Dear Barbara,

I'm just catching up from the past couple of days, and have been lurking for
the most part!

But, here's a little interesting bit of information:  At our hospital, we
network closely with our local WIC clinics, we deal with three different
counties in Illinois.  Here in Illinois, through the statewide WIC program,
pumps are purchased and given to WIC clients. If the mom has a baby and is
on Medicaid, we try and hook her up with her local clinic so she can qualify
for WIC and receive a free breast pump.

One of the discoveries we have made is the Medela Pedal-pump.  When we've
had NICU babies and no electric pumps available, we've given out the
Pedal-pump.  Many moms have had comparable results using them and have
brought in a milk supply using them alone.  We do try to be diligent and
swap them for a Lactina, when one becomes available, or even just give them
the pedal pump in addition to using the Lactina.

I would recommend trying one out, "play with it" and really a mother can
pump with her foot achieving even 60 cycles per minute.  Once the milk lets
down, she can slow it down to mimic baby's feeding.  We do teach the mother
how to use it to get the best results before sending her home with it.  I
think the cost to WIC is around $25 per pump, without the kit.   We for the
most part charge out the kit through the hospital and Medicaid picks up the
cost of the kit that way.  Otherwise, kits are also provided through
WIC--free.

Why not look into getting some pedal pumps for some of these mothers?  It
might be worth a shot.

Thoughtfully,

Connie Chiavario, IBCLC

Sandwich, Illinois

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