Desiree,

I am not sure if anyone replied to you or not.  While not specifically for flight attendants, I5 run a support group of sorts on FB (www.facebook.com/breastfeedingincombatboots) that is for military mothers serving on active duty, Guard or Reserves and many of them are separated from their babies for extended periods of time due to deployments, trainings, etc.  They have to figure out how to manage the separation, how to find time and place to pump, how to store their milk and ship it home...all within a very male-dominated workplace.  

I also have a blog and website (www.breastfeedingincombatboots.com) as well as a book that covers all of the above and more in detail.  The FB page is a place where moms from all over the world can post questions and receive instantaneous feedback and support from other mothers facing the same situation.

One of my favorite stories is of the mom who is (she is still on AD, back in Afghanistan for another tour of duty) a C-10 pilot in the US Air Force (it is a large transport aircraft).  She was able to pump while flying (I have a great photo of her in my book pumping with the headset on), and she stored her milk in the aircraft mini-fridge.  Often the flights were 8-10 hours in length one-way and they would stay the night before flying back home.  If she had to stay overnight, her supportive co-pilot and aircrew would take the pumped milk when they landed and transport it back to her home base so that her husband could pick it up to feed to her baby.  

Breastfeeding with separation CAN be done, with the proper information and support.  And please don't tell or let anyone tell these mothers that they are not breastfeeding!  They ARE breastfeeding.  And pumping while separated is what makes it possible for them to be breastfeeding mothers when they are home!!  

I hope this is helpful even though it is not exactly what you were looking for....

Robyn Roche-Paull
BSN, RN, IBCLC, LLLL, USN Veteran
Breastfeeding in Combat Boots ~ Giving the Breast for Baby and Country
www.breastfeedingincombatboots.com
Find BFinCB On Facebook!  Follow BFinCB on Twitter! 


On Dec 10, 2013, at 8:25 AM, LACTNET automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Date:    Mon, 9 Dec 2013 22:18:57 -0700
> From:    Desiree Allison <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Resources & Support for Flight Attendant Breastfeeding Mothers
> 
> If anyone has information on support groups for Mothers, who are often away
> from their babies for an extended length of time on a regular basis, I
> would love to know about them.
> 
> I have moms who work nights as nurses, flight attendants, and military.
> They have lengthy seperations from baby in common and need support and
> help to store milk and meet their babies'  needs.  Please send me comments
> & resources in a personal message to [log in to unmask]
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Desiree Allison, LLLL Tempe, LLLL Chandler, IBCLC and co-owner of Arizona
> Breastfeeding Center, LLC.

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome