Style backpack off of e-bay. It was brand new in the box, never opened and still had the unbroken seal.  The seller said she thought she was going to go back to work, but ended up not, and never opened the box.  I saved about $100 off the price of a new one, even with the shipping charges. 

I hope this helps in making an informed decision on whether to use a previously used pump, or to even give a used one out, or to re-sell it.  Breast milk is the best, and I know we all have our babies best interests at heart. 

LINKS:

FROM BABYCENTER:

https://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/pregnancygear/429.html“…Note: Though it may be tempting to share or borrow a friend’s personal-use breast pump, or buy one used, the FDA and breastfeeding experts caution against it. Breast milk can carry bacteria and viruses — including hepatitis, HIV, and cytomegalovirus — that can contaminate these pumps and pass an infection to you and your baby. Because droplets of milk can get into the internal parts of these pumps, using your own collection kit doesn’t necessarily make them safe to use. Pumps designed for multiple users, like rental pumps and hospital pumps, don’t have this problem. They’re designed to prevent breast milk from getting inside the pump. So as long as you use them with your own personal collection kit, they’re safe.To find out whether a pump is okay to use secondhand, check the packaging or call the manufacturer. If it’s designated as a “single-user” pump, it should be used by only one person.” 

FROM LA LECHE LEAGUE:

https://wwwllli.org/llleaderweb/LV/LVJunJul04p54.html  Open Systems vs. Closed Systems

“…Some mothers mistakenly assume that because rental pumps are safely shared by mothers that it is also safe to share purchase pumps. This is not true. Rental pumps and purchase pumps are designed differently. The collection kits (the bottles and tubing that attach to the pump) used with the rental pumps are designed so that the milk never touches the working parts of the pump that are shared with other mothers. This is considered a “closed system.” Most purchase pumps, for example Medela’s Pump In Styles, DoubleEase, and MiniElectric, are “open systems.” This means that the pump motor is “open” to contact with the mother’s milk particles. In a Pump In Style, for example, the breastshield (the part held against the breast) is open to the tubing that attaches to the back of the shield, which is also open to the diaphragm on the pump motor that creates the suction and release. This means that an invisible mist of milk particles can travel from the shield into the tubing and back onto the pump diaphragm. The diaphragm cannot be removed or sterilized, so it cannot be cleaned well enough between mothers to insure safety. When there are milk particles on the pump diaphragm, even with a brand new set of bottles, tubing and breastshields, with every suction and release another mother’s milk particles will be blown into your milk. Even if milk particles are not visible, they can still be there. (One sure sign is mold growing in the tubing, which sometimes happens with normal use.)

Health and Hygiene Issues

Does it matter if your baby receives another mother’s milk particles? Potentially, yes. Although your milk is without a doubt the best possible food for your baby, it is currently recommended that any donor milk a baby receives from a milk bank or from another mother be pasteurized to kill viruses. Your baby has already been safely exposed to the viruses in your system during pregnancy, so there is no risk. But if another mother carries a virus in her system that you do not, it can be passed to your baby via the other mother’s milk and your baby may become seriously ill.”

FROM BREASTFEEDING ONLINE: https://www.breastfeedingonline.com/pumps.shtml

Used Breast Pumps

The concern of buying a used pump is something many breastfeeding moms encounter. Although a used pump may be more affordable than a new one, there are real health implications involved.The practice of re-using single user pumps may be dangerous because some disease organisms are know to be present in the breast milk of infected women. Additionally, if a woman has used the breast pump during an episode of cracked bleeding nipples, blood contamination may have also occurred. Home sterilization methods are not always reliable to ensure the safe destruction of all pathogens especially in the rubber parts such as washers and diaphragms. Some pumps have internal diaphragms that cannot be removed and cleaned or replaced. In addition, even if you get a new collection kit (the part the touches your breast and collects the milk) it may be possible for air-born pathogens or droplets of milk that are not visible to the naked eye to get into a pump motor and cause contamination to the next user. Most single user pumps are “open system” pumps and do not have any protective barrier to prevent cross contamination to multiple users. Many of the diseases that can be found in the milk of infected women are very serious or life threatening. Pathogens like Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and others can be found in the breastmilk of infected women. (Lawrence 94) These diseases frequently go undetected for long periods of time, so even if the former user of the pump is trustworthy and willing to share this personal health information with you, she may not be aware she or her partner are carriers. Though there have not been any documented cases of mothers or babies being infected through the use of a second-hand pump, I don’t believe sharing single user pumps is worth even a very small or theoretical risk.

Other very difficult to clear fungal infections like candidiasis, more commonly known as yeast or thrush, may also be transmitted. Yeast organisms are very stubborn pathogens that can live on surfaces for long periods. Some lactation consultants will go as far as recommending replacing old pump equipment when working with a mom who has an especially persistent yeast infection because of the difficult in ensuring the complete destruction of the fungus even with careful cleaning.

FROM MEDELA: https://www.medela.com/newfiles/faq/preownpump.html

Personal Used Breastpumps
Personal use pumps that you buy at the store are personal care items, much like a toothbrush. Personal use pumps should never be resold or shared among mothers. The Medela Pump In Style^® Advanced has an internal diaphragm that cannot be removed, replaced, or fully sterilized. Therefore, the risk of cross-contamination associated with re-using a previously owned pump such as the Pump In Style cannot be dismissed, even when using a new kit or tubing. Similarly, the Medela Single Deluxe^™ and Double Select^™ Breastpumps have internal motors that cannot be removed, replaced or fully sterilized. Another consideration when deciding to borrow or even lend a previously owned electric pump is the pump’s motor life. A high quality electric double pump might last through the breastfeeding of your second child, or even several children. However, like computers or other electronic products, an electric breastpump has a limited lifetime. Medela guarantees its pump motors with a one year warranty. If you use an electronic pump that has been used for more than one year, there is no guarantee that it will generate as much speed and vacuum as it did earlier in it’s life. By using your own pump, you can compare the pump’s performance with each child. However if you borrow a pump, you cannot gauge its performance to ensure it is operating at full capacity.