Conference moira::parenting

    I am currently breastfeeding my baby and have been for 3 1/2 months.
    I am expressing my milk at work twice a day and storing it for the next
    day's feeding.  My problem I am now encountering is I am having trouble
    expressing enough milk at work and we are now having to supplement with
    formula.  I have been switching formulas since my baby seems to be 
    sensitive to Similac and Enfamil and now she is on Good Start.  This is
    a relatively new formula but I hope it is nutritionally sound.  Has 
    any mother tried Good Start?  My other concern with supplementing and
    also breastfeeding is this might be dangerous for the baby. (intestinal
    problems)  I found an old notes file on parenting that stated this
    could be dangerous but the notes file was dated back in l986.  Also,
    do other mothers also express milk at work and how can you have a let 
    down when looking at the baby's picture does not even help?  I was 
    really hoping I could extensively breastfeed the baby until she was 6 
    months old but expressing at work is not working.  I am starting to 
    feel guilty and depressed so any suggestions would be much appreciated.
    
    Joyce

    Joyce,
    
    I came back to work briefly after my daughter was born and still in the
    hospital.  During that time I had a similar problem trying to pump at
    work.  The hospital staff began supplementing with SMA formula saying
    it was the closest thing to breast milk....you should check with your
    doctor for recommendations.
    
    I can't comment on the let down problem...mine was reverse...I could
    only let down for the "whooose" of a pump since that's what I did for 10
    weeks prior to being able to feed the baby directly!

    Try to let go of the guilt - any breastfeeding you do after returning
    to work is a bonus for you and baby!! Give yourself credit for that.
    
    I came back at 4 months, and expressed for my first month back. During
    that time, I only expressed 4-5 oz a day, which gave him one breastmilk
    feeding during the day. The other feeding at the sitter's was formula.
    There is no danger - intestinal or otherwise - from mixing breastmilk
    and formula. The only possible problem may be an iron intolerance -
    some babies, like my second, are prone to constipation from the
    iron in formula.
    
    By the way, I use SMA formula, simply because it is slightly sweeter
    and more akin to breastmilk. Other than very slight taste variations,
    they're all extremely similar.
    
    Gradually my son eliminated feedings, such as the supper time nursing.
    Now, at 9 months he only nurses first thing in the morning. I'm
    thrilled that he does that, as I nursed my first only for 4 months and
    didn't have the confidence to continue.
    
    Be encouraged with whatever you can manage - it sounds like you're
    doing fine.
    regards,
    

    P.S.
    I used a manual pump, which was given to me in the hospital, and had
    much better success than the battery pump I had used with my first son.
    I always meant to use a picture to help let down but usually forgot to
    bring one, so I just used visualization and relaxation breathing. I
    could usually get letdown within 3 minutes and 4-5 oz in about 10
    minutes.
    

    I had much better like with a White River portable electric breast pump
    that I rented through a pharmacy.  It did both sides at the same time
    and I usually got 6-8 ounces every time I pumped.  The last version
    of the notesfile has a comparison of different breast pumps and 
    the experience people had with them.  With the electric pumps, let down
    wasn't an issue.  It was automatic after about a minute every time.
    
    				Mary

	I worked full time and expressed milk every day from 6 weeks
to 6 months for two kids.   I was hand expressing, I never quite got 
the hang of the little pump.  There were days that I couldn't quite 
get up to a full 4 oz, sometimes I could get 6+.  What seemed to make
a difference was how much energy I had.  I had to keep pushing liquids,
4-6 glasses of water, and I found that taking a stress supplement
(B complex + C) or making milkshakes with brewer's yeast helped a lot.  
Those days I could often get ahead a bottle or two and put the
Playtex liner bag in the freezer.

	In general, I found I had to do a lot of things that just
have to do with eliminating stress, staying organized, and keeping
a positive outlook.  I had made the decision to nurse my children entirely,
and it took a lot of dedication.  Our first daycare was tremendously
supportive, the second turned out to be quite inconsiderate about
breastfeeding.  I did buy them several cans of SMA formula at their
insistence, for emergencies, though it remained unused.  I'm sure
you can work out an arrangement that works for you and your child.

	As mentioned before:  trust in yourself, BE CONFIDENT! 

    This is just an update to let those who responded and gave me advice to
    know that I am still hanging in there.  I have days when I can only get
    a total of 9 ozs and other days when I can get 15 ozs from pumping.  I
    have bought an extra pump so I can have a backup.  I will continue to
    express my milk until my daughter is 6 months.  
    
    Thanks for all the advice.  It really has helped and has boosted my
    morale!
    
    Joyce

    I just started back to work and would like to continue breastfeeding
    my son.  Does anyone have any experience with pumping/expressing
    breastmilk?  Any suggestions/recommendations on hand expressing
    versus pumping, types of pumps, etc.
    
    I am planning to breastfeed until he's at least 6 months.  He
    is currently 4 months and weighs 17 pounds.  He is also beginning
    to eat solids (cereal, veggies, and soon fruits).

    The next string of replies are relocated from note 34, which is about
    weaning from breast or bottle.  The are on the topic of breastfeeding
    and working.  Please don't be confused because their dates are earlier
    than the date on the preceding reply.
    
    Laura
    co-mod
    

    I continued to nurse all three of my kids when I started back to work. 
    I got the type of breast-pump which is a "tube-within-a-tube".  I just
    used to go into the ladies room and make myself comfortable in a stall
    (although I do know of women who use the nurse's office).  I was able
    to pump out two 8 oz bottles of milk a day.  I would go in the
    mid-morning, lunch, and mid-afternoon.  I just stored the milk (in
    Playtex nursers) in the closest freezer.  I did this until the kids
    were about 8 months old and then it went down to a bottle a day.  By
    the time they were 9-10 months old I stopped pumping at work as they
    had a full diet of food at the sitters.  I continued to nurse in the
    mornings and afternoons however.
    
    It can be a real pain sometimes, especially when you're at off-site
    meetings and have to walk around with a cooler!  But, it made me feel
    close to my baby as thinking about him would help my milk POUR out.  I
    would definitely do it again!
    
    Linda

    I also breastfed my son for 7 full months, 3 of which I was full-time
    working.  I also had problems getting enough for the next day's
    feedings.  Some of the things that helped me was:
    	- I rented the hospital type pump from La Leche League.  The long
    term rental cost was $1.00 a day.  You didn't HAVE to join the League
    if you didn't want to either.  This pump gave me much better results
    than hand expressing, manual or battery pumps. (I tried them all!)
    	- I found a quite place to pump, an empty (lockable) office or
    conference room or the nurses office.  
    	_ I had one of my favorite pictures of my son to look at to help
    with the let down.  May sound weird, but it made a difference.
    
    Lastly, I still didn't always get enough for the next day.  I then
    would either pump before I went to bed or right when I got up in the
    morning.  I did it, but it was (hind-sight) very stressful and
    sometimes downright crazy.  I really needed the sleep.  I'm glad now I
    did, but next time I might consider supplementing earlier than the
    seven full months.  Who knows.  Only you can decide what is best for
    you, and what is best for you will be best for the baby, really!!

    I got some great tips for working and breastfeeding from the earlier
    parenting notes. So I'll try and related them here. I nursed my first
    daughter for 19 months and I'm nursing my 3.5 month old now and plan to
    continue until she wants to stop.
    
    I nurse the baby on one side and use the breast pump with the AC
    adapter on the other side first thing in the morning. The baby helps
    with letdown and I can get on average 6 oz. The pump I use is the
    MagMag. I burned out my first pump (it had a lot of use) and recently
    replaced it with a new MagMag and I have to say I'm disappointed with
    some of the changes they have made to it. So it still works but I'm not
    as enthusiastic about it.
    
    I pump at work once and as others have said, I prep myself by looking
    at my favorite picture of my girls (yes, I can think about my 3 year
    old and get letdown). Getting letdown is the secret to successful
    pumping and if you can figure out a way to trigger it your much better
    off.
    
    I repeat my morning routine at night when I get home, pump one side
    and feed the baby at the same time for a total of 3 bottles a day. 
    Some days I end up dumping almost a whole bottle depending on when
    Carolyn wakes up from her last nap to get fed.
    
    As with any nursing mother make sure you get lots of fluids (I make
    sure I get plenty of water) and have the proper nutrition and you
    should be fine.

