Years ago I rented a large double electric, well known brand of pump
for my preemie. After weeks of pumping,, I discovered it was really
gross and moldy! I don't remember exactly what happened . But I do
remember  that  there was an overflow bottle between the collection
bottle and the pump that was designed to catch any splashing so that
milk could not be sucked into the pump. Well I was also  instructed to
boil the tubing once a day. This  left a lot of condensation that could
be sucked into the pump. I was using the overflow bottle right next to
the collection bottle (where it made sense to me)  It should have been
right before the pump , with long tubing between  it and the collection.
I must not have been the only one doing this because when I took it back
to the medical supply store we had rented it from  they were as
horrified  as I was to see that all their pumps were that way! We had
very little help setting that thing up  No LC around here. Instructions
were not clear. I believe the manufacturer has changed some things with
these pumps and the supply store changed  their instructions and
cleaning procedure. I don't know enough about the suck blow mechanism of
the pumps to know if there was a potential for my milk to be
contaminated by this but I do know it was one more traumatic experience
in an already nightmarish situation.!

 Now if this can happen on the big guns it probably can happen on the
little guys.
If there is a potential for fluid to get into the motor of the little
pumps then  they really aren't  safe for one mom and baby because of the
bacteria that grow in any warm moist place. And this has nothing to do
with familiar or unfamiliar germs.

Some pumps may indeed be safe for resale and some not safe for one user.
I really don't think the FDA has studied this as carefully as is
necessary.

Mary Graden
Idaho Falls, Idaho

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