I just wanted to make a couple of comments about the breastfeeding
vs. breastmilk discussion that's been going on based on my personal
experience.  I tried breastfeeding my first son (now three years old), but
when my milk came in, he couldn't latch on, the LLL person couldn't help
because they didn't know how to use a breastpump having never needed on
herself, and by the time my husband and I figured out the breast pump to
relieve the engorgement, David already had a pretty strong nipple
confusion.  Having done lots of studies on nutrition I knew breastmilk was
best, so I pumped for six months until my supply got so low it didn't seem
worthwhile to continue.

        (As an aside, if I knew then what I know now, I would have called a
lactation consultant, but I didn't think I should have to pay someone to
show me what I thought was supposed to come naturally.  It sounds dumb now,
but I'm an educated person and I had that opinion.  It seems to me that
LC's have to get the word out earlier to pregnant women that you're there
and it's worth the money.  Right now in my department, we're dealing with
the image of medical technologists, and how to get the word out about what
it is that we do and why we're necessary.  I don't have any answers, but I
know it's up to the people in my profession to change the awareness of
other people about our profession.  I wish I had known about all of you
when I needed help with my son, but you are the ones that have to educate
women that you're there.  Anyway, back to the original point.)

        My second son is now 11 months old and has been exclusively
breastfed, thanks to the hospital here having an LC on staff, and to my
being all too familiar with a breastpump now.  It's interesting to me that
my first son had all sorts of ear infection problems while my second son
has not had any.  The son getting the pumped milk was often getting milk
that had been in the freezer, so he was not getting any of the advantages
of the white blood cells, and there was probably loss of some of the
antibodies adhering to the sides of the bottles.  I know it's just
antecdotal evidence, but it might be worth mentioning to those moms that
want to only pump.  The other point that might be worth mentioning is that
the pump is not as effective, and I'm sure if David had been breastfeeding
instead of my pumping, my supply would not have dwindled.

        One last thought that came to me when it was mentioned that the
bovine lipids are removed from ABM.  If that's true, than ABM probably does
not contain any carotenoids as they are carried with the lipids.  With all
the studies on the benefits of beta-carotene and other carotenoids, it's
one more advantage that breastmilk has over ABM because the carotenoids of
the mother are passed on to the baby in the breastmilk.  I just hadn't seen
that benefit mentioned here.

        Is the LC from Ames, Iowa still on Lactnet?  I'd really like you to
e-mail me, as son #1 was born in Ames, and I almost called you then.  I
sure wish I had.

Donna, mom to David (8-11-92) and Timothy (2-13-95)

 Donna J. Spannaus-Martin, Ph.D., MT (ASCP)
 Assistant Professor
 Clinical Laboratory Sciences
 University of Tennessee, Memphis