<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>You brought up a point that I've been wondering about...I'm amazed at all
>of the moms I've had contact with lately who are exlusively pumping!  Can
>anyone explain this phenomenon to me?  Why is this happening?
>

I don't know if I can explain why so many moms are going this route, but I
myself would like to think that most of these moms are choosing this
instead of feeding formula, not instead of breastfeeding.  But I could be
wrong.  I've been exclusively pumping for my 8-month-old since
October/November in order to heal up severely traumatized and infected flat
nipples, and we were never able to establish a pain-free latch again.  I
had no idea at the time that it was even an option for me, (I always
desperately hoped that I would nurse again and had no intention of EPing
long-term), but my LC convinced me that it was certainly possible.  I've
found numerous resources and support online, and feel that this has been a
big part of my success so far.  It almost seems like a phenomenon that as
more and more moms hear about it, it will become increasingly common. I
regularly encounter people who have never heard of this, and I hope that by
my "talking it up" they will be able to mention it to others who might
consider it as an option if they're not able or willing to nurse.

I still don't quite know how I feel about moms who choose to do so instead
of nursing directly; I feel insanely jealous that they *could* breastfeed
and very resentful that they choose not to.  But I also recognize what a
HUGE hassle it is to EP and admire their dedication in providing mm for
their little ones even though it's not the ideal way.  And as far as the
breastfeeding vs. breastmilkfeeding designation...  I haven't really
figured out what feels right to me.  A couple of my physicians and many of
my friends refer to what I do as breastfeeding, but that doesn't quite ring
true to me.  I joke that I "have to go milk myself" and I call it "booby
snack in a bottle" or "lapte" (Romanian for milk) when talking to my son,
but I admit that "breastmilkfeeding" seems a little awkward.  A couple moms
on a listserv I read refer to it as B.O.O.B. (breastmilk out of bottle),
which I thought was kind of clever. :)

-Sarah Reece-Stremtan M.D. (currently working on a CLE course since I
learned almost nothing about breastfeeding during medical school)

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