Breast Pump Donation

[Anonymous]

I recently purchased a Medela Pump In Style Hands-free pump and used it only one time. It just wasn't for me. I know sharing pumps is not recommended, but I'd love to be able to donate to someone in need if possible. Any local ideas? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

The pump would be fine, just not the accompanying flanges/cords/etc. Hospitals rent pumps all the time. You can buy the extras for cheap, but the pump is expensive. I hope it goes to someone that can use it.

[Anonymous]

If it is a closed system you absolutely can donate and people can buy the extra parts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ignore PP. PP is either not a mom, or not somebody desperately in need of a pump but couldn't afford one.

I'm bumping in hopes that somebody has a suggestion.

I am a mother and it is disgusting. No, I don’t need one and I would never need a used one even if I were broke. You are vile for wanting to give a used breast pump to someone because they are poor.

Do you understand how breast pumps work? There are plastic flanges you place on your breast, tubes that lead to the collection bottle, and the machine itself which houses the pump and motor. No milk enters the pump/motor part.

The collection bottles, tubes, and flanges can all be sterilized or purchased new as replacements. In fact most pumping mothers have multiple sets of bottles and tubes.

If the pump is truly at the end of its life, you can mail it back to Medela and they will recycle it. I gave mine away on Buy Nothing. I also received one from a friend so I could keep one at work and one at home. Women’s shelters and other organizations can’t take it because it’s a medical device, but you will probably find a taker on NextDoor or a neighborhood listserve.

[Anonymous]

No, there is a liability concern with personal medical devices and most charitable organizations will not take them regardless if they are open or closed system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ignore PP. PP is either not a mom, or not somebody desperately in need of a pump but couldn't afford one.

I'm bumping in hopes that somebody has a suggestion.

I am a mother and it is disgusting. No, I don’t need one and I would never need a used one even if I were broke. You are vile for wanting to give a used breast pump to someone because they are poor.

Do you understand how breast pumps work? There are plastic flanges you place on your breast, tubes that lead to the collection bottle, and the machine itself which houses the pump and motor. No milk enters the pump/motor part.

The collection bottles, tubes, and flanges can all be sterilized or purchased new as replacements. In fact most pumping mothers have multiple sets of bottles and tubes.

If the pump is truly at the end of its life, you can mail it back to Medela and they will recycle it. I gave mine away on Buy Nothing. I also received one from a friend so I could keep one at work and one at home. Women’s shelters and other organizations can’t take it because it’s a medical device, but you will probably find a taker on NextDoor or a neighborhood listserve.

So, the pp is correct, places will not take them and you are incorrect about the sterilization. They are not intended for multi-users. The fda does not approve of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pump would be fine, just not the accompanying flanges/cords/etc. Hospitals rent pumps all the time. You can buy the extras for cheap, but the pump is expensive. I hope it goes to someone that can use it.

Wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pump would be fine, just not the accompanying flanges/cords/etc. Hospitals rent pumps all the time. You can buy the extras for cheap, but the pump is expensive. I hope it goes to someone that can use it.

The ones hospitals rent are hospital grade and not one that would be what op has.

[Anonymous]

People post breast pumps on my Buy Nothing group and my local moms group and there are always takers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People post breast pumps on my Buy Nothing group and my local moms group and there are always takers.

They must be unaware.

[Anonymous]

Not sure but maybe some people want them for reasons other than the usual. A used one would be fine in that case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People post breast pumps on my Buy Nothing group and my local moms group and there are always takers.

I’d have to draw the line somewhere. That is unsanitary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pump would be fine, just not the accompanying flanges/cords/etc. Hospitals rent pumps all the time. You can buy the extras for cheap, but the pump is expensive. I hope it goes to someone that can use it.

The ones hospitals rent are hospital grade and not one that would be what op has.

Hospital grade doesn’t really mean anything. It is whether it’s an open vs. closed system pump that matters for sanitization purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People post breast pumps on my Buy Nothing group and my local moms group and there are always takers.

They must be unaware.

I am very much aware and still rock my used pump. Of all the risks in life, milk from a thoroughly cleaned pump was one of the lower risk things my newborn experienced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pump would be fine, just not the accompanying flanges/cords/etc. Hospitals rent pumps all the time. You can buy the extras for cheap, but the pump is expensive. I hope it goes to someone that can use it.

The ones hospitals rent are hospital grade and not one that would be what op has.

Hospital grade doesn’t really mean anything. It is whether it’s an open vs. closed system pump that matters for sanitization purposes.

This is correct. The pumps rented from hospitals, such as the Madela Symphony, are closed systems, which is why they can be used by multiple people. Some non-hospital grade pumps are also closed systems, but many (most?) are not. When I used a Madela pump in style pump years ago, my milk backed up through the tubes and into the pump.