From:  Teresa Wolf Parriott  --UNMCVM(TPARRIOT)

     When a baby goes to NICU at birth and a mom must initiate and
maintain her milk supply by pumping, does it make a big difference in
when she starts pumping? I have always encouraged the moms of babies I
care for to start as soon as possible, within a few hours after
birth.even for C-sec moms. In my experience moms who start pumping
sooner are less likely to get what I think of as the "three week slump"
in milk production. When I encouraged the mom of the 12 hour old baby I
was taking care of to start pumping today, her nurse called me that the
policy at their hospital (thebaby was referred from another hospital) is
that moms should start pumping on day 2, and their "lactation nurse"
doesn't think that waiting makes a difference in milk supply. Are there
any studies or feelings on this? I often have this same experience in my
own hospital but I just wondered if I'm wrong in wanting moms to start
sooner rather than later.
                         Thanks, Tess Parriott RN IBCLC wannabe