I write as a "fossil" and humble praactioner in the lactation field. I
am a retired La Leche League leader of over 20 years, then a private
practice lactation consultant and developed one of the first hospital
programs in the suburbs of a large metropolitan city and continue to
work with breastfeeding families as a lactation consultant. In addition,
I am the mother of 4 children who never received a drop of anything but
their mother's milk and grandmother of 6 breastfed babies.   I sat for
the first LC boards in 1985, and have retaken them successfully to the
present.  

 

I find the thread of breastmilk/breastfeeding/pumps/feeding equipment
and so on interesting.  

 

 

 

It is a fact of life that women must or choose to return to work or
school or have other commitments which, from choice or necessity,
require a mother to leave her baby in the care of another care giver.
In addition to this kind of separation, there are instances where the
infant or mother, for various reasons, is unable to completely supply
the infant with breastmilk directly at the breast. While it would be a
perfect world to have all babies with their mothers all of the time, it
is sadly not the case. Sir Richard Bowlby spoke eloquently at the Vienna
conference of the importance of a primary attachment and secondary
attachment figures in the lives of our children.  

 

 

 

Is it not vastly more preferable to provide expressed breast milk for
those infants when they are separated from their mothers, than the far
distant alternative artificial baby milk?  Like it or not, perfect world
or not, breastpumps, bottles and other equipment are an adjunct to
assisting mothers to provide breastmilk for their babies in their
mother's absence. 

 

 

 

Let us do everything in our power; personal, collective and political,
to empower and assist the mother to be with her baby and provide the
nurturing and nutrition that breastfeeding provide.  Could we perhaps,
view breastpumps and other assistive devices as our allies in this
endeavor instead of the enemies?

 

 

 

Though I know that some of my colleagues will disagree with me, in my
humble opinion as a longtime champion of mothers, babies, families and a
better world, what is needed at this time is less judgment and
name-calling and keeping our focus fixed on the essential
mother/baby/breastfeeding message and any means which will promote that
goal.

Cecelia Deslauriers RN, CLC, IBCLC


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