The latest breastfeeding trend: exclusively using a pump rather than nursing. According to this Babble dispatch by Kate Tuttle, more and more women are choosing to give their baby breast milk but not actually delivering it via the breast. One tragic reason is a repulsion toward employing the sexualized breast in the context of a baby:Although there are certainly some women who exclusively pump because of such attitudes, most come to it accidentally, through a combination of a bad start at nursing and a conviction that breast milk is best, even if it doesn't come "straight from the tap."
We know a couple of people who went this route because of physical problems. It seemed like all the hard parts of breastfeeding with only one of the good parts (the milk). So hats off to anyone who spend so much time hooked up to a breast pump in order to get milk to their babies. Hear, hear, to Kate's call for more and better lactation consultation at hospitals, and for raising consciousness about the fact that breasts can actually be both sexy and a source of food.
You can read the whole story here.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 6)
1. Breasts....good. Breast milk....pretty much for those who have tasted nothing else for comparison.
The Prophet at 6:20PM on Jan 25th 2008
2. I think it is horrible that women are judged as mothers according to how their baby is fed. I can't see how whether a baby is fed by bottle or breast, or is given formula or breastmilk, says how much a mother loves her baby or how well that baby is cared for.
Some of the comments on here regarding feeding with a bottle are so harsh, they seem to insinuate that child is being in some way neglected or abused. I have been pumping and feeding my baby breastmilk for 10 weeks now, and I couldn't love him any more. While I would have loved to have been able to give him the breastmilk directly from the breast, it didn't work out that way. He began to refuse the breast when he was only a few days old. I have since offered my breast several times, and he still refuses!
He and I make up our little family of 2 and we couldn't be happier! My son is thriving and very happy. I anticipate that he will stay that way and grow up to be a fine young man..without any long term effects that some feel that bottle feeding will produce! When it comes to parenting, I think there are bigger things to worry about.
Nicolle Mitchell at 12:53PM on Jan 28th 2008
3. Just wanted to add my two cents...
Breastfeeding is a wonderful thing. I've breastfed all six of my children. But that's not the issue. I know plenty of wonderful mothers who didn't even consider breastfeeding, much less pumping. And in a world where many of the children are neglected or malnourished, I'd rather see a loving mother feed a bottle of breastmilk or formula.
At the same time, I am saddened that these issues (breastfeeding, natural childbirth, etc.) pit woman against woman. Rather than judge each other for our choices, wouldn't it be better to judge the companies that encourage bottle feeding? Or how about the media that sexualizes our breasts, making us feel uncomfortable for using them for the only real reason we have them?
Just a thought...
Michelle Kennedy at 9:41AM on Feb 4th 2008
4. I work as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Certified Lactation Consultant in a WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program in Illinois. The focus of my job is prenatal breastfeeding education, lactation counseling/support before and after the baby is born. I'm here to offer information, home visits, equipment, and anything else I can to moms so that women from low-income families can make breastfeeding successful in their lives.
At my clinic, as I really think should be done EVERYWHERE, breastfeeding is presented to our moms in a pretty logical way that puts personal choice as less of a priority in the consideration of choosing a feeding method. Working at the health department has forced me to do research and present breastfeeding as more than just a "mommy/baby" issue; it truly boils down to being a public/personal health issue.
As a professional, my main concern is getting mothers to understand that generally speaking (and I know I'll get a lot of flak from formula users for this comment, but look at the actual research in the last 20 years and you'll find I'm telling the truth) formula-fed children, whether wholly or supplementary-fed, are in poorer health than their breastfed counterparts. They have higher rates of many types of cancers, diabetes, allergies, developmental problems, digestive disorders, common illness (colds, flu, diarrhea, ear/respiratory infections)... the lists go on. Looking at the health problems that occur in the "Baby Boom" generation and beyond, where breastfeeding was socially taboo, we can see the results of formula feeding in the negative health "epidemics" we have today. The breastfed counterparts of most of these adults do not have the same problems. We are now seeing the negative consequences of the "modern" way to feed a child in our rising disease rates and health care costs. Today, the average formula fed child incurs hundreds of dollars more in medical expenses (doctor visits, prescriptions, treatments for chronic, preventable illness) than the breastfed child, which are either paid by the parents or the state (taxpayers), thus taking money that could be otherwise used to pay bills or go into savings for these families. The average health care related costs for an adult who was formula fed are skyrocketing into the tens of thousands more than breastfed adults per year. The biggest reason for this? FORMULA OFFERS ZERO PROTECTION AGAINST ILLNESS. It is the minimum nutrition required to keep a child alive if a mother cannot/will not nurse, and offers no living cells to fight off disease, immediate or long-term. That protection gap is why a formula fed child/adult has an average of 14 times the hospital stays over the course of his or her life than a breastfed child. They get sick more often and more severely. Ask mothers who have a breastfed child and a formula fed child. In my encounters with clients and mothers outside my clinic, the answer has ALWAYS been that the formula fed child is much more prone to illness.
Economically speaking, too, the formula itself is a drain on families. Even mothers who choose to formula feed will tell you that one of the biggest negatives is the amount of money spent on the food itself. The average cost for a family for formula for the first year of a child's life is between $1000-1500 dollars a year. If you have a child who is on any special type of formula, you can easily double, triple, quadruple that number. Did you know that the majority of those who use formula in this country can't afford it? The people in the lowest economic positions, who could benefit the most from breastfeeding (financially, medically, what have you) are most likely to shun it. Part of this is due to lack of education on the benefits, part of it is cultural/social practices, but a good chunk of that is the seemingly harmless advertising of the formula companies who are very well aware that benefits of breastfeeding are not as well-known in these populations. Statistically, the lower your income, the lower your education level and the more easily manipulated you are. They know this, and count on a lack of education to drive their sales. That is why government programs like WIC were developed, essentially. In trying to lower infant mortality rates and increase positive health outcomes through nutrition education and supplementation, WIC has been fighting back (and other programs, too) to close that gap and make sure people know that their feeding choices today can affect their children’s' health tomorrow. Currently, WIC provides formula to anywhere between 40-50% of the infants born in the United States. If you have never used WIC, you probably don't even know the program exists, but this requires BILLIONS of dollars from the government, which is mostly earmarked to pay the formula companies who provide it to the agencies and clients. Again, an economic expenditure, money that comes out of taxpayer dollars that could be severely reduced if mothers would breastfeed.
The fact is that formula companies are in it for the money, not because they care about whether a baby lives or dies. If they did, they would not face regular recalls because of nutritional deficiencies in their products, illegally give out samples in doctors' offices and hospitals, or directly market a product known to be inferior to a mother's own milk. Formula is made of cow's milk (a known allergen--earlier introduced, the more dangerous and problematic it is) and is, again, the minimal nutrition required to keep a baby alive and growing. It dramatically increases the likelihood that a child will suffer from discomfort, pain, and disease in their lifetime.
As far as the personal decision-making goes, of course it is up to the parent to make the feeding decision. No one is denying that right or trying to make one feel guilty. As I believe was said before, the only people I have run into that give me grief on that end are those who aren't happy with the decision they made or, in the case of a medical reason for not nursing, feel they have some blame in the matter. Only one person can place guilt, and that's the mother herself. I nursed and supplemented my daughter for the first five months of life, until I found out about all the risk involved in formula feeding. I was given the can at the hospital and thought because the nurse gave it to me, I should use it. I was a scared, low-income, first-time mother who didn't know any better.
I guess that's my personal stake in this. I want my mothers to make a decision, whatever it may be, but I want it to be an INFORMED decision. I don't want them to rely on flawed or incomplete information, "old wives' tales" and the woes of mothers past, sales pitches disguised as support, or any other poor and backward source of "help". A mother should be given information on this decision as she would any other health risk. If you tell your OB, for example, that you are smoking or drinking during or after the pregnancy, they will tell you the risks involved in those kinds of personal decisions and how they will affect you and your child. Because it touches virtually every aspect of their physical and emotional well-being, mothers should be equally informed of the risks of bottle/formula feeding in contrast to breastfeeding if they say that is their decision.
Because of education through my job and the support of the previous peer counselor in this program, I know to be reasonably skeptical of advice and information that comes my way these days, and not just about nursing. I know that breastfeeding does not equal good parenting and vice versa. However, I'm not going to ignore the system I was given my nature to nurture and soothe my child, especially when I know that the alternative can have dangerous consequences.