My son, Graham, will be one next week, and I have breastfed
him from the beginning. 

I rent a Lactina pump (Medela makes it) from someone in
La Leche League.  I pump as often as Graham would be nursing
which I believe to be important in keeping your milk 
production up.  I used to pump 3 times a day, now I'm down to
two.  

I originally had an Evenflo pump and found that I couldn't
get enough.  The pump you use is very important.  I also double 
pump - that is, I pump both sides at the same time.  This 
helps with keeping your supply up because it increases 
the levels of hormones that get released in your blood which 
stimulate lactation.  It also cuts the time roughly in half that 
I need to spend pumping.  I've even gotten to where I can
read a magazine while pumping - tricky but it helps the
time pass (about 15 mins).

It's been difficult at times to do this, schlepping the
pump and bottles back and forth, etc., but it's worth it
to me and Graham.  I would do it again if I were to have another
baby and continue to work (fat chance!).

Now that he's mostly on solids and just nurses for a drink
with his meal and for comfort before naps and bed I feel
comfortable with weaning him to regular milk, and probably
will continue to nurse for comfort for awhile longer.  No
definite dates set - I think flexibility is important.

Feel free to contact me if you want someone to talk to offline
about balancing nursing and working.  It's important to know that
there are other moms out there doing it too and have probably had
some of the same difficulties and experiences you have.

Best of luck!

Caryn

    I returned to work about a month ago when my son was 3 months old.  I
    have been pumping during the day, too, and hope to continue as long as
    he wants to keep breastfeeding.  I agree with .13, the pump you use is
    very important; I also have been pumping since he was 4-5 weeks old
    just to get used to it (I didn't pump much early on though!).
    
    I purchased an electric pump called "Nurture III" from a La Leche
    person (who really wanted me to rent her Lactina pump but I wanted to
    try buying one first...).  It provides about the same amount of
    suction/vacuum as the Lactina, the only difference is you have to use
    your thumbs to release the suction like on some of the less
    expensive battery type pumps (the Lactina does this automatically).  My
    pump cost about $100.00 and I figured if it worked out -- which it has
    -- it would save me lots over the course of the breastfeeding year, vs.
    the $1.00/day rental unit.  I am quite enthusiastic about this pump and
    would be glad to answer any other questions about it, feel free to
    call.
    
    I have also purchased a small battery operated pump (Gentle
    Expressions) for "emergencies" when I might not be conveniently near an
    electric outlet which works OK but I'm glad I can double pump most of
    the time! or I think I'd feel like I was spending my whole life
    pumping!  Also, the suction on this one is no where near as strong as
    my electric pump.  
    
    I usually pump twice a day at the office, and pump in the morning on
    one side while I nurse him on the other side; sometimes also before
    I go to bed at night but usually I'm too tired by this time.  I have
    been keeping up pretty well with providing him with milk while I'm gone
    and had built up a supply in the freezer before I came back to work so
    am feeling optimistic about this -- now to just get used to all the
    bottle-washing and cooler/pump toting (oh yes, the Nurture III is quite
    small and light, also).
    
    diane
    dtn 264-3656, unix::loomis (preferred address)

    My baby is 7 weeks old and we have just gotten to a point where I don't
    wince when he starts nursing and may even be moving into the mode of
    liking it.  I don't anticipate going back to work til after Labor Day,
    but would like to continue breastfeeding, so this note has been very
    helpful.  Other questions I have are: 
    	Has anyone had a negative reaction to the pumping? 
    	Have you ever taken your baby on business trips or to offsites, 
         where you couldn't get the milk back to the child? 
    
    Thanks. 

    I nursed Kati for 16 months (she weaned on her own when I was 4 mos
    pregnant with Kimmi), and Kimmi is still going strong at 21 months,
    even with several 3 or 4 day absences (I'm travelling a lot).  Who
    knows when that will stop, but I think I'm ready!
    
    For both girls, I expressed at work until they were 6 mos old, then
    gave them whole milk during the day, nursing morning and evening (and
    all weekend long!).  Some things that helped me were:
    
    - Get a pretty good store before returning to work.  After s/he nurses
    express the remaining 1 or 2 ounces, and freeze it.  This way if you
    ever have a bad day at work, you always have extra.
    
    - Keep doing this on weekends, or anytime you can express a little
    extra during or after a feeding.
    
    - Keep a picture handy - it helps for let down.
    
    - Try to find a comfortable, private place.  Restrooms aren't the best
    but some have made them work.  Make sure you have a freezer to take the
    milk to, or at least a refridgerator.
    
    I travelled quite a bit, and generally called ahead to make sure the
    site had a refridgerator.  I always requested a crib and fridge at the
    hotel, as well.
    
    Hope this helps!
    Kristen
    
    P.S.  Of the three pumps I used I liked MagMag best.

    
    
    	I was having problems pumping at work with the manual pump (which
    worked better for me than the electric one we bought), so I rented the
    Medela Lactina.  I also do the double pumping, and it works GREAT. In 
    fact, my milk supply is UP when I pump, and DOWN when I just nurse!  In
    one way it's kind of a hassle, but in another, it's nice to take the 15
    minutes twice a day (or however often you pump) to think about your
    baby and nothing else!
    
    	Justine

    I did have one problem with pumping.  I got mastitis in one breast. 
    However the cure is more nursing and pumping so I hung in there.  It's
    also a good idea to find a formula your baby can tolerate for
    emergencies.  Once, my daycare mother had a can of sma in her cabinet
    for emergencies, I found that expressing milk went much more smoothly.
    I didn't have the added stress of worrying if Carrie was fgetting
    enough.  
    
    Meg

I was never successful at pumping.  For weeks before I returned to work I tried
- two different battery pumps, a hand pump, and manually.  I found the pumps to
be very painful and ineffective.  The most I was ever able to collect at one 
sitting was about 2 oz.  It took me three days of regular pumping just to 
collect one feeding.

Hopefully you will have more success than I did with pumping.  But just in case
here are a couple alternate suggestions:

- Find a daycare close to work so that you can leave work to nurse the baby.
  I continued to nurse my daughter at lunch-time for a couple months after 
  returning to work.

- Arrange your work schedule and the baby's feeding schedule so that you miss
  the fewest possible feedings.  I nursed My daughter just before leaving for
  work in the morning, and immediately upon return in the evening.  That left
  just two feedings to worrey about during the day.

- Stay home as long as possible before returning to work.  The longer you are
  home and nursing full-time, the better established your milk-supply will be.

- Supplement with formula.  Some people recommend against supplementing because
  it can diminish your milk-supply.  This wasn't a problem for me.  My body was
  able to accomodate 4 feedings on the days I worked and 5 feedings on the days
  I was off.  later (around 5 or 6 months) I stopped nursing Michelle at 
  lunchtime - which meant she got two bottles of formula on days I worked.  I had
  no difficulty accomodating 3 feedings one day and 5 the next.  But some women
  would have problems with this type of varied schedule.


One last point - nursing is great for some parents&babies, and not so great
for others.  I enjoyed it and felt it benefitted both me and my baby.  I was 
glad I was able to find a way to continue to nurse after I returned to work.
But I know lots of excellent mothers who chose not to nurse their babies for
one reason or another.  There seems tobe alot of pressure for mothers to nurse
their babies these days - even when it's difficult, inconvenient, or painful.
The decission to nurse a child while working is very personal and you should
be proud of any decission you make.

- Carol

    This is just an update on what I have done...
    
    I purchased a MagMag pump right after my son was born.  It HURT!!!! 
    I recently went a Lactation Center called Best Beginnings.  They rent
    the Latino pump and allowed me to try it while I was there.  It was 
    great.  I got 7 oz. in less that 10 minutes (double pumping).  I also
    contacted the La Leche League and got the names of local chapters.  The
    members that I talked to recommended the Latino.  The hospital that I
    delivered has a Breastfeeding hotline.  They suggest the Latino as
    well.  I have an appointment to see it goes.
      
    None of the places had rental for a $1 a day.  The cheapest is $17.90/week.
    Wish I could find the $1/day rental.  I would jump on it. 
    
