In the US, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates breast pumps as Class II medical devices. The FDA has a website dealing with breast pumps, and answers the question regarding used breast pumps as follows:

"Only FDA cleared, hospital-grade pumps should be used by more than one person. With the exception of hospital-grade pumps, the FDA considers breast pumps single-use devices. That means that a breast pump should only be used by one woman because there is no way to guarantee the pump can be cleaned and disinfected between uses by different women."

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/ConsumerProducts/BreastPumps/default.htm

All pumps can be checked with the FDA to see if the pump is an approved medical device at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/devicesatfda/index.cfm?st=HGX%20or%20HGY

I am also concerned that a pump's motor has a limited life span. Personal use pumps are not designed for heavy used by multiple mothers. As the motor wears out it becomes less efficient and I grow concerned that this would put the milk supply in jeopardy if a mother is depending on a previously used pump to maintain her milk supply. I have worked with too many mothers who have received a used personal use pump and wound up with milk supply issues.

We have several issues to be concerned about- pathogen transfer, worn down motors, and milk production issues. Is the used pump really worth it?

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

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