I've worked at two different hospitals on the OB floors as a tech/ postpartum nurse and lactation counselor. That includes working labor and delivery, postpartum, neonatal intensive care unit and well newborn nursery.  

The antibacterial agent triclosan was in all the soaps made available for the staff. I was washing my hands before and after touching every single baby sometimes 15-20 babies (in the nursery) in a 12 hour shift. Remember babies would need to be touched multiple times, to be assessed, to be comforted, to be picked up and held, to be changed, and to be fed multiple times a night. I became nervous and researched triclosan when we got an email from infection control explaining how we are using triclosan in the hospital basically because we sort of have to for the prevention of nosocomial infections, but that at home we shouldn't be buying soaps that are antibacterial (containing triclosan) because the frivolous use contributes to the strengthening of superbugs like MRSA.

Once I decided that I really didn't want to be exposed to this if I didn't have to, I called infection control and asked if I could use the soap that was made available for the babies for my hands. They said yes. One hospital used castille and one hospital used the 'yellow bottle.'

So that's one concern about using the hospital handsoap on the pumps. Asking for dish liquid for the rooms of moms who pumped wouldn't have worked at the hospitals where I worked. Neither did buying a giant bottle of detergent and bringing them a cup of it; this was a no-no with infection control, we tried to do it as well with shampoo for moms and infection control slapped our hands and the bulk bottles were thrown away. I kept little samples bottles of shampoo in my locker that I came across for free or cheap for moms who forgot to bring shampoo, just to give you an idea of how 'just asking administration for supplies' doesn't come to fruition and how we had to cope. I'd like to side note that this may be painting a picture of this hospital as horrible and cheap, when it really wasn't; just want to mention that, dish detergent and shampoo are the only things, supply-wise that I can think of that were frustrating about budget cuts. I know they are trying to keep a business running and have to cut costs where they can. 

So I would bring them castile for their pump or I would suggest a family member/ support person bring some back from home or a nearby store IF they were headed out anyway. If they were headed to the store, I would remind them that a product without added perfumes or dyes or antibacterial agents might be in the best interest of the baby. They could bring the whole bottle or a little container.

As far as using a 'detergent' and nothing else for pump parts. Well, castile can be used for body/ hair. I use it for home: cleaning tubs and counters, dishes and as hand soap (diluted). It gets all but the greasiest dish jobs done, which are usually from animal fats, that's when I pull out the big guns of the most mild dish detergent available at the market from 7th generation.

That's what I wanted to share for this discussion, thanks for reading.

Laura Dunn
Postpartum and Breastfeeding Support Services
Newberg, Oregon
http://www.lactationlaura.blogspot.com


PS Just a tip for anyone who now has a bright idea to try castile on their hair. May I suggest not trying to reinvent the wheel, castile can make your hair nasty if you don't do it right. Look up how to do it, you have to rinse it with something like a weak solution of apple cider vinegar/ water for it to work. 

Also, Dana, I live near Hilsboro, OR, but I don't serve that area. Still this mom might find helpful links for connecting to the area on my blog. I myself moved here 1.5 years ago from the other side of the country, so I know how it goes. Of course, I concur with finding local LLL, but I'm not sure that Hilsboro has one. Newberg has one if she wants to drive a little distance, links are on my blog. I have found that a lot of moms tell me that when they came to a new town, they posted on their favorite forum-type site like mothering.com. Basically you post, 'this is where I'm moving, does anyone live there, what are good resources (ped) for when I move there?' I myself searched online with my town name and 'doula' and came upon ONE doula in my town, I emailed her before moving and asked if I could be her friend and went to a play group at her house within a week or so of moving here. WITHOUT KIDS OF MY OWN! That doula moved soon afterward and lives on a sailboat in Portland, but I digress. My connections just snowballed from that one doula, but I know that doesn't always come as easy for everyone. I also had the added benefit of a little ready-made group of friends/ church family because my husband is from here.

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