Hello everybody!
I was very surprised to read all about pumps given to mothers at discharge.
Here in Israel this practice does't exist, and most mothers know nothing
abaut breastmilk pumps.In most shops for baby supplies you can get bycicle
horn or syringe type pumps - which of course are worth nothing. On the
other hand - the vast majority of HCP also know nothing about pumps - so
most mothers never use one.
I am the mother of four breastfed kids, 18 mths and longer. With all of
them I returned to work 3 mths postpartum. With the first two I hand
expressed milk, and with the third I had some kind of electric pump, and
only with the fourth I found a good pump. For me it was definitely easier
to pump with a good electric pump, much less time consuming and nerve
wrecking. As a doctor I sometimes could use a big electric pump in NICU and
this was best, even though they didn't have a dubble pump kit (do you
believe I've never even *seen* a dubble pump?).
I don't think you have to give every mother a pump, but it is very good if
can give it to mothes who need it, and tell other moms where you can get a
good pump.
Mira Leibovich MD