How do I clean my breast pump?

Postnatal, Your questions

Marie, I am breastfeeding my one-month-old baby, and I pump my milk to store it. I don’t really know how to properly wash my breast pump and bottles that I use to avoid transmitting microbes to my baby. What do I need to do? Thank you, and I love all you do for us! Marianne


Excellent question, Marianne. It’s important that your breast pump and bottles are properly cleaned. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, because each company suggests different ways to clean their products. Properly cleaning these tools can avoid possible infections such as thrush (candida, fungal infections).

The first thing you need to do is to rinse your breast pump or bottle with cold water after using it. This helps avoid the build-up of milk residue. Don’t use hot water because it might cook the milk and create zones that can be easily infected with microbes. 

For your breast pump, you can rinse it each time you use it, then in the evening, you can wash your breast pump parts with soapy water and then rinse with hot tap water to finish. A breast pump should not be sterilised frequently with boiling water, as the components may be damaged over time. 

For your bottles, you should start with a cold rinse, but you should sterilise them until your baby is four months old. You can sterilise the bottles in a pot with boiling water, in high-temperature dishwashers, in a steriliser made for this, or in a sterilisation bag in the microwave. You can choose the way you find best.

I hope this helps Marianne!

Talk soon,

Marie

The Baby Expert

Discover our videos

Subscribe to a monthly or quarterly package now to access full videos.

Preparing your Stay in the Hospital

Preparing your Stay in the Hospital

Who will go with you to the hospital? What papers do you need to fill in before admission? What is
Pregnancy Monitoring

Pregnancy Monitoring

Did your pregnancy test come back positive? Congratulations! Now, what are the stages and exams that will lead you down
Bathing a Newborn

Bathing a Newborn

You might feel insecure giving a newborn a bath. Marie demonstrates a newborn bath massage with baby Romain. After watching
Domestic Animals and Pregnancy

Domestic Animals and Pregnancy

Isabelle Dion, a veterinarian, explains how to prepare your cat and dog for the arrival of your baby. You can

Discover other articles

Fungal Infections

Fungal Infections

Did you read the previous part about seborrheic dermatitis? Avez-vous lu la partie précédente sur la dermatite séborrhéique? When talking about fungal infections and babies,
Advice from a Pro: Preventing Baby Cardiac Arrest

Advice from a Pro: Preventing Baby Cardiac Arrest

What are the preventive tips and advice to limit the risk of baby cardiac arrest?
What is liniment used for?

What is liniment used for?

Marie, a friend of mine talked about using liniment-based cream to clean and protect my one-month-old baby’s buttocks from rash and other irritations. What do
Diet While Pregnant

Diet While Pregnant

Did you read the first part? Eating Well for a Healthy Pregnancy? A pregnant woman doesn’t have to eat for two! That’s a timeless myth.

How do I clean my breast pump?

Par Marie Fortier Temps de lecture: 1 min
0