> one of the small, hand held electric pumps like the Gerber, Mag-Mag, etc.
> and open up the motor casing with a tiny screwdriver.  Inside they would see
> what I used to call "dried milk dandruff".

I have heard of this before, and it is interesting to hear of it
again...  I do not have a lot of experience with pumps.  My in-laws
bought me an Evenflo pump when my daughter was 5 weeks old, which hurt
me, and I asked the company to take back (which they did) and refund. 
Hopefully they didn't pass it on to anyone else.  ;-)

I replaced it with an Avent hand pump which I much preferred,
comfort-wise.  Having looked up closely at the Avent pump, which is a
hand pump, and has no small thin tubes or anything of the sort, I cannot
see any way that it could not be adequately sterilized, personally. 
Maybe I'm missing something when I look at it, but the SMALLEST part of
it could easily be reached by boiling water, soapy water (and a small
bottle brush), etc.

Not that I claim to be an expert on such things, but for this particular
pump, I don't see how it couldn't be sterilized (though I do understand
the problem of milk back-up into the working parts of an electric pump).

Disclaimer:  I have no financial interest in either of the
aforementioned companies.  ;-)

Fio
ressource person with Allaitement Québec
Nursing Mama to Sandrine, 24 mos
and
#2, 11/2002

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