To add to the mom who pumped for 6 months and quit because (we think) the doc
told her the breastmilk was best for 6 months.

I had a mom returning a pump the other day - she stated the doc had told her
that breastmilk was best for the baby for 6 months (it had been a preemie, but
she had started breastfeeding also). She had breastfed and pumped for 4 months.
Now her milk supply - in the freezer - would carry her baby through his 6 month
birthday, so she was going to stop breastfeeding and pumping!

We discussed the fact that the live cells were not in the milk she had frozen,
and that as she now has all that frozen milk she has no need to continue pumping
at work, but that she if she continued to breastfeed when she was home, she
would reap the true benefits of breastfeeding - closeness, resting at night with
baby instead of getting up to give bottles, and infection protection.  She
returned the pump - but planned to continue breastfeeding.  Would a pump rental
station in a drug store given her that information?  I doubt it.

Jeanette Panchula, BA-SW, LLLL,  IBCLC, RN
Puerto Rico
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