Wow. 

I read the original query as a legitimate question regarding travel with frozen milk; then it seemed to spin off into a "pumping is inferior" thread. 

Is there some reason that it's necessary to judge the woman's plans? She may have many "valid" reasons for travel. She may not have what you would consider "valid" reasons to travel. Regardless, she is interested in maintaining her supply and continuing to nurse when she gets back. 

As far as exclusively pumping: it's painful to me to see it pushed away so easily. Many women choose to EP because that's the best option for them. 
I had breast surgery in my teens. When I gave birth almost 20 years later, I desperately wanted to nurse. My milk came in, my breasts were engorged- and my baby lost a ridiculous amount of weight and his bilirubin jumped percentiles like crazy. 

I did everything "right"- we secluded ourselves; the baby laid around sts on my bare chest; he was rarely off my skin. I worked with an phenomenal IBCLC. He didn't have any tongue or upper lip tie, but he couldn't transfer milk for anything. In multiple sessions spaced over several days, we were unable to identify a single session in which he transferred more than .5 ounces. This is NOT a typo. I could pump 2 oz a session, defying the adage that "babies are better than pumps". 

I chose to begin EP with "comfort nursing" ad lib because my primary goal was to increase the volume of breast milk I was producing for him. At my best, I could pump 16 oz a day while taking more milk plus, domperidone, and "hands-on pumping" every three hours for thirty minutes, including the nighttime hours in which I set my alarm. The few times I tried to sleep longer at night, my supply plummeted. 

He comfort nursed for four months, and then began to refuse the breast completely. He was bottle fed in a way that mimicked breastfeeding- paced, with a slow flow nipple, frequent pauses, and side changes. 

We made the best we could out of a profoundly frustrating and disappointing situation. I worked as hard for my baby- if not harder- than many exclusively breast feeding moms that I know. 

So perhaps you'll understand that I find it incredibly frustrating to read a post that seems judgmental of those of us who pumped. All I would ask is that we proceed with the "charitable assumption" that the mothers discussed in this listserv are making the best decisions they can at the time. 

I joined this listserv because my experiences last year piqued my interest in lactation. I am grateful for the knowledge I've gained from many posters, but I will freely acknowledge how frustrating and disappointing it has been to encounter so much snarkiness and judgment at times. 

Elizabeth Boggs, MD
Women Physician Associates
Columbia SC 29201

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