Sharing Your Breastpump

Can mothers buy or borrow pre-owned breastpumps?

As breastpump retailers we are often asked whether buying or borrowing 2nd hand breastpumps is safe for mothers and babies. While retailers are usually supplied with plenty of information on sharing breastpumps it's not often passed on to their customers and many mothers don't realise the risks that can be involved.

Breastpumps, particularly electric breastpumps, are single user items much like a toothbrush, they are even registered with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration, USA) as such. The inner workings of electric breastpumps are unable to be removed or replaced and can never be fully sterilized. This means the risk of cross-contamination associated with re-using a previously owned pump can never be completely ruled out.

There is some evidence that breastmilk can contain certain viruses, like CMV (Cytomegalovirus), HIV-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (AIDS), and HTLV-1 (Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1.) and if cross-contamination of baby's milk occurs these viruses may be passed to your baby. So while saving a few dollars on a second hand pump may seem like a great idea Mum & Bubs and Medela strongly discourage re-using and re-selling.

Don't forget at Mum & Bubs we are happy to arrange payment plan and laybuys for all our products including breastpumps, and if you have a limited budget we can suggest the best pump for your needs within your financial limits. After all we're here to support, encourage and provide solutions for mothers, who just like us, want the very best for their precious babies.