    

    I'm really unclear about how much I should expect to be pumping.  When
    lucky, with a hand pump, I get 2 oz, which usually comes if I do it
    early in the am, with breasts feeling very full.  I can't imagine 7 oz
    flowing out.  How much is the baby actually eating and needing?  If I
    skipped feeding him entirely for a feeding, would I get 4 oz or 7 oz?  
    What about the baby sometimes (at 8 weeks) eating every four hours and
    sometimes every 2?  Should I try to get him on a more regular schedule
    by summer's end?  Will he do this by himself?  
    
    Lots of questions and no really good answers from the literature I've
    seen.  
    
    We're going to a meeting tomorrow.  So we'll see how we do.  Nathaniel
    will have his first taste of Digital and I'll see how I like work
    again, for one day, after being out for 8 weeks, before being out for 6
    more.  

    Regarding your question about skipping a feeding and possibly getting
    more breastmilk at the next feeding... I was told that it doesn't work
    that way.  It's more like supply and demand.  The more you nurse, the
    more milk.  The less you nurse, the less milk.  I have been back to
    work for almost three weeks and John is getting formula at his late
    morning and early afternoon feeding.  Consequently, when I am with him
    all day and I nurse at those time, he is not satisfied and I need to
    supplement with about 4oz of formula.
    
    As far as a schedule is concerned... he wasn't even close to one until
    about 12 weeks.  Even then he was still nursing every 3 hours.  Now at
    18+ weeks his schedule is 4:30am, 7:30am (right before I
    leave for work... which makes me late most of the time), 11:30, 3:30
    (these two are formula and sometimes he skips the last one and waits
    for me to come home around 5:00) 5:00 and then finally 8:00.
    
    I have two other children that were bottle fed and they were every 4
    hours from about 4 weeks.  It is much different when you are nursing. 
    I don't think you can really expect them to get on a schedule as
    quickly.  Sometimes they nurse for comfort.
    
    One more thing, I personally think it takes a good 12 weeks to really
    build up a good supply and demand.  It will be much easier for you at
    12 weeks than it is now.
    
    Good luck!
    Joyce
                                                   

    when I first started using "the pump" I was lucky to get more than a
    couple of ounces out, and I almost never got more than 9 ounces using
    the pump.
    
    Two friends never had luck with any ofthe breast pumps, but could
    hand express more than I managed to pump.  You might find it easier to
    just releif pump at lunch, getting tthe two or so ounces out at that
    time, and then when you get home, put the baby to one breast and use
    the pump on the other.  this worked very well for me.  aloso remember
    to drink enough.  You should be drinking at least three of those 22 oz
    covered coffe containers of water or juice or other fluid, in the
    morning.  at least for me, if I got busy, I could often forget to
    drink, so I learned to keep a covered travel mug near me at all times.
    
    Meg

    I found expressing by hand worked a lot better than by pump.  I
    think it was the shape of my breast or something but the pump
    always left me really sore, besides not getting much.  
    
    --bonnie 

I have been expressing breast milk (using the Medela Lactina) for my baby 
since returning to work in April.  Rental for this pump is $210 for a 5 month 
period from La Leche League.  I am able to pump enough for two feedings per
day (I nurse him at noon) and freeze 5 extra feedings per week.

I have just decided to switch Max to formula twice per day for his daycare
feedings (I work three days/week).  If I return the pump now, I will only
get a small percentage of the rental returned.  If someone would like to 
try it out for two months (I have to return it on Sept 23), I would be willing
to rent it for $80 or approximately 2/5 of my cost.  This works out to about
$9/week.

I am switching to formula for these two feedings because I have lots of work
to do and pumping is becoming too time consuming.  I have decided that after 
4.5 months of breastfeeding, it's time for the formula (he is with mom today
and she says he doesn't appreciate the formula AT ALL!).  If I supplement 
three days per week, will I still be able to nurse him full time the remainder
of the week?

    I used to express my milk at work but it was also getting too time
    consuming.  My mother gives my daughter formula during the day and I
    nurse her at night and in the morning.  I have had no problems so far
    even though I thought I might dry up.  I still supplement with formula
    at times if I feel she is not getting enough.
    
    BTW, the longer you nurse the better your milk supply will be.  I
    started my daughter on formula when she was 4 1/2 months and she is now
    6 1/2 months old (19 lbs 11 os) and growing like a weed!
    
    You should have no problems.

     I also supplement the two feeding that I'm not home.  Just be aware
    that you will be quite sore around 2:00 pm and probably leaking (alot)
    by 5:00 pm - at least for a few weeks.
    
    On the weekend I nurse for those two feedings, but I do need to
    supplement about 2-3 oz of formula along with the breastmilk.

	I've been able to keep up with breastfeeding since my return to
	work.  What's worked for me:

	o Started hand expressing at about 3 weeks after Emily's birth.  I
	  had to, to relieve "fullness".  I'd occasionally express after
	  she finished nursing (in the morning) and had gone back to bed,
	  as I still felt rather full, and thought it would be a good
	  start to a milk supply in the freezer.
	
	  I tried an electric pump and HATED it!!!  Felt like 50 pounds
	  were attached to my breast by a clothes pin!  Months later,
	  after using a manual pump for several weeks, the electric pump
	  didn't hurt at all - moral: after you find something that works
	  well, you may want to go back and try some of the other methods
	  that didn't work before.

	o Had a good supply of breast milk before returning to work.
	  I had 13 4 oz bottles in the freezer (I froze my milk in 8 oz.
	  plastic bottle liners, and stored them from left to right in
	  my freezer.  Used them first-in, first-out.) I still have
	  6 bottles in the freezer, which appears to be steady-state for
	  the moment, thanks to Emily only using one bottle of breastmilk
	  per day.

	o Pumped twice a day my first week at work, once a day ever since.
	  Can get about 7-8 oz. per session in about 20 minutes.

	o Pump each night before bed.  I can usually get about 3 ounces.

	o Supplement breast milk with one bottle of formula per day.  I've
	  been doing this since August 3rd, and have been able to keep up
	  with breastmilk at all other feedings.

	Now that I've started Emily on cereal, I expect it to be even easier
	to keep up my freezer supply, and even possibly get ahead.  

	I can't imagine pumping while Emily is nursing, she gets distracted
	too easily (nosey kid!)

	Karen

I started back to work last week.  My baby, Katy, is 3.5 months old.
I've been pumping my milk at work each day and using it for the
next day's feeding.  Thus, Tuesday through Friday she has "fresh"
milk.  On Mondays, she's using frozen milk from the freezer.

My daycare provider tells me that Katy does not like the frozen milk
at all.  Apparently she's a real fuss about drinking it and takes
smaller quantities than she does of the fresh.  The provider is
thawing the milk in warm water, so it's not an issue like "is it
being microwaved?"  She's had frozen milk before when we got a
sitter; she ate that with no problem. Do you think this could be
related to her starting daycare?  Have any of you experienced this? 

I've been pumping milk since Thanksgiving, building up a back-up 
supply in the freezer. I was putting aside about 7 ounces each day, 
so have a full shelf of frozen milk.  I hate to think that Katy's 
not going to eat it!

                      <<< Note 224.29 by WEORG::DARROW >>>
                      -< Baby doesn't like frozen milk. >-


> On Mondays, she's using frozen milk from the freezer.

> My daycare provider tells me that Katy does not like the frozen milk
>at all.  Apparently she's a real fuss about drinking it and takes
>smaller quantities than she does of the fresh.  The provider is

  Congratulations - breastfeeding and working are a tough combination.

  Your Katy is a smart girl!  

  I'm guessing that the contents of her bottle are just fine.  Its the
  method of delivery!  All three of my children balked at the bottle on
  Mondays (or Tuesdays in my case) after being only breastfed for the
  weekend.  We tried everything, freshly pumped milk, formula, juice,
  Dad giving a bottle on Sunday, whatever.....they all fussed.  

  Katy will make up for the missed feedings when you and she get back together.
  My 5 month old nurses 3 times between 6pm and 8:30pm on Tuesday nights. He
  also sleeps at least 6 of the 8 hours he's at the sitters.

  You'll worry less when she starts eating solid foods -

	Call me if you have more questions,

        Rochelle  (533.3357) or Newprt::wahl_ro

    
    Thawing the milk by heating it quickly will change the composition of
    the milk and its taste. Just like defrosted food which has been thawed
    quickly tastes different from food left to thaw in the fridge for a
    while.
    
