Carol and all: I have been accused, many times, of "pushing" Moms to begin and continue pumping for their preterm infants. I let it roll off my back because I know it is best for baby (and eventually for Mom!). I am anxious to do whatever it takes to establish and support a Mom's breastmilk supply. Pumping is very therapeutic for most Moms, but also takes effort. Just like breastfeeding itself, if we make it too hard, more Mom's will give up. I didn't find anything relevant to this discussion on that page in Riordan & Auerbach, but I will certainly look into the subject further. In our NICU on any given day, 85-90 % of Moms are pumping, and 95% of infants are receiving some form of breastmilk. Nancy Wight MD, FAAP, IBCLC Neonatologist San Diego, CA