Samieswife said:
I simply said that pumping your breast milk is an option - which by the way, MANY loving mommies do. It might not be their first choice but are you telling me that every woman who makes a choice to pump is somehow less loving and therefore somehow of less value for the job they are doing? I don't see it that way. MANY working moms do it every day because they have to.
This is true, many working moms or moms of premies or sick babies are very grateful for their pumps as it provides a way for them to provide that precious life-giving mamma's milk for their babe when they are separated. And it does give the mother relief and does help to at least maintain a milk supply (although Scully's points are true too--it is a short-lived thing and can be very difficult for the mother to do well. She must make her body believe that it is the baby there instead of a plastic pump so her hindmilk will be released. If she fails to empty her breast properly, she runs the risk of plugged ducts/ infection and also her body will not get the necessary signal to make milk, thus eventually diminishing her supply. Also, "nipple confusion" and breast rejection are common problems because the action of breastfeeding requires much different and more vigorous use of jaw and tongue muscles.) I know that is probably more information than you all want to know but it is important to be aware of some of the ramifications.
Something that I think is truly incredible is the mother's ability to manufacture antibodies on demand in response to pathogens in the baby's saliva. And it is even more spectacular because she need not already have the antibodies. It is a little immune factory! Another cool fact is that the older the baby gets, the more concentrated those antibodies are--so just when they start toddling around, getting into all kinds of germs, they get extra doses of immunity. How cool is that? (I believe it is our Creator's ingenious plan). This is one of the many health benefits to breastfeeding. If the baby's mouth does not come in contact with the breast, then this immune response will not take place. This would be another disadvantage of long-term pumping. But I assume we are talking here about the occasional public bottle?
I am certainly not saying that a mother is less loving because she chooses this avenue. However, the thing that does concern me is when moms feel that even when the baby is right there beside them, that they cannot breastfeed them in public because of people being offended. And it happens more often than you would think.
I am all for discreet nursing. However, we need to get used to the idea that breasts do have this important function. As has already been said, most moms are quite discreet and not interested in causing a stir. As for the others, well, truth be told, some probably do want to make a point. As human beings, we can be considerate of others while still doing what needs to be done. But even in those situations, criticism can be thrown at the mom. We should be encouraging them because of all the well-documented benefits to both mom and baby. Bottlefeeding mothers don't get any flack in public, so this is definitely a double standard.
