Virginia, I share your concern at the blurring of the distinction 
between breastfeeding and 'feeding breastmilk in a bottle'. It is a 
different experience nutritionally, culturally, psychologically, 
emotionally....and 'allowing' women to do breastmilk feeding in a 
bottle by making it easier has many downsides.

I saw this:

"the amendment that guarantees every mother returning to work the 
privacy and flexibility in break time needed to nurse her child or 
pump breast milk. Breastfeeding is great for the baby's and the 
mother's health, and is a big factor in emotional bonding as well." 
It's from the Huffington Post in a piece about US proposed healthcare 
reforms. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-merkley/an-imperfect-stride-towar_b_402959.html

Here, in those very words, by a US senator, is an unquestioned 
*equivalence* of breastfeeding and breastmilk feeding -  it is as if 
they are literally exactly the same.

I see this equivalence happening here, in the UK, where breastpumps 
are heavily promoted and where I have seen in the past 10 years or 
so, a growing assumption that women will use them from early on as a 
matter of course.

I am in favour of women knowing how to express their milk - it is a 
useful skill. It becomes difficult to argue in favour of women 
knowing this skill without being seen as blurring the important 
distinction between breastfeeding and breastmilk feeding in a bottle, 
but we should try hard to maintain clear blue water between them.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
-- 

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