> <<I'm still trying to figure out why one poster noted that so many
> mothers find pumping hard.>>
>
> Are you serious?
>
> Many moms find just caring for a newborn  challenging, add pumping 8x
> per day and it's enough to push most of them over the edge.


I have to agree here.  With my last son, he was unable to suck at breast and 
I had to pump.  Because of several reasons:  severe reflux, allergies, sensory 
integration disorder, asthma, he had difficulty from the beginning and 
eventually I had to pump and give it to him in a bottle.  For one year.  And I have 
to say, I find it hard to believe that any mom would say that pumping on top 
of caring for an infant and a family was NOT difficult and tiring!  I mean, 
personally, I found it overwhelming, difficult, and was ready to give up most 
weeks.  And that's with my background and job!  It certainly has made me more 
empathetic to other moms.  I suffered from depression from the never ending, 
never ceasing job of caring for my son!  Forget about the other kids! They were 
lucky to get fed regularly!   Think about it this way:  pump 8X day, clean pump, 
set up pump,(20-30min) feed baby 8X day,(20-30min) diapers, bath, etc.  Well, 
that's essentially the day!  Uust feeding the baby is taking almost 8 hours 
each day alone!
 
And while physical helpers are a great idea, not always realistic.  Maybe for 
a day or two, but after that, it is hard to find people to help on a regular 
or even irregular basis.  And that's where I agree:  You need to look at the 
family situation and be realistic in offering advice.  I agree that pumping is 
a learning curve, but I did it for a year and found that it was still tiring 
and overwhelming!  That learning curve is coming at the most vulnerable time 
for a new mother and infant dyad.

So, I understand the poster is sincere, but maybe not realistic?  Or maybe 
just dealing with superb families, but in my years of work, I am hesitant to add 
pumping to the agenda unless I truly feel it is essential!  Moms are already 
at the edge usually when having a problem with feeding, so I don't want to 
push them even farther if I can help it. 

Barb Cavanaugh RN, BSN, IBCLC, Doula, LLLLeader

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

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html