    Take the milk out of the freezer the night before it is needed and thaw
    it in the fridge or taken frozen bags of milk to your child's daycare
    and let in thaw in their fridge. This way it thaws slowly so the "mix"
    is more like fresh. Label the milk bags if other babies are also using
    this feeding method. Thawed milk is OK for up to 48 hours in the fridge.
    
    I pumped and froze milk for Rebecca until she was 6.5 months and the 
    fridge thaw worked fine with her. I would then transport the thawed 
    milk together with any frozen needed for later feeds or the next day to the 
    creche in a small cool-box.
    
    This method worked fine for us and it wasn't until my pump's motor
    burnt out and I was fed up with spending every lunch hour pumping
    whilst sitting in the car that I gave in to Rebecca having formula at
    creche. I did the change over slowly whilst using up the store of
    frozen milk so getting used to formula was not difficult for her. 
    
    I'm pleased to say that at nearly 9 months I am still managing
    to breastfeed Rebecca whenever I am not in the office and I work full-time. 
    She only gets a bottle at home if I am out. After 2 weeks with me over 
    Christmas and New Year, she was fine about taking a bottle on her return 
    to creche. I however found the return to work a bit painful and leaked a 
    bit for a couple of days!!
    
    
                          Celia
    

	I didn't know thawed milk kept 48 hours in the fridge.  I
	always thawed Emily's milk in a cup of hot water, as did my
	mother.  I did this because a couple times, Emily would
	not be hungry at her expected time, and we threw a few
	bottles away, thinking they'd spoil.  I pumped until she
	was 6 months old, then had no real need for a supply of
	frozen milk.  (Emily gets one bottle of formula a day,
	and nurses morning and night.)

Thanks for the suggestions.  

Another breastfeeding mom at work also suggested that the baby might be 
balking at the bottle on Mondays, not the contents.  (One problem
being a first-time mom is that these obvious things sometime escape
me!)  The daycare provider is going to "slip in" a frozen milk
feeding today (Wednesday) to see if Katy reacts or notices.

RE: .30 and Katy making up for missed feedings.  I've been expecting
this, and it has happened.  It seems we spend a good part of our evenings
nursing.  At least it's something I enjoy,  and it does make me feel
closer to her after being apart all day. Too bad the dishes aren't 
getting washed!

Thanks also for the recommendations RE: heating methods.  I'll give
that a try Sunday night. 

Will let you know if any of this works!

    re: .29
    
    You also might trying keeping the milk you pump Friday freshly cooled 
    in the fridge, for your baby on Monday's.  I have been doing this for
    months now (my son Rowan just turned 10 months, and I've been pumping
    since I returned to work last June) with no ill effects.  The latest
    I have heard on breast milk is that it can stay fresh in the
    refrigerator up to 5 days. 
    
    diane

    
    One tip on storing thawed/freshly pumped milk in the fridge. Put a tiny
    Post-it  with the day/time that it must be used by on the bag/bottle.
    I used to write "use by noon Thursday" on the bottle I'd pumped Tuesday
    lunchtime. If I took some milk from the freezer on a Monday, I'd write 
    "use by Wednesday". I would then put the bottles/bags in use-by order
    in the fridge at the creche for the nurses to give to Rebecca.
    
    I started to do this after we'd had to throw milk away because we were
    not sure how long it had been in the fridge. It nearly made me weep
    seeing that milk that I'd had to pump, bag-up, freeze, thaw, keep
    chilled being throw down the drain!!
    
               Celia
    

I will be spending two days down at Parker Street (PK) later
this week.  They have closed down health services there and
moved it to the Mill.  Any suggestions as to where I might
go to pump there?  I prefer to use the electric pump but I 
can use a battery operated one.  I have a very hard time relaxing
in the ladies room :-(.

If it helps anyone at ZK, Health Services is very happy to 
accomodate nursing mothers, although the hours here are not
always convenient.  The Wellness Center will let you use their
examing room if it is not being used by them.  Otherwise, most
of the handicapped bathrooms have electricity and some have 
chairs in them as well.

    .36
    
    I work at PK and I'm racking my brain trying to think of a place
    you would be comfortable pumping...I wonder if it's worth a call
    to health services at the Mill to see if they can suggest a PK
    location (like maybe the EAP office if it is available).
    
    Good luck...
    
    Lucy

I too will be at PK next week, and called Health Services at the Mill
yesterday.  They told me I'd have to either use the restroom or find a
conference room.  What was Health Services at PK is now locked and closed.

Are there any small, non-reserved conference rooms at PK?  I'll be at PK3.

--Jennifer

There is a restroom/lockerroom/showers on the first floor towards the 
Rt 27 end of the building.  Don't know if that would be better than a 
regular bathroom.  

There are small (2-3 people) conf rooms upstairs in the employee 
office area, though you would want to cover the door-window I imagine. 
 

                        <<< Note 224.36 by SUMA::KUHN >>>
                     -< Privacy whilst pumping at work... >-


Not sure if these suggestions help....
I don't live in New England, but do have to travel to a lot of different
Digital Sites in our area.

Since this is my third round of breastfeeding and I'm *sick* of pumping at work ,
- I park my car in a remote spot and listen to the radio.  I have a little 
cooler with frozen packs that I keep in the car. 

Even though the weather here is mild, we/ve had lots of colds and flu at our
house this season, I really want to keep breastfeeding my 7 month old until
the summer.

This note string is great motivation!  Thanks for all the suggestions.

Rochelle

Thanks for the suggestions...

Re.  .40

I spent some time there this week setting up for the training
I'll be doing at PK3 and was able to use an empty office in
EAP.  They were happy to help.  Later I found a conference
room that was empty and taped up the window, no lock though so
I ended up putting up a chair next to the door just in case.

I didn't really want to use the car, but hadn't thought about
turning on the radio and just relaxing.  Maybe as a last resort.

Wouldn't it be nice to set aside a small room in every location
with a rocking chair and some calming pictures and photos???
Just my .02 on that!

    It most assuradly would be nice.  With Carrie, I used a bathroom that
    had a table I could sit on.  I will not sit on a toilet to express
    milk, it just seems icky.  Health services seemed to be closed when my
    lunch 1/2 hour hit, and I had four very non-supportive peers who didn't
    appreciate my being gone at any time than the same lunch hour they had.  
    I survived a year doing this, and met lots of other people who were
    supportive of nursing mothers, and picked up some handy hints. 
    
    Hopefully for this summer with the new one this will not be an issue as
    Frank or Lolita should be able to bring the short one by for lunch. 
    The fall and winter will be a different story.
    
    Meg  

    
    I'd go for using the car parked in a secluded spot with a photo on the 
    dash to help let down and maybe a music tape that you listen to when
    nursing at home. Then you can keep the cool-pack, pump etc in the car
    and don't have to carry extra bits into a strange office. People used
    to giggle at me last summer bringing in the cool pack as it was cooler
    in the office for storage during the day than in the car.
    
    I found a photo on the dash and relaxing music (including the Mozart
    that Rebecca was born to) allowed me to pump up to 8oz over 30 mins at
    lunchtime.
    
    Good luck anyway  - I was also a victim of "yes we have a nurse's
    office, no you cannot us it". I tried using the ladies room once - could
    not get a drop out!! 
    
    
        Celia
    

My daughter is 4 months now and I am still breastfeeding her
although it has been necessary to supplement her with formula.
I always thought, and felt it was true in my son's case, that
the more you nursed the more milk you would produce.  I am not
seeing that now.  

During the weekend I nurse her pretty much exclusively and may have
to give her 4 oz. at night to get her to sleep.  (She does get about
4 oz of apple juice sometime during the day).  Sunday I didn't even 
have to give her a bottle at all!  I come to work, pump twice while
here and I'm lucky if I get between 4 and 6 oz.  I have to give her
at least that much before she goes to bed.  What I don't understand
is how I can produce enough to satisfy her on the weekend but can't
keep up at all during the week.

Could this be work/stress related?  My diet is roughly the same, in
fact I make more of an attempt to keep my water intake up while at
the office.  Has anyone else any thoughts on what might be going on
here?  I really want to try to continue to nurse her until she's 
6 months.

Marji.

	Marji,

	I had much the same experience when I was nursing Emily.
	I'd nurse her all weekend, but was only pumping between
	6 and 8 oz at 4 months, which quickly dwindled to about 4
	ounces at 5 months, when I stopped pumpin altogether.
	
	I thought it was because I only had time to pump once a day
	(though I did pump the nights I taught aerobics and didn't
	nurse).

	I don't have much to offer in the way of help, just wanted to
	let you know that you were not alone...

	Karen

                        
    
    	Hi Marji, 
    
    	Same thing happened to me, at the same time.  I was so depressed
    because I LOVED breast feeding and thought it was going to stop, and I
    was bummed about being at work.  (Okay, some days I still am!)
    
    	Someone in this file said that a great breast pump was essential. 
    So I rented a Medela, and pumped both sides at the same time (which is
    also supposed to help.) Kept this up until six months - a great pump
    really did make a big difference.
    
    	I drank a ton of juices - water didnt' seem to affect my milk
    supply, only juice.  Also, it SEEMED like when I ate a lot of
    carbohydrates, I had a better supply.  Nothing scientific.
    
    	I tried the brewer's yeast thing. Never sure if it worked or not,
    tasted terrible.  I still have a huge can of it if you're interested in
    it (I work in Marlboro).
    
    	All in all, I never got to where I was before I came back to work,
    so I can only guess it was the stress of being here that took its toll
    on my body.  Next baby, I'm taking every available paid and non-paid
    day off before coming back - IF I come back! :-)
    
    	Good luck!
    
    	Justine

Marji-

I too am pumping at work.  I found the right pump makes a big difference.
I could only get 1 or 2 ounces with a MagMag, but get between 3 to 5
ounces each pumping with the Medela Lactina.  I pump two to three
times a day while at work.  I usually have 10 to 12 ounces to take
to daycare.

Everything I've read says the more you nurse, the more you'll produce.
I do produce more milk at the beginning of the week, so I guess that's
true for me.  There are other factors too. If I'm stressed or tired, 
I get less milk.  If I don't keep up my liquids, I get less too.

How often are you nursing?  I find my 7-month-old is still nursing
every 2 to 3 hours.  She takes a bottle at daycare every 4+ hours,
but ingests more than I can produce at one feeding.  I think those
of us who can't produce 7+ ounces at each feeding have to nurse
more often to keep the baby satisfied.

I do have the baby sleep with me, letting her nurse at will during the night.
This usually works out to a 15-minute nursing as we get to sleep (a bit
on both sides), one nursing on one side around 3 a.m., then I wake
her up at 5:30 to nurse. (This keeps her asleep 'til 8, which is her
last nursing before daycare.) 

The baby and I are both to the point where we really don't wake up for 
the nighttime nursings.  She wiggles a little, I move closer, and 
she attaches herself. No sitting up, no rocking. It's really very easy. 
One LeLeche brochure about working and nursing really endorsed the 
nighttime nursing idea.  Their argument was that you're getting extra 
nipple stimulation at night, which helps keep production up.

I get up at 6 a.m.to pump, and usually get around 5 ounces.  This "extra" 
is what's given me enough milk to supplement the amount I get during the day. 

If you're having trouble with letdown, your doctor can prescribe
a nasal inhalant ... i think it's pitocin?  That helps with letdown.

Hope this info helps.  It's awfully demanding, but the benefits and
rewards are great too.

    I managed to feed my baby breastmilk exclusively through 8 months, at
    which point I stopped pumping and supplemented with whole milk (the
    doctor had no objection to milk, rather than formula, as long as the
    baby got iron supplements, which would be required with breastmilk
    exclusively, too).
    
    In the beginning, I found that, without a big stockpile in the freezer
    from which to supplement, pumping at work wasn't going to be enough.
    
    So, what I found most useful were the following:
    
    	- In addition to pumping at work, I pumped first thing in the 
    	  morning.  This started to get pretty time-consuming (feeding the
    	  baby, then "feeding" the pump!), so I decided to do them both
    	  simultaneously.  This meant a baby on one breast, and the pump 
    	  on the other.  It may sound strange, but it was extremely effective.
    
    	  First, it takes no longer to do both, although it does take a
    	  little bit away from the "experience," but it's for the greater
    	  good, so I found it acceptable.  Also, if you have a problem 
    	  with letdown, which I frequently did, the baby certainly takes
    	  care of that problem.
    
    	- I also used an electric pump, but the retail variety, one made by
    	  Evenflo.  I found it to be good, but I also found it very helpful
    	  to manually pump my breasts, while using the pump.  This makes it
    	  go MUCH faster, especially if you don't let down, but even if you
    	  do.  It took me forever (months?) to figure this trick out, even
    	  though it seems so obvious.
    
    	- I only pumped once per day, early to mid afternoon.  Originally,
    	  I tried twice a day, but I found that it consumed too much time,
    	  plus I found that I got as much from the one afternoon pumping
    	  as I was getting from both.  I think that this was because I
    	  was fuller in the afternoon, so it was easier to pump, especially
    	  if I didn't experience letdown.
    	  
    My baby isn't even much of a baby anymore (16 1/2 months), and I'm 
    still breastfeeding him, exclusively when I'm with him (weekends and
    one day per week, when I work at home), meaning 3-4 times per day, and
    twice per day the four days that I'm in the office.
    
    If it doesn't work out for you, don't be too disappointed.  The baby
    will be fine, and you'll get some autonomy back.  However, it can work,
    and it is can be very rewarding, too.
    
    So, now all I have to do is figure out when I'm ready and how I'll wean
    him!  I was always hoping that it would be his idea, but it doesn't look
    like he's considering it much before college.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Leslie

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement to continue this...

I am nursing Allison probably every 3 to 4 hours during the
weekend (she does sleep through the night though, well mostly)
and once or twice in the morning before I leave and two to three
times before she goes to bed (sometime every hour).

I will try the juice instead of water or skim milk (sorry can't
stomach even 2% very well).  I kind of think the pump might be
a problem too as it sounds as though the motor is beginning to 
die.  I will call LaLeche to see about renting the Medela (sp?)
pump.  Is this pump easy to carry in and out of work with me?

While I don't plan on nursing her until she's 16 months old
(God Bless you who do!), I do want to continue as long as I can
before she gets her teeth (my son taught me not to go too far
beyond that :-)).

Marji

>>> I will call LaLeche to see about renting the Medela (sp?)
>>> pump.  Is this pump easy to carry in and out of work with me?

Medela is the company.  They make all sorts of pumps.  The ones
I'm renting are the Lactina model.  It's about 5 pounds or so?
They are currently available only in an electric version.  Supposedly
the company's coming out with an electric/battery version
sometime in the not-too-distant future.  The attachments I bought
allow you to pump on both sides at once.  (You rent the pump, but
must purchase the shields, tubing, and bottles... anything that might
come in contact with milk.)

I did get tired of schlepping it in and out of the office,  so
rented one for home and one for work.  If you're only planning on
pumping another two months, you could probably tolerate carrying it
around!  I just put mine in a canvas tote bag.

My ob/gyn's office sells small portable Medela pumps.  These are
battery and electric powered. They pump only on one side, and are
quite noisy.  They do have the same suction power as the Lactina,
though.  Much better than the MagMag I've used.  Cost is around $70.

    I found that when I nursed on the weekends, my body produced enough for
    a while; then it settled in to producing what it was used to producing
    during the week, which was roughly 4 oz during the day. At 5 months, my
    son decided himself to only nurse mornings, and the rest of the
    feedings became formula.
    
    

	Lynn,
	Emily gave up one nursing a day on her own at 5 months, too, and
	then gave up the evening nursing at 7 months.

	She continued to nurse mornings up to 9 months, when I weaned her.

	I was happy she decided to lead, as I know I would have had a tough
	decision on when to wean her on my own.
	
	Karen

I did rent the Medela Lactina pump and found that if I pumped
one side while nursing her in the morning, I could keep up the
same amount each day at work.  I did not however see any increase
in the amount I produce each day during work, but because I am
pumping an extra time in the morning, the net result is more.
The weekends are still just fine with her.

She started on cereal yesterday and took to it immediately so
may actually start to see less need for nursing from her.  But
I'm still hanging in there with it, I have the feeling she,too,
will decide when to stop certain nursings without being weaned.
(Unlike my son who I had to wean off at 10 months because I had
no where to pump except a public restroom :-().

Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

    Hi,
    
    	I have looked through this notes file and haven't had any luck
    	in finding information on breast pump preferences.
    
    	Although I nursed my previous children, its been seven years
    	and don't really know which way to go as far as a breast pump
    	is concerned.  I used a manual pump and it was awful.
    