Breastfeeding may not solve the world's problems or eliminate debt, disease, or death. I'll be darned though if I let other mothers believe that formula is like gold and breastfeeding is inconvenient and dirty; I aim to tell the truth. I remember having cracked, sore nipples, thrush, engorgement, nipple confusion, being bitten. I remember crying at 3 am when I heard my daughter cry and praying she would just go back to sleep because if I had to nurse one more time I thought I was going to die. I remember begging my husband to fix a bottle of formula so I could just get some rest, and him grumbling "Just bring her to bed and nurse her!" I also remember fumbling to find the pieces to a bottle, trying to sterilize parts, spilling the formula on the counter, and thinking that I'd rather deal with sore nipples than try to figure out how to put the stupid thing together. Encouraging mothers to nurse and overcome common, fixable problems can go a long way toward protecting and improving the lives of our families and our communities as a whole. That’s the bottom line in this issue for me.
Brandy at 1:13PM on Feb 4th 2008
5. Boo. Sorry for that last long post. Got off on a rant and went too long.
I just wanted to clarify that I am very plain with the clients that no matter their feeding choice I'm not going to dis them. If a mom wants to nurse once, once a day, every day, I will work to accomodate her needs and help her do what fits her family and her life. If she wants to formula feed, that's cool by me. I am very adamant about people having the right to individual choice, and I'm not about to stand in the way.
Unfortunately, mothers are making physical and emotional health decisions for their children based on flawed or incomplete information. It breaks my heart when I have mothers who say "I wish someone had told me these things before I had my last baby", especially when the child has problems that arose because they chose formula over the breast (and I'm talking the moms that choose itspecifically). I don't want a mother to walk out of my class and say she didn't know the risks of formula feeding, she didn't know where to get help, or she didn't have the support she needed to continue.
Unfortunately, we are still in a society where breastfeeding is not socially accepted or supported. Many of our nurses, doctors, and peers all give poor information and advice (though NOT all of them do) with regard to nursing. Who can blame them? With 40+ years of formula feeding experiences to pull from, they don't know that they are quietly sabotaging the efforts of breastfeeding mothers. Suggesting formula is run-of-the-mill; giving the baby a bottle while mom sleeps rather than letting her nurse in bed is a common suggestion; whisking the baby off to the nursery postpartum nd giving them a bottle and a pacifier--all common practices that are detrimental to breastfeeding, and I see them every day. All I can do is try and educate moms on the obstacles they will face and try to help cross those bridges when they get there.
Just as a side note... humans are the only mammals that make a conscious decision to not nurse their young. Anyone else think that's weird?
Brandy at 5:05PM on Feb 6th 2008
6. It seems to me that taking an extremist approach to this subject doesn't really help anyone. While it seems a bit bizarre to me that a mother would choose to exclusively pump and bottle-feed breast milk, I must applaud those mothers for their dedication. They are giving their babies the best nutrition, but I am worried it might be a bit of an "arm's length" approach to mothering. I have both breastfed and pumped for three children. I got tired of pumping very quickly simply because it was boring, and there was too much preparation and clean-up for my liking. It was just so much simpler to nurse the baby and be done with it. I did however, pump enough to always have at least a few days' supply in the freezer in case I was ever separated from the baby. This also gave Dad a chance to bottle feed the baby the last feeding of the night - resulting in an earlier bedtime for me and often, a longer stretch of sleep for the baby. I would not trade the actual act of breastfeeding for anything, despite considerable problems in the beginning with my 1st and 3rd children.
ModernMom at 9:00PM on Feb 5th 2008
7. I have been pumping for my son for 18 months now! I had major problems and it was my only option. I hate having to do it and cleaning all the parts but I know my son is getting the best and I am so proud of myself!!
I would give anything to have my son latch on!! Hopefully moms will stop deciding to pump unless they have no option... There's a reason they say Breast is Best!
rhiannonolson at 4:10AM on Apr 2nd 2008
8. Breast milk is best, no matter how it's delivered. Sure you bond better with baby if he or she has direct access but as long as baby has what they need who cares. I did not breast feed my youngest and he is closer to me than my older child. We all make the best decision for us and our babies. Just because you wouldn't do it doesn't make it wrong!
