Jo-Anne wrote "I think it also helps to say that "most mothers do not need a pump." I think it is helpful to talk about hand expression " I agree Jo-Anne. This discussion on pumps has been interesting. Last week I had a mom ask me what kind of pump she should buy? She is pregnant with her first child, due in month or so. I always ask "are you going back to work?" because, although I don't recommend any type of pump, and do explain that different women prefer different brands, if it is a work-related separation then the efficiency and quality of the pump is a factor.She is not going back to work for a year and hesitantly told me that, altho she is not sure if this is a good idea as she is aware of nipple confusion, she is thinking about her husband giving a bottle of EBM so she can have a long stretch of sleep. I acknowledged that yes, nipple confusion could be a possibility and discussed other options such as a cup for the baby.I suggested the LLL handout on hand expression as I said she might not want to put out the money for a pump for expression for this purpose and that it was useful to learn how to hand-express and that some moms found this was all they needed.I also cautioned that she might end up uncomfortable during those long stretches of sleep (she was hoping for about 6 hours)and might find that she wanted to nurse the baby. She was very open to all information. I am finding that the moms we are seeing now are more educated in general about breastfeeding - but most do seem to think that they need a pump to breastfeed. Deborah Sowery-Quinn Canada _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html