I've been following this discussion with doubt. Are we talking about mothers who
are prone to having bf difficulties or all expecting moms? In the first case I
think it might be worth trying; in the latter I don't like the idea. It gives me
the same feeling as the advise Dutch moms still get here and there to make sure
to have some bottles and a tin of milk powder ''just in case''. If an expecting
woman does not have a high risk pregnancy and is not at high risk for labour,
delivery and/or bf complications, then why bring her to the idea that there
might be something wrong with her ability to start making milk right after birth
and to her baby's ability to latch and feed from birth on? I would think it
makes mothers feel insecure and lower their selfesteem.
It has been a kind of rule among prenatal care takers around here and in books
and magazines to advise moms to expres milk prenatally for a variety of reasons:
making the nipples work, preparing the nipples, preventing sore nipples and
mastitis, controlling if mom is making any milk, securing milkproducting, etc.
We've done a hard job to educate them and the mothers that no preparation is
needed to be able to breastfeed right after birth. I honestly think that
breastfeeding should be kept as pure and simple as possible for the majority of
women.

Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, living in Maaseik, Belgium
http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac
[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html