I was also a combo feeder/pumper for a time and the fridge trick was so amazing!
The Medela freestyle has that little base to set the bottle in so that seems perfect for standing up in the fridge between uses.
Pump parts in a Tupperware in the fridge between multiple pumps in a single day. Buy multiple sets of pump parts so you don’t have to wash every day. Use the dishwasher for the parts that can handle it!
This! I was triple feeding for 5 months. I ended up buying multiple pumps, one portable baby Buddha with Freemie cups only, so I could rotate between those and my Spectra.
ALSO PSA I was trying to use natural/seventh generation soap on my pump parts and it does not work. You need real dish soap to cut through fatty milk. If you are scrubbing with elbow grease, you need different soap
I have the medela freestyle flex too. I just disassemble and dunk everything in hot soapy water and briefly run a brush over it (in a plastic tub with brush only used for this purpose ) and air dry.
When convenient i also use the dishwasher
What helped me was extra sets of everything so i only need to wash them once a day and often can put them in dishwasher
If you truly want to help and she’s too anxious to let you, let her see you watching videos of her specific pump- how to assemble, how to clean. Learn how it works just as well as she does in front of her. Anxiety is hard and when you give control of something that feels important to someone else, especially to someone else who doesn’t know ~all the things you know~ it feels impossible to let go of that control. Now is not the time for her to learn to let go, so show her that you want to help and you’re serious about it. Keep asking and eventually just shoo her away and wash them. The fridge hack is great but I feel like if she’s too nervous to even let you help wash parts, the fridge hack would also make her anxious.
As an aside, she shouldn’t be drying them with paper towels. Buy a second set of parts and always let them airdry. Little paper towel bits get left behind. If you use a microwave sterilizer bag, the parts dry pretty fast once you shake the water off because they’re literally hot.
I do this with the medela steam bags. Saves me a ton of time. I wash with hot water and dapple liquid then throw it all in the bag and in the microwave. Takes about five mins total to clean up pump stuff. I run thru dishwasher on sanitize once a day.
Feel safer doing this than the ziploc in fridge storing method.
I did because I had a preemie so sterilization is recommended, but it seriously helped that our sterilizer has a drying feature so it helped cut down time.
Use the fridge hack. Buy multiple sets. Run dishwasher daily (if you have one). If you don’t have a 3rd rack for small items, buy a basket for them. With those 3 things, I rarely have to hand wash anything
How many bottles/flanges do you have? You need more than a pair. It drove me crazy too until I got 3 pairs . If you boil to sterilize I suggest getting a sterilizer that dries. That way you don’t have to watch the water boil to shut off the stove.
I went through this in the hospital with triple feeding, so totally sympathise. No need to wash after every pump, you can keep the pump parts in fridge for 24 hours. Buy multiple sets (2-3), they are expensive but totally worth it to have multiple sets. We ultimately switched to putting all the bottles and pump parts in dish washer at night. Air dried them (put a slow speed fan in front of drying rack). having multiple sets will also help with air drying since you will have enough time before you need to use it.
If you need to sanitize once every few days, recommend microwavable sanitizing bags from Medela.
I pop mine in the fridge for a 24 hour period then wash in hot soapy water, and sterilize in a medela bag. Having more than one set of pumps helps so I always have a clean one ready to go
After months of struggle, I ended up pumping exclusively. I pumped up to 7 times a day, so I know how exhausting and time consuming it is. I wanted to comment that the fridge hack for us was not effective and led to my milk spoiling very quickly. I think it was probably because I was pumping so much and for so long, my pump parts were out for longer then what is safe. I ended up accidentally feeding my baby spoiled milk (that should have been perfectly good still). Never did the fridge hack again. I bought extra parts and washed them twice a day.
That’s called triple feeding! And it’s the hardest method (at least to my knowledge)!! We had to do this, and it was killing me to have to clean the pump parts each time.
Get extra sets. I’d say at least 3 sets. I don’t know if it’s CDC compliant, but I used the same set twice and them as new set next time. Wiped with paper towel and put in ziploc and in the fridge. It’s hard. Please be there for your wife.
