I've had women pump during long separations. Two flight attendants come to mind; one worked the North American east coast to Asia route, which necessitated her being away 7 days at a time. She carried an electric pump with her and had hilarious stories about rushing through customs on arrival so she could get to her hotel and pump. No time to do much pumping while on duty. She didn't keep the milk (she stored milk while home, though). She breastfed for almost two years. (One of my favorite stories: all flight attendants at her airline were required to attend a two day training program. During one break she was still pumping when the class reassembled. When asked where she was one of her male colleagues said, "Sir, she is expressing herself.") One executive who rented a pump from me was on the road regularly (away from her baby for a week at a time). She FED EX'd her milk home on dry ice every few days. She even asked the hotel concierges to pack it up for her (the stories they must tell!) Our nursing mother group members used to kid her about mailing her milk "express." One of my clients commutes 4 hours on AMTRAK (US railroad) to work three days a week and for several months has pumped in her seat. She has never had so much as a mean stare from anyone. (Boston to New York City and back...) Where there is a will there's a way. This sort of experience is not always a bed of roses. Often women find their supply takes a dip after a few weeks. And sometimes the baby balks about returning to breastfeeding. Still, I'm humbled by the commitment many women make to providing their milk for their infants -- and cheered by the success many women make of a difficult situation. Margery Wilson, IBCLC