Has the issue of whether or not baby has ever taken a bottle *before* been
raised?  At six months old, he may not have any idea how to drink from a
bottle!  And if mom has never pumped before, I can almost guarantee that she
will not be able to produce the kind of milk supply that this case is
suggesting.  We are talking about producing a week's worth of milk WHILE the
mom is also nursing the baby!

  It does get stickier *if* mom has already had lengthy/fulltime separations
from baby due to work or school.  If mom has been pumping all along, if baby
has had bottles all along, if baby has been cared for by others all along,
the mom has less of a chance of "winning" her side.  Of course, it seems that
no one really wins in this case, least of all a six month old baby whose
needs are not truly being considered as paramount.  While it is true that
just about "anyone" can feed a baby from a bottle, "anyone" is not the baby's
mother.
  It also concerns me that the baby will not be cared for by her father most
of the day during the week!  Why can't they work out a visitation for
evenings when the father is home???  Why break a baby's heart so that grandma
can babysit?  I just don't get it.
  I sincerely hope that *if* the father gets his way, that the baby SHOWS his
father how unhappy he is and that the father LISTENS, truly listens to his
baby.
  Who guarantees that the baby will not refuse the breast upon return to his
mother?  Who has won then?
  Yikes.  This shouldn't even be about breastfeeding, but about the normal
and healthy attachment of a small baby to his mother and how that
relationship should be honored and protected.  Giving a baby to his
grandmother to babysit does not strengthen the father 's relationship with
that baby.  A father who does what is best for the baby will go further than
any other measure to protect and honor his own bond with his child.

Oops.  Touched a hot button.
Lisa Jones, in sunny Wellington FL (going to Ft Lauderdale on Saturday to
hear Jack!)

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