Kathy at 10:15AM on Jan 18th 2008
9. You neglect to mention that for MANY women, breastfeeding can be extremely painful, particularly for those with fibrocystic breasts or very sensitive nipples. This was the major cause of most women turning to bottle feeding with formula in modern times. Now, the breast pump method offers a much less painful option, not to mention a "toothless" one.
Stating that it is all about the sexualization of the breast is wrong, obsessive, and detrimental. You shouldn't stigmatize the practice like that. After all, isn't the most important thing that the babies are getting real breast milk with all it's benefits above formula?
This method will encourage more women to give their babies their own breast milk. Lactation consultants should be offering it up as an option when women are having difficulties with breast feeding, not discouraging them from it with some shame game about sexualizing the breast!! That is just stupid, cultish, and creepy.
Vikki C. at 10:35AM on Jan 18th 2008
10. While breast milk is best, and pumping is 100% better then formula, pumping does not produce the same amount of milk as baby stimulation.
I give women credit who pump then bottle feed.
It is 2x the amount of work.
Cleaning the pump is no picnic either.
Been there done that. My first baby was a preemie, so I had to pump. It was truly a labor of love. :)
Mary at 11:03AM on Jan 18th 2008
11. Better than bottle, but I would argue that delivering right from the breasts is much better.
Some people can't get over the "sexuality" of it, but let me try to expain.
When breastfeeding your baby, you experience the closeness. It's the way it's "supposed to be."
It's pleasant (and a relief!), but NOT in a sexual way. It also makes a woman sit, with her baby, and busy moms, esp. bottle feeders, can easily pass this "job" onto someone else or the baby him/herself with a propped bottle. I find this sad.
It's not easy at the beginning though. Women who say they "can't"probaby simply won't. It was sheer H*** the first three days or so. OW! But like a new pair of shoes, you get warn in! :) You must make the commitment saying you WILL!
mary at 11:19AM on Jan 18th 2008
12. in response to Vikki C:
As a woman with fibrocystic breasts I agree that nursing can be difficult. I nursed my first baby for one full year. I can also tell you that it wasn't the pain that caused me to stop breastfeeding my second child. It was the comments and stares and abuse I took. I always had a small blanket draped over my shoulder and never exposed an inch of flesh in public but still found myself regularly picked on by the ignorant public. The real shame is not in pointing out the obvious oversexualization of the female breast but the fact that women allow ourselves to be swayed by such nonsense. We should be proud of doing right by our children.
AMajor at 1:35PM on Feb 11th 2008
13. Gee...I wonder if "in all the rage" anyone has even remotely considered the following:
1. Other than the nutritional value of breast milk...uuuh I think that the nurturing aspect is equally as important. But then again, why would anybody these days think that "natural nurturing" is important? It's all about OUR personal comfort - right?
2. Breastfeeding is not about YOU and a sore nipple or two - get over it. I breastfed three children and believe it or not...I have survived intact.
I am having a hard time believing that by using pump on a breast rather than allowing a baby to suckle - due to some (benign) physical issue..is really out there...like so far out that I am struck by the idiocy of it.
OMG - I just had an epiphany.
This is eerily similar to "restless leg syndrome"AKA "lazy leg syndrome"
Haiku1VT at 11:31AM on Jan 18th 2008
14. and a PS: i found pumping MORE painful
AMajor at 11:32AM on Jan 18th 2008
15. Dr. Ruth Lawrence is sort of an goofy, with that assumption that most women who don't wish to breast feed have an aversion because of a "sexualization" process.
Puh-lease. All of the new moms I know have tried to breastfeed, and many of them turn to the pump because breastfeeding makes them SORE. Adding guilt doesn't help.
All of that "obesity is determined in the first year of life, and you overfeed your baby when you bottle feed" is a guilt/scare tactic. Anyone who steps on their panic long enough to think it through will agree. Breastmilk IS best - but you cuddle and communicate with your baby when you bottlefeed the same as when you breastfeed, so what's the crisis? What silliness...
Lionruby at 1:02PM on Jan 18th 2008