>It is very hard for working women to keep up the extensive pumping required
>to provide exclusive breast milk.

This is a very broad generalization.  Everything depends on the kind of
work, the boss, the co-workers, the days/hours, etc.  Women in Mali are most
decidedly "working women" -- they work from before sun-up until well after
sun-down.  Of course, they also have their babies with them all the time, so
they don't have to pump!

For women who work in offices in the US, if they are able to pump and
exclusively breastfeed for the first six months, they should have
established a wonderful milk supply by that time.  Enough so that they can
maintain their milk supply while breastfeeding *only* during the 14 hours or
so that they are with their child (before work, after work, all night,
around the clock on Saturdays and Sundays).  Giving up pumping during the
day at six months does NOT need to mean the end of a breastfeeding
relationship.  During the day, while at day care, a 6 month old baby can
drink water or juice and have food -- they don't NEED formula or pumped
breast milk, as long as they are able to nurse at will during the evening,
night, and early morning.  They may find that they are overly full on
Mondays for the first few weeks, but their bodies will quickly adjust.

I never did the pumping thing at work.  At home, I used hand expression to
express milk for the two hour periods when I would be away from my child.
For the first 13 months, I was only gone for those two hour periods (twice a
day each on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first 9 months, then at home full
time for the summer).  The rest of the time, Alex was with me, whether at
the office or working at home.  At 13 months, he began day care from 9 am to
3 pm every day, and had water/juice and food at day care.  I nursed him in
the mornings, when I picked him up, in the evenings, and at night, and I
continued to nurse for 5.5 years total.

ANY continued breastfeeding will be beneficial to the child.  If they feel
they *must* provide formula from 6 months to a year, then I suggest
exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by no more than
one bottle of formula a day from six months to a year, with continued
breastfeeding during the large percentage of the 24 hour period when they
ARE with their child.

Kathy Dettwyler