Gail,

My son was born 2 weeks late by induction. I had a perfectly normal pregnancy
with no sign of problems. When my son was delivered (12 hrs labor, 2 gels,
pitocin drip, 2 vacuum extractors and a broken brachial nerve from OB pulling
the baby out by his shoulder) my 9lb 13 oz son  was BLUE. Apgars were 0, 1, 1.
after 10 min of trying to raise his O2 sats he was air evac'd to the nearest
hospital with a cardiac team and had an emergency procedure. Turns out he had
a transposition of the greater arteries and was not getting any oxygen to his
body at all.
No one at the hospital ever asked me how I planned to feed my child or what my
goals had been. When I awoke from a mostly sleepless night the next morning I
asked the nurse for a breast pump. Honestly I had never considered anything
other than that I was going to breastfeed. It always seemed like a given to
me. ( my mother bottlefed but was an anthropology and archaelolgy fanatic and
I was raised believing thats what they're for.: ) I even signed up with all of
those free formula clubs for the freebies - can't believe how naieve I was.
I found B.E.S.T. Fed (Linda Pohl IBCLC-owner) after I was discharged and
rented a pump. To this point no one ever encouraged me to BF baby. Linda's
staff did. (probably why I work for her now and why I plan on becoming IBCLC
myself. )I pumped every 2 hrs day and night for the 17 days my son was
hospitalized -he had open heart at 11days.  I was pumping single sided and had
very little encouragement from any of the health care providers. 1 NICU nurse
encouraged me here in Phoenix.

When we went to Calif for the heart surgery I recieved lots of encouragement
from the medical students and nurses at the hospital. They were wonderful and
made sure my son never got an artifical nipple.
Thru all of this the pumping was the only thing that I could do for my baby. I
refused to believe he was going to die- even when the were defibrulating him
daily. This was my connection to my baby and kept me going thru it all.

I feel its a real shame that I wasn't given more info and support or just
plain encouragement. Anything that anyone can do to encourage these moms is a
gift. (and if their child doesn't make it - their milk may help another child
make it.) Please Please Please encourage these moms!!!!!!!!!

Just my Humble opinion.

Cheryl L. Tompkins CLC