I'm also finding the conversation about exclusively pumping to be quite
interesting, especially since I chose this route for my first child. I
attempted to nurse for about four days and then went on to exclusively pump
for 13 months. (She had EBM for more than 14 months and I also donated 27
gallons of milk to the MMB of Ohio during that time.) I now also have a 7
month old who IS exclusively fed at the breast and who, ironically, refuses
a bottle.
While I'm not a lactation professional, I do spend a LOT of time working
with moms and writing about the subject at The Lactivist.
Curious about my reasons? Here's a post that I wrote earlier this year that
outlined my thoughts on the subject, including the AMAZING lack of support I
received. Basically, post that I wish LCs would read and understand because
I'm not the only woman that has these thoughts.
http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/2007/03/exclusively-pumping-good-advice-is-
hard.html
For those that don't wish to take the time to read that post, here are a few
things to consider.
1.) For some moms, being faced with a child that will not take a bottle is
terrifying. Not because we don't love our children, but because we NEED to
be able to separate. While I'm blessed to work at home and be available for
my kids 24/7, I do need to travel for business half a dozen times a year.
When I pumped, that simply meant leaving a supply of milk and my child with
my mom. These days it means leaving one child with my mother and finding
someone else to go with me to watch my son while I'm speaking. I'm lucky
enough to have that flexibility...otherwise, I'd have to give up
breastfeeding or give up my job.
2.) Some moms are dealing with severe emotional issues related to their
bodies and their sexuality. You never know a woman's full history and I've
spoken with several moms that were fine with the idea of a machine
expressing milk, but quite literally had emotional breakdowns at the idea of
a baby doing it. These moms should be praised for doing the extra work to
get the best food for their child, not judged for not doing it "well
enough."
3.) While I know that there are wonderful LLLL's and lactation professionals
out there, my own experience shows an amazingly frustrating lack of
knowledge. Neither my local LLL chapters NOR any of the IBCLCs that I
contacted knew ANYTHING about pumping. In fact, they all made it pretty
clear that I was setting myself up for failure and left it at "Good luck
with that."
4.) Other breastfeeding moms were often openly hostile toward me. I found
myself embroiled in quite a few heated debates about how awful pumping was
and how I should just "tried harder" to breastfeed. They told me there was
no way it could be a good decision for anyone and that I was denying my
child the comfort of the breast. Quite honestly, it came very close to
turning me off to the breastfeeding movement.
Basically, while things are better today than they were even two years ago,
there's an amazing lack of knowledge and support for the exclusively pumping
mom. Most are trying desperately to do the best that they can for their
baby, even if it means more work.
For perspective, my own experience trying to breastfeed was so horrid that
up until a month before my second child was born, I planned on EPing from
the start. It was only the fact that I'd planned a home birth and thought
that the environment might be better that I decided to give it a try.
I look back and realize that while it was frustrating, while it was
sometimes demoralizing, it was necessary. It was through pumping that I
connected with the milk bank and launched the Lactivist. It was through the
Lactivist that I decided to put my second son to the breast.
It was exclusively pumping that allowed me to breastfeed my second child
instead of starting with formula right off the bat like all of my friends
have for their second children.
While I in no way view exclusively pumping as a first line of defense, I
think it's absolutely essential that LC's and LLLL's get educated enough
about the subject to realize that sometimes, knowledge and support about
exclusive pumping is literally the difference between children raised on
formula and children raised on breast milk.
Isn't that what this entire movement is all about?
Jennifer Laycock
The Lactivist Blog
http://thelactivist.blogspot.com
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