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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