Hi, Nancy: Speaking of "watch your language" I guess I did not make
myself quite clear enough on the point I hoped to get across, which is that
there does indeed exist the "ideal" breastfeeding experience. And that
experience is the one invented by Mother Nature, which is exclusive
breastfeeding for at least 6 months at the breast, followed by
complementary foods, and continued nursing for 5-7 years. Now, how many
women actually achieve the "ideal"? I would suspect very, very few (myself
included), but that doesn't mean a woman cannot have an understanding of
this "ideal", examine her particular lifestyle, and set a realistic goal
for herself that comes as near to this goal as possible.
I get asked on a daily basis, by nearly every mother that I work
with: "How soon can I start pumping?", not "Do I need to pump?". I answer
her question this way: "If you're a working mom, you should use your pump
and bottles for only those feedings that you're separated from your baby
for. When you are at home with your baby, you revert to exclusive nursing,
and you nurse your baby whenever you're with him. If you are a stay-at-
home mom (and I have many), you look at your particular lifestyle. If you
are a homebody and you never go out or your baby is always with you when
you are out, you never need to use a pump or bottles. We can discuss
nursing discreetly. I cannot tell you if you need to pump or how much you
may need to pump. Only you can determine that based on your lifestyle." I
also discuss with them how humans, as primates, are designed by Mother
Nature to breastfeed.
I equate the word "Ideal" with the word "Perfection". We all strive for
perfection in our daily lives, knowing that we will realistically never
achieve it, but that doesn't stop us from trying. A breastfeeding mother
should be encouraged to strive towards "ideal" breastfeeding within the
context of her reality. If she approaches it within this line of thinking,
it's been my experience, she will tell me that she is very satisfied with
her nursing experience. And that's what counts, her satisfaction with her
breastfeeding experience, whether it's EBM for a year, or exclusive
breastfeeding for 3 years, or anything in between.
Pam Hirsch, RN,BSN,CLC
Clinical Lead, Lactation Services
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital
Barington, IL USA
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