First I have to apologize to the group. It is against the groups policy to post about conferences. I should have asked prior to posting. 

Second, I had to respond to Virginia’s post. I work at a military hospital so the only mothers I see are either active duty Army or Air Force or spouses of the active duty soldier. The army has the worst ‘policy’ in regards to breastfeeding/pumping. Basically it states that it is up to the soldiers command to decide whether or not the mother can be allotted time to nurse or pump. First, the majority of these mothers have to struggle if they need/want ‘extra’ time. They do have their own time such as after PT or at lunch but in the military ‘free’ time is not always granted to you. Some days you work with no official break. Most days you work no less than 10 hours. If a mother has a commander who supports her wishes to pump or breastfed she is very fortunate. After getting the go ahead she needs to find a place. (Unlike the ‘new’ breastfeeding laws requiring employers to provide their employee’s with time and a place to pump, the military doesn’t fall into this category). Some women are pumping in the back of a humvee. Some women are standing in the corner of a motor pool pumping because there are no private offices in the space they work at. Also these women usually have CQ once a month. During CQ they work for 24 hours straight. 

You are correct that there is a difference between nursing at the breast and feeding a baby expressed breastmilk. The majority of these mothers pump when at work and nurse when at home. So they are breastfeeding and they are breastmilk feeding. Is there a name for this? Should we down grade a mother who is ‘being all that you can be’? I don’t think so.  The most important thing is that these babies ARE getting breastmilk. 

I applaud every mother who in the military who has tried to breastfeed or breastmilk feed even if they were only able to do it for the short 6 weeks of maternity leave. 

Jessica Callahan
RN, IBCLC
NC, USA

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