Since I wrote the original post on this subject, I think I should do some clarifying. I can see how the phrase "mom who is unable to breastfeed" could be seen as both the healthy term baby who is not latching, waking etc., as well as the sick newborn. In this particular case, I was referring to a situation where the infant goes to the NICU immediately after birth, and the mom is unable to breastfeed for an extended period of time. I made reference to the article done by Hill et al." Initiation and frequency of breast expression in breastfeeding mothers of LBW and VLBW infants." 1995, which was derived from 2 investigations: the relationship between early initiation and frequency of breast stimulation to feeding pattern at 8 weeks postpartum in mothers of LBW infants, and how selected physical, psychological, and managment variables affect milk volume in mothers of VLBW infants. In this article Hill et al. state that "pumping should be delayed no longer than 6 hours after birth unless medically contraindicated." There is no reference in the article for this statement, and I can't find one anywhere else. I'm sorry for the confusion, but I have to say, I think my lack of clarity certainly stimulated an interesting discussion on the use of breast pumping for the mother of the term, healthy infant who is not feeding well in the first 24-48 hours. However my question still stands: does anyone know where this 6 hour rule came from? Once again, thanks for your help. Mary M. Lussier BSN IBCLC Hartford, CT. *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html