It would be interesting to see what the success rate for ep moms is based on type of pump used, method, pumping schedule, assessment of storage capacity and titration of pumping frequency with storage capacity.  I've had mothers who ep'd making 40 oz/day with 3 sessions with a symphony pump who donated all the extra milk to banks, etc.  Good reasons for pumping and did so nearly 2 years!   I've had many moms who ep'd for 4-5 months, THEN went to breast.  Lovely!  The idea that it was NOT too late, was appealing and it wasn't too late!  They had milk. On the other hand, I've seen moms trying to pump with a personal pump who found the pump failed them after a few months without them realizing - decreasing efficiency, etc.  Like I said, it would be interesting to collect some decent data on this situation.  

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stephanie Casemore
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: expressed milk feeding vs direct breastfeeding

I wanted to write to the list and specifically thank Winnie Mading for her recent post.  Your insight into women who exclusively pump is exactly what I see.  I maintain the website exclusivelypumping.com and am contacted by more and more women every month looking for information(the volume of questions I receive is beginning to become difficult to keep up with).  Too often I hear from women who say that they were told by medical professionals and lactation consultants that they will not be successful exclusively pumping and that they will not be able to maintain a supply in this way (the veracity of this I obviously cannot verify).  The vast majority of women I communicate with are not EPing as a first choice, but have turned to this option when breastfeeding has proven difficult.  It is likely that many of these women could have breastfed successfully if they had the support and information necessary, but it is very difficult for women to find this support and too often the information they are given is not accurate or the people supporting them are not truly supportive of breastfeeding.  Too often I hear from women who are having supply issues not because of their decision to pump, but because of poor information they were given or lack of information available to them; after a few weeks or months, these women are desperate to continue providing breast milk for their babies but face a huge uphill battle.  This more than anything would be the reason why women who EP wean early.

This option is most definitely not being shared with women.  Again, many of the women who I communicate with express sadness and anger that EPing was not suggested as an alternative to formula and many have stumbled into EPing thinking that they are alone in their situation.  Most are desperate for information and support; and accurate information and support are key if women are to EP long-term.  I don't like to think of the number of babies who have been fed formula because their mothers quit breastfeeding for whatever reason and they didn't know there was another alternative to formula.  I strongly feel that this option needs to be shared as an alternative to formula- most definitely not as an alternative to breastfeeding.  The reasons to breastfeed as opposed to the benefits of breast milk need to be highlighted in a much stronger way.  Women are definitely hearing about the benefits of breast milk, but don't hear why the act of breastfeeding is beneficial.  

Winnie states that "this third option may not seem reasonable to us" and honestly I don't think it is reasonable for anyone.  But in our current culture, where women are not receiving the information and support they need and breastfeeding is not publically accepted as the biologically normal way to feed our young, this "third option" is sometimes the only way a new mother can see in front of her.  I would say that an overwhelming percentage of mothers who EP desperately want to breastfeed if only they could find a way to reach that end.  While some will suggest that women who EP have given up on breastfeeding, I would argue that women who EP have taken a far more difficult route.  If they didn't care about breastfeeding, they would simply switch to formula.  Many of the mothers I communicate with have a deep sense of grief over the loss of the breastfeeding relationship they wanted to have with their baby, and perhaps in some way the reason they continue the effort of EPing is as a way to work through this grief. 

While I don't have any numbers on this, my sense is that many moms who EP are first time mothers.  Unfortunately, I think that this type of initial experience into the world of lactation tends to lead to more difficulties with subsequent babies.  It can be a difficult experience to overcome and it is easy to get caught into the world of numbers that EPing leads to.  On a personal note however, after EPing for my son for one year I did have a wonderful experience nursing my daughter who just weaned at 3 years and 2 months.

I wish the number of women who visit my site and contact me for information wasn't growing.  I wish there was no need for the website at all, but the fact is that women are EPing regardless of the lack of information and support available to them and I believe it is better to recognize these women and this option to formula and assist them in being successful while working on increasing information and support to new mothers to assist them in establishing a successful breastfeeding relationship.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Casemore

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