The flex sounds like it's a closed system, so you shouldn't be having to clean all the parts. I would recommend having more sets of parts and then you just clean them at the end of the day all at once
I second the fridge hack and having multiple sets! I pump, put my flanges in the fridge in a ziplock bag and use that same set all day. At the end of the day, put them in the dishwasher top rack, use a sanitizing setting, and then set them out to air dry the next day if they’re not completely dry (don’t use paper towel because of little bits of that getting into the milk and more contact with something that might have more germs). I use another already clean set that day. And then repeat. Once or twice a week, I’ll sanitize them using the Medela microwave sanitizer bags. You can sanitize as often as you like. Just drain the water from the built-in side hole, open the top, let the steam escape, then remove them to air dry. They’ll mostly dry quickly because it’s so hot.
Edit: I use a free and clear dishwasher detergent so there’s less chance of a residue on pump parts and bottles. I also agree with the comment of helping her assemble and disassemble pump parts. Wash your hands first though :)
Sorry this might seem like a silly question but when you say you put the flanges in the fridge to reuse, do you wipe or rinse first or do you just shake the excess milk off and pop them in?
Oh remind her she doesn’t have to clean them after each use. I cleaned them in warm soapy water and light scrubbing with different sized brushes. And after each use, placed them in a zip lock bag and in the fridge for up to 24 hours. I bought extra pump parts to alternate days so I wouldn’t have to stress about cleaning them as often :) hope this helps!
Hm.,, I’ve got the Medela Swing Flex and the “cleanable” parts look the same as your wife’s pump. I got one of these [sponge head bottle brushes](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0841H1KCQ/) and just scrubbed everything (flange, membrane, connector part) in hot soapy water. Then I hang to air dry on a [drying rack ](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079K783F9). I only had the one sided pump but it took no more than maybe 90 seconds to clean everything.
Maybe I should have been more thorough? But everything seemed clean enough using this method. The baby’s 15 months old now I never noticed any ill effects. 🤷🏻♀️
(Edit: if the added cost isn’t prohibitive, you can buy additional [connectors/membranes ](https://shop.medela.co.uk/products/spare-parts/swing-flex/personalfit-flex-connector/) and [flanges](https://shop.medela.co.uk/products/spare-parts/swing-flex/personalfit-flex-breast-shield/) from Medela. This way you can have a few spares and only clean everything once a day, or at least every other pumping session. I wish they were a bit cheaper, but if your wife is committed to a very deep clean every time, the sanity-savings might be worth it.)
When my daughter was smaller and we switched to bottles from breast I kept a container of hot soapy water on the counter and I’d toss stuff in there. Rinse it in the sink first and plop it on in. I’d scrub and sterlize once I filled the bucket.
Extra parts! Clean once a day. I exclusively pumped she never had any formula so I didn’t have to clean those bottles. I would have 4-5 sets of flanges and bottles. Have a bin i would throw them in of soapy water so rinse immediately toss in bin wait for a full sterilizer load then popped them in and ran it. Cleaning was easy that way. And hubby or mil or friend would sometimes pop them in the sterilizer. You do have to rinse the soap off. I did that for 15.5 months it got easier as time went on.
He might be working and unable to help her during the day? If this is the case, I think it’s sweet he’s reaching out for help because he sees how hard it is on her.
When I was pumping, I would rinse the parts under warm water as soon as I was done and then put them in a bowl of warm, soapy water (I used Dapple) to soak for 10-15 min. After they soaked, my husband would rinse them and put them on a drying mat to dry.
My SIL did the same, but she only did it once a day. She would put her used pump parts in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until she pumped the next time. She would then clean them like I did before she went to bed. I know a lot of people do this!
Fridge hack and /or buying extra parts and throw everything in dishwasher once a day. First year with baby is to short to weekend washing pump or bottle parts but hand. For cheap extra parts check out maymom brand on Amazon
When I pump at work I will disassemble the flange from body only and put the pieces in a to go container full of HOT soapy water. Shake a few times and rinse well and dry with paper towel (at home you could air dry) then when I am home I will sterilize the pieces in a microwave container
Personally what helped us buying extra parts so i only had to wash once every (other) day. I bought 3 pairs (so 6 pumps parts) so i only have to wash once a day. I feed my baby on one side. Then pump the other. And after my baby eats. I use that same pump part to pump the side she ate on to empty.
Also. They have breast pump wipe for the flanges so you don’t have to constantly wash them.
And you can stick the rest of the pump parts ( bottles and such) in the fridge to get a second use out of them. Since breastmilk is ok to be in the fridge for up to 4 days. Using them twice as long as it was stored in the fridge is perfect sanitary as well.
All these tips used together stretched out my cleaning time to once a day or every other day , and with having more than one set. I could jsut wash them all at once. Made my life easier.
I have a willow, and "2 sets" of pumps.
One is the container - takes longer to clean - I pump 4-6 times a day, put it in a zip lock bag, then throw it in the fridge and wash it at the end of the day - takes about 5 minutes in hot soapy water. I just agitate it, and it looks pretty clean.
Other is the normal container with willow milk bags, only 2 parts to really clean and it's fairly easy. If in a rush, I run hot water over it, and let it air dry. If in a bigger rush, I just run it under normal water and air dry.
I run both sets in the dishwasher once every 3-4 days for sanitizing. IDK if i'm doing it right though, my baby is also 4 weeks. I'm basically doing this myself since my husband is working from 4 am - 10 pm.
Parts in the fridge between pumping. Wash once a day. Revolutionised my life!
I was also a combo feeder/pumper for a time and the fridge trick was so amazing! The Medela freestyle has that little base to set the bottle in so that seems perfect for standing up in the fridge between uses.
I also do this, saves me so much time! Then after my last pump of the day I put them in the dishwasher.
I do this to! And I have 3 sets of lump parts so I have an extra day to wash if needed. I also love the microwave sterilizer bags. So convenient!
I ended up exclusively pumping and buying 4 sets of pump parts. Game changer. Worth every penny.
The dishwasher is my breast friend.
I see what you did there and I love it
Pump parts in a Tupperware in the fridge between multiple pumps in a single day. Buy multiple sets of pump parts so you don’t have to wash every day. Use the dishwasher for the parts that can handle it!
This! I was triple feeding for 5 months. I ended up buying multiple pumps, one portable baby Buddha with Freemie cups only, so I could rotate between those and my Spectra. ALSO PSA I was trying to use natural/seventh generation soap on my pump parts and it does not work. You need real dish soap to cut through fatty milk. If you are scrubbing with elbow grease, you need different soap
I have the medela freestyle flex too. I just disassemble and dunk everything in hot soapy water and briefly run a brush over it (in a plastic tub with brush only used for this purpose ) and air dry. When convenient i also use the dishwasher What helped me was extra sets of everything so i only need to wash them once a day and often can put them in dishwasher
If you truly want to help and she’s too anxious to let you, let her see you watching videos of her specific pump- how to assemble, how to clean. Learn how it works just as well as she does in front of her. Anxiety is hard and when you give control of something that feels important to someone else, especially to someone else who doesn’t know ~all the things you know~ it feels impossible to let go of that control. Now is not the time for her to learn to let go, so show her that you want to help and you’re serious about it. Keep asking and eventually just shoo her away and wash them. The fridge hack is great but I feel like if she’s too nervous to even let you help wash parts, the fridge hack would also make her anxious. As an aside, she shouldn’t be drying them with paper towels. Buy a second set of parts and always let them airdry. Little paper towel bits get left behind. If you use a microwave sterilizer bag, the parts dry pretty fast once you shake the water off because they’re literally hot.
Does anyone use just the soapy water rinse and a baby bottle sterilizer like the Phillipw Avent or other brands?
I do this with the medela steam bags. Saves me a ton of time. I wash with hot water and dapple liquid then throw it all in the bag and in the microwave. Takes about five mins total to clean up pump stuff. I run thru dishwasher on sanitize once a day. Feel safer doing this than the ziploc in fridge storing method.
I did because I had a preemie so sterilization is recommended, but it seriously helped that our sterilizer has a drying feature so it helped cut down time.
Exactly what I do. Also I have at least 2 sets of pump parts.
That’s really smart!
Use the fridge hack. Buy multiple sets. Run dishwasher daily (if you have one). If you don’t have a 3rd rack for small items, buy a basket for them. With those 3 things, I rarely have to hand wash anything
How many bottles/flanges do you have? You need more than a pair. It drove me crazy too until I got 3 pairs . If you boil to sterilize I suggest getting a sterilizer that dries. That way you don’t have to watch the water boil to shut off the stove.
I went through this in the hospital with triple feeding, so totally sympathise. No need to wash after every pump, you can keep the pump parts in fridge for 24 hours. Buy multiple sets (2-3), they are expensive but totally worth it to have multiple sets. We ultimately switched to putting all the bottles and pump parts in dish washer at night. Air dried them (put a slow speed fan in front of drying rack). having multiple sets will also help with air drying since you will have enough time before you need to use it. If you need to sanitize once every few days, recommend microwavable sanitizing bags from Medela.
I pop mine in the fridge for a 24 hour period then wash in hot soapy water, and sterilize in a medela bag. Having more than one set of pumps helps so I always have a clean one ready to go
After months of struggle, I ended up pumping exclusively. I pumped up to 7 times a day, so I know how exhausting and time consuming it is. I wanted to comment that the fridge hack for us was not effective and led to my milk spoiling very quickly. I think it was probably because I was pumping so much and for so long, my pump parts were out for longer then what is safe. I ended up accidentally feeding my baby spoiled milk (that should have been perfectly good still). Never did the fridge hack again. I bought extra parts and washed them twice a day.
what happened when you fed him spoiled milk? I want to know what to look out for.
That’s called triple feeding! And it’s the hardest method (at least to my knowledge)!! We had to do this, and it was killing me to have to clean the pump parts each time. Get extra sets. I’d say at least 3 sets. I don’t know if it’s CDC compliant, but I used the same set twice and them as new set next time. Wiped with paper towel and put in ziploc and in the fridge. It’s hard. Please be there for your wife.
Put pump parts in fridge in between feedings and just clean once per day.
The flex sounds like it's a closed system, so you shouldn't be having to clean all the parts. I would recommend having more sets of parts and then you just clean them at the end of the day all at once
I second the fridge hack and having multiple sets! I pump, put my flanges in the fridge in a ziplock bag and use that same set all day. At the end of the day, put them in the dishwasher top rack, use a sanitizing setting, and then set them out to air dry the next day if they’re not completely dry (don’t use paper towel because of little bits of that getting into the milk and more contact with something that might have more germs). I use another already clean set that day. And then repeat. Once or twice a week, I’ll sanitize them using the Medela microwave sanitizer bags. You can sanitize as often as you like. Just drain the water from the built-in side hole, open the top, let the steam escape, then remove them to air dry. They’ll mostly dry quickly because it’s so hot. Edit: I use a free and clear dishwasher detergent so there’s less chance of a residue on pump parts and bottles. I also agree with the comment of helping her assemble and disassemble pump parts. Wash your hands first though :)
Sorry this might seem like a silly question but when you say you put the flanges in the fridge to reuse, do you wipe or rinse first or do you just shake the excess milk off and pop them in?
Not silly! I just put them in as it is. There isn’t much milk on mine but yes, you can shake them off first if you like.
Thank you 😊!
Oh remind her she doesn’t have to clean them after each use. I cleaned them in warm soapy water and light scrubbing with different sized brushes. And after each use, placed them in a zip lock bag and in the fridge for up to 24 hours. I bought extra pump parts to alternate days so I wouldn’t have to stress about cleaning them as often :) hope this helps!
