There are multiple options when it comes to pumps, but there are two main types that you need to be aware of for safety reasons: Open Systems, and Closed Systems.
Open system pumps are the most commonly found in stores, cheaper, and most frequently are the type you see people trying to sell to uninformed new mothers looking for a bargain. The problem is that no matter how clean it looks on the outside or how well the pump still works, there is ALWAYS a chance of contamination. HIV, bacteria, and even mold can grow where you can't see. Vapor from the warm milk the pump draws out (which can be seen in the tubing after a long pumping session) can get into the small parts of the motor where the condensation harbors any contaminants without you or the previous owner ever knowing about it. No amount of cone or tubing replacement will fix it. And unless the previous owner actually took the motor apart and sterilized every tiny moving piece, then put it all back together flawlessly....it is still contaminated.
I actually found a lady here who was inquisitive enough to take apart her own open system and document the whole teardown. In the process of educating herself and the rest of us she had to practically demolish her pump, leaving it inoperable. Aside from professional cleaning, there is no way to reach some of the parts she shows us without permanently disabling the components. What she found inside her pump and motor was dried milk, mold, and crust. It's little consolation that all of it came from her, but at least she knew that it wasn't from a stranger. If she were to have bought it used, that would be contamination by someone else's milk, black mold caused by somone else's body fluids, and a crust of unknown bacteria and possibly disease ( for example, CMV, HIV and HTLV-1, and untreated Hepatitis can be transmitted through breastmilk).
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| Black mold at the tube/pump connection. |
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| Mold at the cap/pump connection. |
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| Milk buildup inside the pump. |
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| Milk and mold inside the pump unit. |
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| Mold inside the tubing. |
Don't let all this scare you away from an open system. In stead, I really hope this information hits home for you and highlights the importance of regularly cleaning your pump and changing your tubing. There is no way to be certain of how well a used pump was maintained by the previous owner...it's just not worth risking your health, and the health of your baby.
The following are links to some of the most popular open systems:
Medela Pump in Style • Medela Pump in Style Advanced • Medela Pump in Style Advanced Backpack • Medela Symphony • Evenflo Comfort Select Dual • Evenflo Elan Single • Evenflo Elan Dual • First Years Natural Comfort Double • First Years Easy Comfort • FirstFirst Years miPump Deluxe Double • FirstFirst Years miPump Double • FirstFirst Years miPump Single
Closed system pumps are designed with multiple users in mind. They are built with a barrier between the tubing and pump system to prevent milk and vapor from getting into the motor. This is the kind that hospitals use, and they can be more expensive, but if you plan on selling it when you're done this is the best option. The following are links to some of the more popular closed system pumps:
Avent ISIS iQ Duo • Ameda Elite • Ameda Purely Yours • Ameda Purely Yours w/carryall • Ameda Purely Yours w/backpack • Playtex Embrace • Bailey Medical Nurture III • Evenflo Comfort Select Dual • First Years Natural Comfort Double • Lansinoh Double Electric • Avent ISIS iQ Uno • Avent ISIS iQ Uno Complete • First Years Natural Comfort Single • Medela Swing • Hygeia EnDeare • Hygeia EnJoye-LBI • Hygeia EnJoye-EXT • Hygeia EnJoye-EPS
So those are the facts that drive my decision to avoid used pumps, but after finding that used pumps can be so risky, I was also curious on what the FDA said about the subject of buying and selling used pumps. Here's a statement from them:
"The FDA does not regulate the sale of individual breast pumps by individuals to other individuals. Rather, we regulate these medical devices when they are in interstate commerce. We have not said that this practice is legal or illegal. Instead, we have the following position, which recommends that if the pump cannot be adequately disinfected between uses by different mothers, that the pump not be used by different mothers."
"FDA advises that there are certain risks presented by breast pumps that are reused by different mothers if they are not properly cleaned and sterilized. These risks include the transmission of infectious diseases or the risk of improper function. FDA believes that the proper cleaning and sterilization of breast pumps requires the removal of any fluid that has entered the pumping mechanism itself. If proper sterilization of the breast pump can not be achieved, FDA recommends that it not be reused by different mothers."
Now, you may have heard that using any product reviewed by the FDA in any way other than recommended is illegal...and you're partly right. Stores and boutiques are restricted from participating in the buying/selling of used single-user pumps, but private sales aren't restricted by federal law. Some states, however, have taken it upon themselves to regulate private sales of single-user breast pumps, so if you find yourself looking to buy or sell PLEASE check your state laws to make sure it's a legal transaction. (If you're in Canada you can go ahead and cross used off your list because it is ILLEGAL there.)
Basically, while it is legal unless otherwise deemed by your state, you need to take into consideration the tiny person in your charge. Whether you are a buyer or seller, you can not go into a used pump transaction lightheartedly. As a parent and as a seller you are responsible for the risk of endangering the health, possibly even the life, of the infant you're intending to benefit from this machine.
http://milkshare.birthingforlife.com/donorscreening
http://www.breastpumpcomparisons.com/breast-pump-specs.html
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/ConsumerProducts/BreastPumps/default.htm
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