On Sun, 10 Sep 2006 13:01:51 -0600, Janice Reynolds 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>So with direct bfing, these emotions were totally in-line with my baby's
>needs: First total attention to baby and pushing away everything else, then
>sleepiness to entice me to sit (or lay down) and nurse long and leisurely.
>
>I can't imagine how this would all be jumbled when letting down for a pump.
>I would think moms would probably end up pumping while baby is either happy
>or sleepy, so they would not be interrupted. And she'd probably force
>herself to get back to chores after pumping rather than having a nap, as 
her
>hormones would be telling her to. After baby signals to be fed, Mom would
>still be left in the alert and aggitated phase after feeding bottle.   Baby
>would then be sleeping and she'd get back to doing chores etc. When would
>she rest.


Ah yes, one of the logistical issues of exclusive pumping -- WHEN to 
actually sit down and pump?  I remember *one* time laying my crying baby 
(but just-fed, changed, and cuddled) on the bed in our bedroom so I didn't 
have to hear him cry while I sat in the living room and pumped and cried 
myself.  Pumping was usually quite painful after the tissue damage I'd 
incurred in my early attempts to nurse, and I needed to be in the right 
frame of mind in order to deal with it.  Luckily, my son was for the most 
part an easy-going little guy who was happy to lay right next to me while I 
pumped and I never again needed to try to sequester him away while I 
extracted his next meal.  But I honestly don't know if I'm willing to pump 
like that again for my next baby if it proves necessary in order to provide 
breastmilk.  It was physically and emotionally excruciating -- one nipple 
and both areolae are visibly scarred, I continue to have vasospasm even a 
year later (though thankfully just uncomfortable, not painful), and I 
*still* regret not being able to nurse my active 2-year-old.

Lara's and Stephanie's posts were eloquent and insightful and I am so happy 
to see this subject getting attention here.  At the LLL Physicians Meeting 
last year I was met with looks of disbelief and outright disapproval when I 
admitted to a group I was dining with that I needed to exclusively pump for 
my son.  Maybe it was just that particular group of women, but wow, that 
HURT.  (And to compound my feelings of alienation, when I inquired at the 
information booth about where I could pump during the meetings I was told --
 twice -- that I could use the bathroom.)  Yeah, still a little bitter...  

Sarah Reece-Stremtan (former EPer until 13 months, and now finally 
anesthesia resident who looks forward to being able to comment on 
anesthetic practices at birth in a few months)

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