G'day all
I've been nomail for a few months now and am very happy to be back again.  A
recent posting about the mother not being able to get an electric pump to
use for her newborn baby interested me.  I've worked in many places in
Australia and the general rule is that you hand (manual) express the milk
until after Lactogenesis II.  This is a skill I like to teach all mothers
anyway as it is simplest and cheapest, particularly if she only wants one
bottle full for the freezer.  In the first couple of days I find it gentlest
on the mother's breasts and very effective.  Sometimes you're only getting
0.5ml and it looks a lot more if you've expressed it directly into a
syringe, too.
As an aside, our unit Head of Pediatrics just nods and says OK when I tell
him now that a newborn baby got a great feed - 2ml EBM.  AND (yes that was a
shout) the obstetritian who saw to it that my Breastfeeding Support Service
was not refunded (12 months ago) has written a letter to the Health
Department acknowledging that yes the breastfeeding difficulties have
increased lately and that perhaps employing a lactation consultant may be
the answer.
Anyway, great to be back.
Denise
in sunny and still warm (roll on winter) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia