Karleen asked why you use breast shields while pumping. The shields (otherwise called flanges) are the pieces that go on the breast while you are pumping. I'm not sure how else you would get a pump to function without placing something on the breast to create suction. In response to her question about pump trauma. The answer is yes, we do get a lot of trauma. Ever since I started noticing it, I ALWAYS watch every single woman who we see who is using a breast pump. When I started doing this it was a huge revelation to me. Often this is when the reasons for not wanting to pump come out. It is a time when I have found I can find a lot of little things to make mom more comfortable until her supply is optimized or her baby is efficient enough to either complete feedings on the breast or maintain the supply. When mom is in an iatrogenically induced low supply situation - or baby can't go to the breast because of a medical condition (e.g. baby still in NICU) positioning for pumping is every bit as important as positioning for breastfeeding. Number one is getting mom comfortable. I see the same hunched backs, oddly bent wrists, and tense muscles with pumping that I do with breastfeeding. I Often mothers won't mention the discomfort of pumping when you ask the first time. They think it is like breastfeeding, sort of a hairshirt like torture that you're supposed to endure for your child until you get your supply up (or in the case of breastfeeding until your nipples toughen up). In both cases, there is often an "aha" moment, you mean this is the way breastfeeding/pumping is supposed to feel? I hate the martyr attitude that has been adopted by our bottlefeeding culture towards breastfeeding. If more women knew that they were deprived of years and years of innate learning and observation of breastfeeding they wouldn't think pain was normal. Fewer of them would need our help and fewer of them would have to resort to what I have started to call our modern day equivalent of the wetnurse (the pump). I so wish we could start working on the physiologic low supply and figure that out, rather than having to correct all sorts of iatrogenically induced low supply problems. Susan E. Burger, MHS, PhD, IBCLC *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html