    	I've heard the electric and battery-operated pumps sold in the
    	Toys-R-Us type stores aren't very useful ... slow and hard to
    	regulate.
    
    	I spoke with the nursery at my hospital and they recommended I
    	rent one of the larger ones from a medical rental store.
    
    	Any opinions???  I plan to nurse the baby for the first year ...
    
    Thanks for all your help
    
    Michelle Smart
    
    

    I have to say that the most productive breast pump I used was the
    manual one that the hospital gave me. I used a Magmag battery pump with
    my first son quite successfully 5 years ago; 2 yrs. ago the hospital
    gave me a manual pump and I used it for 5 months, both at home and at
    work (I nursed my son til 10 months). It worked for me much more
    efficiently than the battery one, and I never could figure out how to
    use a friend's electric pump - it never created a suction for me.
    
    

    From experience go for the heavy duty ones. I bought an electric one
    when Avanti was born (4 years old) and a manual one with my son Neel (1
    year old). Both did nothing. So I rented a Medula pump from a pharmacy
    in Nashua and it worked great.
    
    Shaila

Mag Mag, both electric and battery powered
    Didn't produce much suction, low volume of milk, and rather
    rough on the nipples.

Medela Lactina, electric, rented
     Very comfortable.  Higher volume of milk, double pumping
     (both sides) lets you finish much faster.  My recommendation.

Medela battery pump (smaller size, don't recall the name)
     Noisy.  Good suction, but not as comfortable as the Lactina.
     Useful as a backup.  A friend of mine got hers from the hospital
     when she delivered, so her insurance covered the cost ($70)
     

    
    Does anyone know where to get a breast pump that has attachments for
    both breasts at the same time? I know that the thought is odd but I've
    seen them in magazines (as well as dairy farms ;-)) and it makes an
    aweful lot of sense to me, especially when milk let down happens in
    both breasts at the same time.
    
    	I live in the Southern NH area.
    
    				Wendy

Shellie uses the Medella (sp?).  At the hospital they had a breastfeeding
expert who sells the double attachments for it.  She also rents us the machine
for only about $1.10 a day, instead of the $2.50 I was paying 5 years ago
from a pharmacy.

     Carol

The Medela Lactina has an option for double pumping.  It's the
same pump mechanism as for single-pumping, but has a Y connector
in the air hose and two sets of shields and bottles.  In addition
to saving time, the double pumping helps increase your hormone
production, thus keeping up your milk supply.

I'm renting mine from a friend in Mass.  However, I also spoke with
a lactation consultant who I was referred to from a pharmacy.  Her name's
Becky Pockl.  I believe she works for Nashua Pediatrics.  The Nashua
directory lists her home number in Merrimack as 424-4662.

   Obviously I'm not qualified to speak on the physiological aspects of
   this topic :-) ... but I have a comment about the recent request...
   
   As you evaluate units, be sure to consider the power of the motor.
   The power requirements needed to handle the "Y" connector are probably
   greater than those for the single unit.  Be sure your unit has enough
   power to handle the configuration ...  I suspect that's why so many
   people have said that the rented "industrial electric" units are more
   effective than the portable battery powered units - they have more
   power.
   
   Just a random comment from yet another engineer ....  :-)
   
   - Tom

    
    Why are those machines always rented? Does anyone know the cost?
    
    	it would seem to me that if one were planning on having more than
    one child (or yet another ;-)) and if breast feeding is the option used
    that one would investigate buying the unit. They must be incredibly
    expensive or difficult to find.
    
    	$1.10 a day may not sound expensive to you, (especially when you
    paid $2.50/day, Carol yikes!) but if you plan on breast feeding for
    quite a few months, that can really add up!
    
    	I'll call that woman listed earlier and will post any new
    information on the matter.
    
    				Wendy
                              

    
    
    	Hi Wendy,
    
    	I called Medina last year when I found out that renting the
    Lactina would cost somewhere around $2.00 - $2.50/day.  The machine was
    somehwere in the $475 price range.  I don't remembered how much I paid
    to rent it exactly, and I know the rent went down if it was long-term
    (six months or more?), but I remembered that if I were to rent it for
    five months, it would have paid for itself.  I didn't buy the machine,
    and now I regret it since yes, if you're going to have more than one,
    it definitely makes sense.  PLUS I would have loaned it to friends when
    I wasn't using it.  
    
    	Oh, well, next time!
    
    	Justine

Wendy,

I recently rented the pump that is mentioned here from Becky Pockl.
I believe her company name is Natural Expressions.
She's located in Merrimack and the rental is cheaper for longer
periods of time so if your just starting out you can probably get
it for far less if you rent it for a few months.  I had it for a 
month and found it to be pretty good although I did end up pumping
each side after the double pump as I wasn't getting as much as I 
would've like for my daughter.

Re.  the power, there is a "suction" adjustment on these pumps
that allows for the double pumping vs. single pumping.  If you use
the double suction while single pumping....OUCH!

Good luck Wendy!

Marji.

    This might be in the wrong note however I am starting to produce milk
    from my breasts and supposedly am six (6) months pregnant. I have
    already expressed my concern about being farther along then originally
    estimated but so far the doctor is saying I'm not.  I have an
    appointment next week to discuss but am anxious to know what others
    think.
    
    Thanks in advance,
    cj
    

I too noticed that I was already producing milk early on in my
second pregnancy.   You don't mention if this is your first.
Check with your doctor to be sure that is what it is, but I
don't recall this being an indication of your due date.

Your milk production is normally triggered by the hormones that 
kick in after you've delivered.

    Well, I checked with a few friends of mine and they indicated that they
    didn't start producing milk till the 7th month earliest and most of
    them were around the 8th.  My mom's theory is that the baby could
    survive at 6 months, thus, producing milk would be normal.  I still
    think that its alittle earlier, although a great sign of having ample
    milk for feeding -- which I intend on doing.
    
    I still think I'm going to go earlier than they say.  All the symptoms
    point to this.  I also am wondering why they would think otherwise when
    all they do is check your weight, sugar, blood pressure and heartbeat
    at appointments.  How do they really know?
    
    cj
    

Out of curiosity, I called Medela.  Here's what I found regarding
purchase prices:

The cost of the electric Lactina is $499.

The cost of the electric Lactina with the battery option is $638.
This battery recharges when you plug the machine in.  The battery 
has a 1 year warranty.

Both pumps come with a kit of either single or double shields.
(I think I paid around $40 for those with my rental unit.)

Medela's phone number is 1-800-435-8316.

	According to my Childbirth instructors, milk (actually, isn't it
	just colostrum at this point) starts around 5 months.  I'd assume
	most women don't notice it that early, as they never check (by trying
	to express some).

	

    I'm 6 mos along now, and for the past few weeks have noticed that I'm
    producing colostrum.  It's definitely different than breast milk, as it
    tends to be clear, and very sticky.  
    
    As for "dual" pumping, I was wondering if anyone knows of any technique
    to help when both breasts let down at the same time?  This is the way
    I've always been, and aside from being incredibly messy, it gets
    frustrating to see all that "other" milk wasted, especially when the
    baby's hungry.  A few friends of mine indicated that they never had
    that problem, and only let down one side at a time.
    
    I'm curious which is more common, and if/how you've dealt with "the
    other" side.  It would be impossible for me to breast feed in public,
    as the other side ends up soaked.
    
    

    
    
    When I started to produce colustrum, I think I was 5-6 months along,
    and it was BRIGHT YELLOW.  No one told me it would be this color, and I
    was floored!  Shocked!  Worried!   Finally my sister told me that it
    was colustrum.  Whew.
    
    I also let down both sides at the same time.  A friend of mine told me
    that she used to actually tape one of those Playtex bottle inserts to
    the side she wasn't nursing on, and let the milk pour in... she always
    had a backup supply of breastmilk without pumping.  Or course, that
    doesn't solve the problem about nursing in public!
    
    	Justine
    

    
    
    Okay,
    
    	This is my (in)elegant solution to my problem.
    
    	I purchased another Evenflo battery operated pump and I just use
    two at once. It makes me feel like a science experiment and when I am
    "hooked up" Spencer thinks we are playing robots, but it gets the job
    done for about 500 dollars less. Also, if one fails, I still have the
    other as a backup.
    
