Ameda was also the first to put
backflow protectors on their milk collection kits — a huge improvement in hygine standards, protecting against transmissible diseases, and preventing mould from entering the breast pump motor and making them suitable for multiple users.
Pumpables have created a handy little adaptor which will allow your Medela breastshield to fit straight to
the backflow protector on the Spectra kit.
Not exact matches
You may clean your breast pump accessories (except for duck valves, valve membranes, and
backflow protector membranes — hand wash these fragile parts separately) in the top rack of your dishwasher
on a regular dish washing cycle followed by an air dry cycle.
If you pump less frequently than that, plan
on replacing the
backflow protectors every 6 months.
See if it stays
on the air ports and
backflow protectors; if it seems stretched out at the ends, try trimming a centimeter off the length.
Things like how recently the valves or
backflow protectors were replaced will impact the breast pump suction level, as well as how empty your breasts are — but the biggest thing that has an impact
on suction level is whether or not you're single or double pumping.
The adaptor plugs into the Medela shield
on one end and Spectra
backflow protector plugs into the other end.
You will connect your pump tubing
on the other side of the
backflow protector as usual.
Unlike other two piece breastshields
on the market, the Pumpables Pro shield has an integrated
backflow protector, which means that milk can not flow down the tubing, which is important for hygiene.
The majority of personal grade pumps
on the market today use
backflow protectors — the same technology that hospital grade breast pumps use to make them safe for multiple users — so as a buyer you have a lot of freedom regarding things to consider when buying a breast pump, even when buying a used breast pump.
This means the pump kit includes some sort of
backflow protector (the UFO - looking things
on the tube) or filter between the parts that touch milk and the pump itself.