Barbara (and all):

On Sat, 4 May 1996, Barbara Redinger wrote:

> IMHO giving a pump to every b/f  mom leaving the hospital is telling her
> what?  That every b/f mom needs or should be using a pump? and for what
> reason?  On the surface it may appear like a good idea, "instead of
> formula we give them a breastpump to take home" but aren't we still in
> some way undermining the mom's trust in breastfeeding?

I agree 100%.  It's one thing to let new moms know that pumps exist and
are accessible to them, and another entirely to suggest that they are
somehow necessary to the breastfeeding relationship.  I've often thought
along the same lines when I've heard some LC's say (with the best of
intentions) that all new parents should expect to budget money for a
post-partum consult.  What I think they want to avoid is disgruntled
parents feeling betrayed because they thought "breastfeeding is supposed
to be so cheap" and then turning to formula at the first sign of
difficulty.  But the subtle message such advice can give to new parents
is that breastfeeding is difficult--you can expect to need professional
help or medical devices to be able to breastfeed.  It's not all that far
removed from my SIL's hospital's LC [sic] telling the her prenatal class
that all breastfeeding parents should lay in a supply of formula *just in
case*.  Thank heavens we have access to lactation professionals, pumps,
and even formula when they're needed, but let's not to try convince
parents that these are "simple bare necessities."

Stirring up trouble already *sigh*,

Penny Piercy, LLLL, MOM (Patrick 4/6/93)
     from Bloomington, IN  ***  <[log in to unmask]>