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 3 of 6)
31. In response to Haiku1VT's comment,
First, judge not lest ye be judged you self-righteous ignorant fool.
I am pregnant with my first child and have every hope of breastfeeding my baby, however I have had to undergo numerous surgeries on my breasts that doctors have said may lessen my actual ability to breastfeed. I suppose I would be less of a mother if it was physically impossible to produce milk for my baby, huh?
As for your restless leg comment, I also suffer from this condition at night. I work out EVERY single day for over an hour so I can assure you it has nothing to do with laziness! It is no fun to try and drift off to sleep at night when your legs feel as though they have something crawling up them.
You may want to consider truly educating yourself rather than passing judgement on others!
Crystal at 8:31AM on Jan 19th 2008
32. i myself have stopped inseminating women with my penis due to the revulsion. so i ejaculate into a cup and turkey baste my partner. its so much more clean and precise. i can deliver however many milimeters of sperm i like with the exact amount of pressure. sometimes i mix it with hot milk and use 50 ml at 14 psi just as my partner is climaxing. then i winnie and neigh. she really likes my horsey.
babaganoushe at 9:08AM on Jan 19th 2008
33. It also allows the baby to continue to get breast milk once the mom goes back to work. My boss was more than willing to give me my lunch time in a private office to pump, but had I stayed at home to breastfeed for a year or so, I'd not have the job that we need for our family.
shasha at 9:31AM on Jan 19th 2008
34. While I think it is great if a mom chooses to breast feed, it is not for everyone. I have 4 children,and have never breast fed any of them, and it was by CHOICE. I do not feel one tiny bit guilty for it either. None of my children ever suffered any ill effects from it and we bonded just fine. I am SO tired of the media, medical professionals, etc trying to make moms feel guilty if the don't breast feed. It is a private, personal choice. As long as you make sure your baby is healthy and happy, that is all that matters.
Tessa at 10:26AM on Jan 19th 2008
35. I had my first child at seventeen. I tried breastfeeding him and gave up in shame within a week. I had very little support and it was just an extremely trying time. When he was six weeks old I had to go back to high school too. At first I was told that I was doing all the breastfeeding hoodoo wrong, and then when I made the decision to switch to formula I was given a hard time for that. Sometimes you can't win for losing it seems because everyone else has an opinion that matters more than your own, especially when it comes to raising children. To make this shorter, I bottle fed two of my children and breast fed the other two. There are ups and downs with either decision. Personally I prefer breastfeeding. And wish I had stuck with it back in those misty days of yore. I don't think any mother should be given grief for her decision to breastfeed, or not, though...kudos to anyone who can pump exclusively. Pumping is a pain, and for those who have the dedication to do that nonstop I think that's admirable. For me, I enjoy the closeness of nursing.
Brandy at 11:13AM on Jan 19th 2008
36. During a stay in the hosp., I saw several TV programs on breast-feeding. It wasn't really sexually exciting, but when it was stated that to facilitate the flow of milk, that the breast should be gently massaged, I thought well now - thats a man's task if ever I've heard one! What a way for Mother, Father & baby to bond! Let the Father help support the baby with one hand, while providing the massage with the other.
Robert E. Quillen at 12:01PM on Jan 19th 2008
37. The act of breastfeeding isn't simply about the milk, it's the method in which the child receives the milk - hence the word "breastfeeding". The majority of breastfeeding difficulties can be tracked back to a lack of information, encouragement & support for the mother. Our culture does far too little to support nursing moms (although there have been huge improvements in health care provider awareness about advantages over the past 20 years). Hats off, of course, to anyone dedicated enough to spend that much time with a pump to provide breast milk to their babies via bottle. There are actually many benefits, in addition to the milk itself, in the skin-to-skin delivery system. The hormonal cascade triggered in the mom during the act of breastfeeding has a number of advantages for her. The infant has enhanced oral development (less likelihood of braces), better hand-eye coordination, more tailored immune fighting cells (infant saliva mixes with mom's milk & specific antibodies are made during the feed), to name a few. All mothers make the best choices they can for their babies, based on the information & situation at hand. I wish every hospital in the US (okay, since I'm dreaming, the world) was Baby Friendly & Mother Friendly. Something to work toward, for sure.
LH at 2:53PM on Jan 19th 2008
38. Gosh something new. There doing something good for the child
Rob at 4:32PM on Jan 19th 2008
39. Yanno, BOTH my kids were bottle fed. I had extreme difficulties with breast feeding and would never try it again. NEVER. I pumped some but ended up using formula. ANY AND ALL of you people out there that put moms like me down need a kick in the rear end.
Both of my kids are in the top 10 of their schools and neither of them is fat. They are thin, well, and happy.
So, get off your booby horse and understand that not all the moms have to kow-tow to the idiot brigade of boobs.
And, hey Ken, realize that kids that are bottle fed do NOT have teeth, jaw, or palate issues. My entire family did not have any issues like that and neither do my children, nor my sister's children.
Ken, you are plainly wrong.
willowreed at 7:58PM on Jan 19th 2008
40. While eating at a local Subway located in Walmart Store my wife stated "She's going to get in trouble, the woman Breast Feeding". (We were expecting our child@the time was eating ,in a rush and hadn't noticed.), and asked "why?" when seeing,"she's got a blanket over her"! "That's Walmart and their thingy" she stated!I ignored the woman as if not seeing afterwards as really wasn't a big deal covored or not! Sure enough they made a big deal out of it! It has been our experiance that most pumps are junk. My wife fails to lactate properly and had to use them in order to get what she could then suppliment formula. The pump has it's place but the breasts are really No Biggy especially when covered.I'm glad for my children their was The Pumps.
Ricky P at 8:17PM on Jan 19th 2008
41. How will the baby learn to focus? The close range focusing while nursing is a skill that is developed while breast feeding.
Dave at 9:04PM on Jan 19th 2008
42. How will the baby learn to focus? The close range focusing while nursing is a skill that is developed while breast feeding.
Dave at 9:05PM on Jan 19th 2008
43. Breasts are like that electric train set you gave for christmas......
Intended for the children.... but dad usually ends up playing with them.
mac at 9:36PM on Jan 19th 2008
44. I am surprised that many "modern" women don't hire out the job. Find some poor woman who just gave birth and pump away. Bonding? Caring? Love? Nurturing? Too busy. Besides don't want those silicon breasts to have to get "damaged" by your own child......
Tenderloin at 10:34PM on Jan 19th 2008
45. My son breastfed exclusively for 16.5 months. Because I was a full-time student, then full-time employed, and a single mom to boot, I made an uneasy truce with the pump in order to accomodate his needs while he was in the care of others. Pumping felt like HELL, and the one thing I could count on soothing my poor boobies after being away from him all day was for him to latch on. But my boy ate good!
I'm now a labor and delivery nurse, and help many new mommies get off to a good start with their newborns. There are so many benefits for both mommy and baby. There's no shame in bottle feeding a baby, but breastfeeding is the best way, especially if mommy is dedicated to it.
Something not touched on: breastmilk is the absolute best thing for a preemie, once they're stable enough to take feedings, and there is even a breastmilk donor bank (they Pasteurize it) for their benefit. If anyone's interested in helping, check with youir local hospital for information.
Lynnie at 10:59PM on Jan 19th 2008