First thing I do when entering a mothers home (I do not have a practice room, only visit moms at their homes) Is to thouroughly wash my hands at her sink with the soap she has available and dry with her towel. When I do need to go inside the childs mouth (eithr examining or for suck evaluation) I may wash again and/or use an alcohol whipe and do the ''nailpolish-dry-routine'' untill the alcohol smell has evaporated. Note that I usually work with otherwise healthy term newborns or older infants. I do use covering (finger cot, non-strile, non-powdered) when the skin of my finger is not intact. For the occasional visit with mom/infant in hospital (as external consultant) I use whatever precautions are protocol in the facility I am visiting.
I advice moms to sterilise (in any way available in their homes) equipment that wil be in contact with breast, milk and/or baby's mouth before first use and to run it in the dishwasher once a day after that.
When I handle milk for testing I do not take any extra precautions (milksample is not to be used for food after testing), unless I have lesions on my hands, in which case I will use gloves for my own protection.

Warmly,

Gonneke, IBCLC in PP, LC lecturer in Southern Netherlands



--- On Sat, 9/25/10, Katherine Lilleskov <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

From: Katherine Lilleskov <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [LACTNET] levels of cleanliness
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 2:35 AM

Just curious what you all use for infant suck evaluations if you perform them. What do you use to cover your fingers? Gloves, sterile, clean, latex free???? Finger cots? Do you have moms boil their pump parts before first use? Do you boil nipple shileds when they first come out of the package if they were not packed in a sterile manner? I have heard differing opinions on all of these things and am just curious what the thinking is...
Thanks,
Kathy Lilleskov RN IBCLC

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