My oldest will be 22 in June. She was born in Minsk,Belarus. Just wanted to 
share this because of different experience. Breastfeeding was not an 
option,everyone did it,the question "breast or bottle" was never asked in a 
hospital. I didn't see my daughter for over 24h after birth. We had 6 mothers 
in postpartum room,some with their second babies. Every 3 h a nurse would 
wheel a big cart with all babies laying next to each other, call you by name, 
give you your baby. So, you learn by observation and start nursing. We were 
told to breastfeed every 3 h on a clock and only from one side,then hand 
express the same breast "untill it is empty"! We were given big cups for 
expressed milk, I remember nurses collecting those cups from everyone and 
taking it to the nursery. Some version of Milk Banking! And you continue all of 
this at home: Breastfeed on one side every 3h,hand express, then the other 
side in 3h.  I learned a hard way that the breast is never Empty,expressing for 
hours. And the other breast just overfull, but you cannot nurse on that side 
yet. The rate of blocked ducts and  mastitis among breastfeeding women was 
really high,I ended up with an abcess myself. And all that expressed milk,I 
remember ads in newspaper about buying or donating expressed milk.  My 
great aunt was famous in our city,because she did breast massage and 
manual expression for women who had engorgement or blocked ducts. I did 
learned her technique and use it now in my practice. By the way, there are 
hundreds of lactation consultants in Russia,Belarus,Ukraine. None of them is 
IBCLC. I read their forums and exchange e-mails. They have a great deal of 
knowledge and experience.  I think, we can learn a lot from each other.

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