Val,
It is amazing how differently hospitals in the states do things. When I
worked there, every time a mom needed any bf supply, she paid for it
(shield, pumping set-up, shells etc.) Much of what she paid for she would
only be using a week or two.  But even the manufacturers there don't
recommend sterilization and reuse.

In other parts of the world we do things differently, but our stateside
colleagues often have a hard time understanding the rationale we follow.
For example, a ped. I work with here in Lima, Peru wants me to bring back
an SNS and maybe some extra tubing when I go to Florida for a conference in
Sept. To him it makes absolutely no sense to buy several kits when we can
buy one and sterilize it, after all, moms generally don't need them for
very long.  We are just dealing with a very different mentality than exists
in the states.

Best wishes for your ongoing work on the other side of the world.
Glenni Lorick, BSE, IBCLC
Lima Peru
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