I have collected differences between breastfeeding and breastmilk feeding and put
them together has a handout for parents who are considering this choice.  I don't
usually give it to the mother who are giving up, reluctantly, on breastfeeding.
Instead I find it helpful when talking with parents who decide as soon as there
is the slightest problem that "pumping is just easier."  Below I have listed the
topics on the handout.  I give more info and also some source information as
well.

    Dental and Oral/Facial Development
    SIDS
    Ease/Time savings (this is particularly crucial when there is another child
in the house
        as these mothers can really find it hard to find 10-15 mins 8 times a day
for pumping.)
    Milk-ejection Reflex (by this I mean that the mother has to pump outside of
        the normal hormonal responses.  For example, baby is hungry and fusses.
Mother 's
        hormones start the process of creating a milk-ejection reflex but Mother
goes
        to fridge, gets and heats milk, feeds baby bottle, burps and changes
baby, etc.  When
        baby is finally settled, Mom tries to pump and stimulate a let-down
reflex.).
Milk Supply (difficulty maintaining, likelihood of less and less pumping over
time, ease with
        which pumping can be put off)
Obesity (baby loses control over feedings and intake in the same way a
formula-fed
        baby does.)
Money savings
Ecological savings
Premature babies and stress
Bonding/attachment

I also have a separate section which addresses the fact that we don't really know
whether many other benefits of breastfeeding still apply to breastmilk feeding.
For instance, is there the same breast cancer protection?  Do we really know that
this comes only from the process of lactating and not at all from the
breastfeeding itself?  How about contraceptive protection?  Has anyone studied
whether mothers who only pump can expect the same break from fertility?  We know
that there are immunological and nutritional losses when milk is stored.  Do we
know the impact of these, especially when this stored milk is used for every
feeding?  Protection from otitis media is believed to be partly from the actual
mechanics of breastfeeding.  How much?  There are a number of benefits of
breastfeeding that we take for granted that may no longer apply, or would apply
to a lesser degree when a mother is exclusively pumping.

Becky Butler, IBCLC
La Plata, MD

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