    	Regarding milk let down and soaking, nothing you can do about it,
    that's called body physiology. There are two things that I do which
    seem to help,
    
    	Carry spare nursing pads and replace them a few minutes after
    you've had milk let down.
    
    	Carry a large solid colored lightweight scarf to use as a cover for
    both nursing the child and to cover any leak marks. 
    
    	I have also resorted to spilling water down the front of my shirt
    Oppps!
    
    	It's amazing how creative you can be when you have to be.
    
    					Wendy

The Motherwear catalog sells some flannel breastfeeding pads that
are far more comfortable and absorbent than the disposable Evenflo
variety.  This might help if you have a lot of letdown in public.
They're washable, too.

They sell three types:  smallest has a dart in it, so it's more form-fitting.
I found these slip a lot.  Medium size has no dart, but molds to fit
you quite well. Doesn't slip too much. The heavy, nighttime size is 
much thicker.  It would show through a thin blouse, but is great for 
nighttime use or under a thicker top. (I used to soak through a double
set of Evenflo pads at night, but don't with these flannel ones.)

Oh, the baby loves to play with them too.  They're great to teethe on!

    
    Just a comment on let-down. I don't remember if I learned this from
    breastfeeding class or if I read it, but here goes. When your breast(s)
    start to leak due to letdown, press on your nipple with a finger, i.e.,
    put your finger right on the point of your nipple and push in. I would
    always do this when nursing my daughter or my nightgown would get
    soaked. It worked for me, give it a try.
    
    Patty

    I was just about to suggest what the previous reply mentions, although
    what I do is just cross my arms (or one arm, if you're nursing) tightly 
    across my breasts.
    
    It is extremely effective, and pretty subtle.  Although, I do remember
    once walking with someone down the hall at work, holding a notebook and
    suddenly crossing my arms.  It seemed pretty awkward, but I don't think
    that the other person even noticed!
    
    Leslie

    
    Pressing hard or crossing your arms both work. The number of times in
    the past year I've had to clutch my Time Manager to my chest during a
    meeting or while talking to someone at work are countless!! I always
    carry this or a pad of paper as a prop to hide what is going on when I
    start to leak!!
    
    The blow hand dryers in the ladies are great for drying your top
    afterwards, but try and splash the area with water first in order to
    remove most of the milk. Otherwise you get a nice dried on protein
    stain!
    
    As Rebecca is nearly 14 months and I am worn out with still feeding
    after 6 and at week-ends, I am going to start to wean her off me this
    week-end. As it is nearly a year since my return to work, I think I've
    done pretty well to keep breast-feeding so long!!
    
             Celia
    

    I'm going to have my first child in October of this year.  I've already
    decided that I want to breast feed my baby, at least while I'm out of
    work.  I'm looking for advice and warnings about breast pumps.  I'm
    sure some are better than others and I'd like your advice.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Pam
    

    I came back working full time right after the 6 weeks leave.  I am
    breastfeeding my twin girls twice a day (morning and evening), and are
    able to fill up an 8 oz bottle by breast pump at noon (takes 15
    minutes).
    
    I use Garber "Precious Care" breast pump, it is a good product, very
    powerful.  I got this brand because of the recommandation from friends,
    and I would recommand it to you too.
    
    Ginger

    We've been looking at them recently (but haven't chosen yet). One point
    we've had to bear in mind is whether the parts that need sterilising
    are safe for microwaving, as its a microwave steriliser we've gone for!
    
    Andy

I would definitely recommend a battery operated one.   My sister lent me
her pump which was manual and my sister-in-law sent me hers which
was battery operated.  I had gotten the manual one first so I tried using
it, what an awful experience!!!!  Couldn't hold the pump securely in place
and pump at the same time.  The next day I received the battery operated
one.  What a differance!  Just held in place, pushed the button and 
viola the milk!  Just beware that you will go through batteries like
no tomorrow, but its worth it!

Good Luck
cj

    Some of the pumps now come set up to be plugged in, but you have to
    buy the adaptor separately. 

    We rotate through three pumps, a Gentle expressions (battery), and
    Kaneson , and an Almeda manual.  The Gentle expressions is great when i
    nurse the baby because I have a free hand, but the manual Almeda has
    been the fastes and most comfortable.  
    
    meg

    RE the part about batteries, buy the NiCad rechargables, they do cost
    some more initially, but are well worth it.  Chargers are wonderful
    too.  Let's face it if you've got kids you ALWAYS need a battery for
    something, why not invest in the rechargeables and charger with the
    layette!
    

    
    	Has anyone had experience with having surgery (on yourself) while
    breastfeeding?
    
    	It looks like I may have torn or broken something in my jaw and the
    Dr. I saw yesterday feels that I need to have surgery. I'm having a
    surgical consult on Friday and so don't know for sure. (Friday is a
    long way away when you can't chew).
    
    	I just want to know my options if surgery is recommended, I could
    either wait until I stop nursing (that would be a lot of pain to have
    to put up with) or go ahead and have some sort of surgery and
    (hopefully) continue to nurse somehow.
    
    	Anybody know anything about this?
    
    				Wendy

    My wife required surgery while nursing our daughter.  Her doctor
    recommended against continued nursing until 2-3 days after the surgery
    because of the risk of the anesthesia finding its way into her breast
    milk.

    (It was the only time that either of our kids used a bottle.)

    L.

I had minor surgery with a local a few months ago.  I gave the baby frozen milk
for 12 hours after the surgery, and threw away the milk I pumped during
that time.  Do you have any stock of frozen milk?  If not, you might
want to start introducing some formula so it wouldn't be a total shock
to the baby.  You could also then store up some breast milk for the time
after the surgery.  That way the baby would still have some breast milk
during that time.

I suggest you contact a lactation consultant.  They would have the
medical background necessary to answer the question.

Doctors cut on me twice while I was breastfeeding.  The first was minor;
I had a breast infection that needed to be drained.  It was outpatient at
the doctor's office and caused no disruption to the feeding. 

The second time was emergency gallbladder surgery when the baby was 5 1/2 
months old.  Since I was on drugs I pumped my milk and threw it out, just
to keep up my supply.  Evan was bottle fed while I was in.  When I was
allowed to feed him again, he would not accept the breast.  I thought it
would just take perseverance on my part, but could not get him to accept the
breast again after a week of constantly trying.  I finally gave up.

Hope you have *much* better luck.  If it makes any difference, I think Evan
just found the bottle easier.  My breasts *never* leaked milk, even though I
had a *lot* of milk, so maybe my breasts were harder than normal for the baby
to get the milk from.  (?)

       Carol

    Wendy,
    
    Do you have any friends who are nursing their own kids at present?  
    
    It was a solution for a friend of mine.  She also sent frozen bottles
    to the other mother's home, but her baby got a breast a few times a day
    as well.
    
    Also make the surgical consultant aware of the fact that you are
    nursing.  there may be different drugs which can be used that won't
    impact your nursing as much.  
    
    Meg

 >>   Do you have any friends who are nursing their own kids at present?

 >>   It was a solution for a friend of mine.  She also sent frozen bottles
 >>   to the other mother's home, but her baby got a breast a few times a day
 >>   as well.


Not meaning to be an alarmist, but I'd be choosy about doing this.
Babies can get HIV/AIDS from breastmilk.  In the same way a baby could
be exposed via an infected blood transfusion, they could also be
infected by breastmilk. That's why there are very few milk banks left.
The screening process for prospective donors is rigorous.
 

    
    	Although having someone else nurse Griffin is an interesting idea,
    I'm not sure that I would feel comfortable with that (it sounds like
    something straight out of MOTHERING, huh?) 
    
    	But then again, when my sister (who nurses) came out to visit and
    babysat for (what we thought was a) sleeping Griffin, when we came home
    and Griffin was crying because he was hungry, I almost asked her why
    she didn't try to nurse him. So I guess that idea is not that far off.
    
	In any event, thanks for all of the information (here and in mail)
    when I see the Surgeon on Friday, I'll have some very good points to
    raise. As it is, only the first opinion is surgery, that does not
    necessarily mean that this fellow will agree. I'll keep you posted.
    
    			Wendy

    Wendy,
    
    One of my best friends and I used to swap off on baby sitting with her
    Lucy and my Carrie.  It was really nice not to have to worry about
    getting yet another bottle ready, since the bottle for work took just
    about all the time I could muster.  It was one way to get out on a
    weekend.
    
