Hygiene while expressing milk

Hand hygiene

Dirty hands — and even seemingly clean hands — can carry many microorganisms, especially bacteria. To prevent these from entering the breast milk, thorough hand hygiene is essential.

Preparation

Before setting up your equipment and starting to express milk, you must wash your hands thoroughly. This removes up to 90% of microorganisms present on the skin.

Steps for proper hand hygiene

• Use running water and liquid soap.
• Dry your hands with clean materials such as paper tissues, a clean towel, kitchen roll, or paper towels from a dispenser.

Breast hygiene

Even healthy skin contains many bacteria, especially around the nipple and areola. To prevent these microorganisms from getting into the milk during expression, good breast hygiene is essential.

Daily care

Wash your breasts daily with running water. Avoid using soap, as it can dry out and irritate the skin.

Preparation before each pumping session

1. Take a paper tissue, a clean washcloth or a clean compress.
2. Moisten it under running water.
3. Carefully clean the nipple and areola.
4. Dry with a clean paper towel.
5. Repeat the process for the other breast..

Important: Always use new, clean materials for each pumping session to prevent contamination.