Pumping (or expressing as we refer to it) is carried out here in Australia
mainly by mothers with problems. It is mandatory for a mother to express for
a prem baby and so some of my pumps go to mothers coming home minus baby.
Then there are mothers with bad doses of thrush who find my pumps often less
painful than the baby for a week or so. I have mothers with attachment
problems who use a pump until they can get their baby attached regularly and
others who for whatever reason have low supply problems in the early weeks,
they express and give the baby the ebm via either a cup or supply line on
their finger. Some of these mothers need to be "weaned" off the pump as they
come to rely on it and have no self confidence in the abilities of their own
bodies (maybe a reason for mothers in US taking pumps before birth?).
Then I get a few mothers who express when they go back to work. Luckily in
Australia we have maternity leave and mothers get between 3 and 12 months
off, so don't need to express so often, just as well as there is no medical
rebate AT ALL for pump rental or LC practise.
Regards Jackie