Pat suggested as an explanation:

<< 2.most moms are returning to work by 6 weeks :-( >>

In my neck of the woods few are back at work by 6 weeks (though it is sadly
common I know).   But most do want to at least leave open the option of going
back to work at some point, in some proportion, before they are necessarily
ready to wean the baby.

Once they've made that decision, there's comfort in "knowing" that
1. You have milk in the freezer for when you need it.
2.  Pumping is doable.  and
3.  That your baby will take a bottle without feeling like he's been the
subject of terrorism -- the word on the street, certainly true for many, is
that 3-6 weeks is a good time to introduce bottles to bf babies if they will
be getting them sometimes, beyond much risk of nipple preference problems and
before the baby is likely to refuse.

In other words, all of these can help give women the confidence that by
planning to bf their children more than a few weeks they are not a priori
abandoning the rest of their lives.  And IMO that makes many women,
especially those who have been relatively career-defined up to that point,
much more likely to stick with their bf.

(Now, I think it would be better if we taught more people hand expression.
But most people don't even know that h-e is a practical plan; and beside, all
of the above would be true that way too.)

Elisheva S. Urbas
editor and lay bf agitator

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