For future feedings of healthy babies drinking expressed breast milk, it's sufficient to wash with hot, soapy water and let air-dry, or put them through the dishwasher. Place sterilized bottles and pump kit parts on a piece of paper towel to air-dry instead of a dishtowel, which could contain traces of bacteria.
Rinse in hot water, and air dry between each use. Most manufacturers recommend boiling or sterilizing all parts that come in contact with the breast or milk once a day. Sterilizing can be done in the microwave in reusable sterilization bags made by the pump company. (Check the instruction manual.)
If expressing breast milk, the NHS advises that you should sterilise any bottles or containers used to store expressed breast milk before use.
For extra germ removal, sanitize feeding items at least once daily. Sanitizing is particularly important when your baby is younger than 2 months, was born prematurely, or has a weakened immune system.
Cleaning Breast Pump Parts
All breast pump parts that come in contact with breast milk, such as bottles, valves and breast shields, should be cleaned after each use. It is not possible to completely sterilize breast pump parts at home, even if you boil them.
And, unfortunately, even though it may seem like a pain to clean all of those parts after each session, it's important to clean breast pumps properly, because if you don't, you may expose your baby to dangerous germs, which can lead to serious (and even deadly) infections.
The CDC and most breast pump manufacturers recommend cleaning pump parts thoroughly after every use to help protect babies from germs.
Is It Necessary to Dry Baby Bottles? Although you do not need to dry a baby bottle if you are using it right away, it is necessary to completely dry bottles before putting them away. In order to prevent bacteria growth, drying your baby bottles is an essential part of the cleaning process.
Do I Need to Sterilize My Baby's Bottles? Before the first use, sterilize nipples and bottles in boiling water for 5 minutes. After that, you don't have to sterilize your baby's bottles and supplies each time you feed your baby. Do wash bottles and nipples in hot, soapy water (or in the dishwasher) after every use.
It's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment, including bottles and teats, until they are at least 12 months old. This will protect your baby against infections, in particular diarrhoea and vomiting.
As a product which is made within the human body, breast milk was traditionally thought to be sterile. Several recent studies have found that breast milk contains a healthy dose of commensal bacteria; all the staphylococci, streptococci, and lactic acid bacteria that are found in the infant gut.
Wash your hands before breastfeeding your baby, especially after nappy changes. You do not need to wash your breasts. You can use water to clean your nipples when you have a shower. You do not need to use soap on your nipples.
In most maternal viral infections, breast milk is not an important mode of transmission, and continuation of breastfeeding is in the best interest of the infant and mother (see Tables 2 and 3). Maternal bacterial infections rarely are complicated by transmission of infection to their infants through breast milk.
Ultra High Temperature
This process involves heating the milk using commercially sterile equipment and filling it under aseptic conditions into hermetically sealed packaging. The milk must be heated to 280 °F (138 °C) for at least two seconds, then rapidly cooling it down.
You do not need to wash your breasts before you pump unless you have been using a cream, ointment, or other product on your breasts that must be removed first. Check the labels on products you have been using and ask your doctor for advice.
There's no need to dry the equipment. Store equipment in a clean container in the fridge or in the solution. If you leave equipment in the solution, throw away the solution after 24 hours, thoroughly scrub the container and equipment in warm soapy water, and start the sterilisation process again.
Improperly cleaned baby bottles will also attract germs that might lead newborns to be ill. Hepatitis A Virus and Rotavirus, both commonly transferred through poor sanitation practices, might infect those unsanitized baby bottles. HAV can infect your baby's liver, and Rotavirus can cause dehydration and diarrhea.
Rinse the items under running water (warm and cold water are both fine). 4. Place the disassembled bottle and other parts in a clean wash basin or container reserved just for your baby's feeding items. Fill the basin with hot water and dish (or regular) soap.
Is it Okay to Dry Baby Bottles with Paper Towels? No, you shouldn't dry a baby bottle with a paper towel, dish towel or hand towel. The reason – it exposes the bottle to germs that may be on the towel. And the towel could leave fibers behind on the bottle surface that could mix with your baby's milk.
Bacteria multiply very fast at room temperature. Even when a feed is kept in a fridge, bacteria can still survive and multiply, although more slowly. To reduce the risk of infection, it's best to make up feeds 1 at a time, as your baby needs them.
Water. Once your baby has started to eat solid foods (from around 6 months) you can offer them sips of water from a cup or beaker with meals. Drinking water for babies over 6 months does not need to be boiled first.
If you pump 4 ounces or less from both breasts in a pump session, you're able to pump on one side and keep pumping into the same milk bag or container on the other side.
Increase pumping frequency
Generally, moms should be pumping every 3 hours. Pumping more often can help stimulate breasts to produce more milk. Moms can try pumping both breasts for 15 minutes every two hours for 48-72 hours. Then moms can return to their normal pumping routine.
Pumping for working moms
At work, you should try pumping every three to four hours for around 15 minutes a session. This may sound like a lot, but it goes back to that concept of supply and demand. Your baby takes in milk every few hours. Pumping that often will ensure that you're able to keep up with their needs.