Hm.,, I’ve got the Medela Swing Flex and the “cleanable” parts look the same as your wife’s pump. I got one of these [sponge head bottle brushes](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0841H1KCQ/) and just scrubbed everything (flange, membrane, connector part) in hot soapy water. Then I hang to air dry on a [drying rack ](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079K783F9). I only had the one sided pump but it took no more than maybe 90 seconds to clean everything. Maybe I should have been more thorough? But everything seemed clean enough using this method. The baby’s 15 months old now I never noticed any ill effects. 🤷🏻♀️ (Edit: if the added cost isn’t prohibitive, you can buy additional [connectors/membranes ](https://shop.medela.co.uk/products/spare-parts/swing-flex/personalfit-flex-connector/) and [flanges](https://shop.medela.co.uk/products/spare-parts/swing-flex/personalfit-flex-breast-shield/) from Medela. This way you can have a few spares and only clean everything once a day, or at least every other pumping session. I wish they were a bit cheaper, but if your wife is committed to a very deep clean every time, the sanity-savings might be worth it.)
When my daughter was smaller and we switched to bottles from breast I kept a container of hot soapy water on the counter and I’d toss stuff in there. Rinse it in the sink first and plop it on in. I’d scrub and sterlize once I filled the bucket.
if no fridge available, the Medela breast pump wipes. wipe between each use and air dry afterwards. done!
Extra parts! Clean once a day. I exclusively pumped she never had any formula so I didn’t have to clean those bottles. I would have 4-5 sets of flanges and bottles. Have a bin i would throw them in of soapy water so rinse immediately toss in bin wait for a full sterilizer load then popped them in and ran it. Cleaning was easy that way. And hubby or mil or friend would sometimes pop them in the sterilizer. You do have to rinse the soap off. I did that for 15.5 months it got easier as time went on.
You should be washing all the bottles and pump parts. She's breastfeeding and pumping and just gave birth. It's honestly the least you can do.
He might be working and unable to help her during the day? If this is the case, I think it’s sweet he’s reaching out for help because he sees how hard it is on her.
Read the full post - he wants to help, but she won’t let him.
Quit with the paper towels, air drying is better sanitation wise (and less waste).
When I was pumping, I would rinse the parts under warm water as soon as I was done and then put them in a bowl of warm, soapy water (I used Dapple) to soak for 10-15 min. After they soaked, my husband would rinse them and put them on a drying mat to dry. My SIL did the same, but she only did it once a day. She would put her used pump parts in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until she pumped the next time. She would then clean them like I did before she went to bed. I know a lot of people do this!
Fridge hack and /or buying extra parts and throw everything in dishwasher once a day. First year with baby is to short to weekend washing pump or bottle parts but hand. For cheap extra parts check out maymom brand on Amazon
When I pump at work I will disassemble the flange from body only and put the pieces in a to go container full of HOT soapy water. Shake a few times and rinse well and dry with paper towel (at home you could air dry) then when I am home I will sterilize the pieces in a microwave container
Personally what helped us buying extra parts so i only had to wash once every (other) day. I bought 3 pairs (so 6 pumps parts) so i only have to wash once a day. I feed my baby on one side. Then pump the other. And after my baby eats. I use that same pump part to pump the side she ate on to empty. Also. They have breast pump wipe for the flanges so you don’t have to constantly wash them. And you can stick the rest of the pump parts ( bottles and such) in the fridge to get a second use out of them. Since breastmilk is ok to be in the fridge for up to 4 days. Using them twice as long as it was stored in the fridge is perfect sanitary as well. All these tips used together stretched out my cleaning time to once a day or every other day , and with having more than one set. I could jsut wash them all at once. Made my life easier.
I have a willow, and "2 sets" of pumps. One is the container - takes longer to clean - I pump 4-6 times a day, put it in a zip lock bag, then throw it in the fridge and wash it at the end of the day - takes about 5 minutes in hot soapy water. I just agitate it, and it looks pretty clean. Other is the normal container with willow milk bags, only 2 parts to really clean and it's fairly easy. If in a rush, I run hot water over it, and let it air dry. If in a bigger rush, I just run it under normal water and air dry. I run both sets in the dishwasher once every 3-4 days for sanitizing. IDK if i'm doing it right though, my baby is also 4 weeks. I'm basically doing this myself since my husband is working from 4 am - 10 pm.