    Meg

    	Is breast milk that "transferable"? For some reason I think of it
    rather like blood (in that it must match or be compatible to the
    person receiving it) instead of like formula (which essentially is
    inert and anyone can use it).

    	Also, I have to be on a low to no milk diet because Griffin is
    (already) having some allergic reaction to (dairy) milk products. In a
    milk bank, do they screen for things like this?

    	I'm not going to be looking for a milk bank, I'm just interested.


			Wendy

    Until the development of pasteurization and sterilized baby bottles,
    wet nurses were common.  They were women who nursed other women's
    babies, either because the mother was sick or had died, or because the
    mother's high social status dictated that she not nurse.
    
    In many aboriginal societies, women would share the nursing of their
    babies.
    
    So, no, there is nothing unique about breast milk.
    
    Our concerns today are due primarily to our distance from the time when
    all babies were nursed until they could eat.  Of course, with the
    presence of aids and other diseases that might pass through the milk,
    we have these valid concerns.  If the woman giving milk doesn't have
    such a transferrable disease, doesn't smoke or drink coffee, I don't
    see any problem in her nursing your child or donating milk.
    
    La Leche can give you more details and support.
    
    Laura

re .95:

AIDS passed through nursing?  Can this happen?

    
    	Yes, AIDS can be passed through breast milk.  When I started to
    	donate milk to the milk bank at Memorial Hospital in Worcester, I
    	had to take an AIDS test before they'd accept the milk.
    
    	They do not monitor what you eat.  They probably asked if I
    	smoked.  I don't remember.  The only thing they ask is how old your
    	baby is.  If your child is under six months old, they give your
    	milk to newborns.  If you child is older than six monhts, your milk	
    	has to go to older children, since there's not as much fat in the 
    	'older' milk and younger babies need more fat.
    
    	Justine 
                                            

    .96 Yes, AIDS is passed to babies via mother's milk.
    
    I read Elizabeth Glaser's story about how she contracted AIDS
    through a blood transfusion after the birth of her first child,
    Ariel.
    
    Ariel contracted AIDS from her mother's milk and died at ~age 9.
    
    Elizabeth didn't know she was HIV positive until after she'd
    had another child, a son, who is now HIV positive too.
    
    Very sad story.
    
    Noranne
    

    As long as we're on the subject .... so then, in theory, it would be
    possible for a mother to be HIV positive (unknown), give birth to a 
    not-positive baby, and then later infect the baby through her breast
    milk??  Do I have that right, or is any baby born of an HIV positive
    woman, automatically HIV positive?
    
    And as for the milk banks, do they pay you for the milk, or is it just
    donated?
    
    Thanks,
    Patty

>>>  As long as we're on the subject .... so then, in theory, it would be
>>>  possible for a mother to be HIV positive (unknown), give birth to a 
>>>  not-positive baby, and then later infect the baby through her breast
>>>  milk??  Do I have that right, or is any baby born of an HIV positive
>>>  woman, automatically HIV positive?
    
My understanding is that babies born of an HIV positive woman are
*not* automatically HIV positive.   Because HIV passes via body fluids,
it can be in breast milk.

I believe some/most ob's do regular screening for HIV now.  I recall
talking with the nurse practitioner about it when I was pregnant.

>>>    And as for the milk banks, do they pay you for the milk, or is it just
>>>    donated?
   
The one person I know who did this donated her milk.  I haven't done it
myself ... am "banking" my extra in my own freezer so I can stop pumping 
at work soon! 

    	When I was pregnant with Spencer I had to be tested for HIV because
    a physician who had operated on me several times had tested positive
    for HIV.

    	Naturally I had a lot of questions and concerns. Some of the
    answers I got:

    	If the mother is positive for HIV the baby will not necessarily have
    the infection but will show positive for the first 6 months (due to the
    mother's antibodies). There was is no way of knowing if a positive baby
    is negative until it is retested 6 months after birth.

    	If a mother is positive, yes indeed, she can pass on the virus to
    her child through breastmilk.

    	There appears to be a "shedding" phase of the virus, this means
    that the virus may only be transmissible during this "active stage".
    This may or may not explain why some children born of HIV positive
    mothers are ultimately negative.

    	HIV/AIDS is such a scary thing and it truly touches us all.

    				Wendy

    
    This I find very interesting ... I have no reason to think that I would
    be HIV positive, but I guess, I have no reason to assume I'm not, as
    I've never been tested.  But, at 32 weeks pregnant, no one has ever
    suggested that I SHOULD be tested.
    
    I guess the angle I'm coming from, is that if they don't normally test
    pregnant women, and it is possible for an HIV+ woman to give birth to a
    negative baby, and then later infect the child via the breast milk,
    doesn't it seem like we're presenting our children with a lot of
    unnecessary risk?  
    
    If you were pregnant, and positive, and knew that there were chance
    that your baby might be born negative, wouldn't you opt NOT to breast
    feed, in hopes of not presenting further risk of infection?  Geez, we
    don't smoke because the baby might be a little smaller, we don't drink
    because they might not be so smart, but we don't even think about the
    potential of passing on an early death sentence??
    
    I guess I'm just stunned by this ....
    

    
    	Absolutely, I think that any person who is:
    
    	going to get married,
    	going to have a baby
    	going to have surgery
    	going to ....
    
    	should be tested for HIV (Along with a host of other tests). No one
    should have to suffer because we are afraid to confront ourselves.
    
    				Wendy

	That's provided, of course, that the test used is considered
	reliable.

	I have opted not to take tests that are known to give false positives.

	I recommended to my sister, who was unsure of the gestational age
	of her baby, (Due date based on LMP differed 3 weeks from ultrasound
	date) that she either not take the AFP test, or not be surprised if
	it came back positive, since the test is very dependent on timing.
	She had the same concern, and opted not to have the test.

	Karen

    re a few back, I donated ALL the milk I could pump to the Worcester
    Milk bank after the loss of our daughter 8 years ago.  
    
    NO I wasn't paid for anything, including mileage for brining it into
    the bank from wherever, home, work etc.  I did have to fill out
    physical profile, but no AIDS tests were required or done.  I was
    supposed to let them know if I had taken any antibiotics, or any
    medications. (honor system invoked here) the first two or three pumping
    were tested and then I was informed that my milk was OK to donate.
    
    I donated to the bank as a sort of comfort to me, as a way of working
    through a greiving process because our daughter was still born. (see my
    note in 502) It made me feel that if I couldn't help and nourish my own
    child, then perhaps I could help someone else's thrive.
    
    When I had AJ, he was in NICU and I had been give a few shots for pain.
    The milk was noted as such, and I think my own milk was not given until
    I was off the pain shots from the section.  But then again he wasn't
    allowed anything to eat until he was several days old because he had
    had surgery at birth anyway, and then is was like 1/2 ounce every 4
    hours, sometimes diluted half strength anyway.
    
    Lyn

    This has me wondering about my Heather.....  when she was in the NICU
    4 1/2 years ago she got donated breast milk for 4 months or so.  I have
    often thoaght about getting her tested for HIV positive because of all
    the blood transfusions she got.  Now I wondered if she should be tested
    because of the milk.....
    
    Would you have your child tested if they had donated breast milk????
    
    susan
    

    
    Would you have your child tested if they had donated breast milk????
    
    
    				yes.
    
    
    				Wendy

Yes, I'd have my child tested for HIV if s/he had received donated breast
milk. In fact, my twins were both tested for HIV at their 1-year check-up
due to having so many transfusions from a blood bank.  We wanted to know if
they had contracted it so that they could recieve proper care.  We weren't
really worried about Jessica as she only had 3 transfusions from the blood
bank and then 1 from a friend who became our designated donor.  But Brad
received 12 transfusions that we know of from the blood bank before getting
the other 5 from our designated donor, so we were really worried about him.

I'd rather know now than wait to find out later.  And yes, I know all the
statistics about how well they test blood to be used on newborns and was
told by all the doctors that they had never had a case of HIV transmitted
to a newborn by receiving blood from their bloodbank, but I didn't want
one of my kids to be the first which is why we kept looking to get our
own designated donor (took 7 tries -- including having me donate just 2
weeks postpartum til we found someone suitable).

Cathy

    The odds make testing probably unnecessary:
    
    There are a million or so HIV-positive people in the US.
    Even if they are completely without symptoms, and have the
    same statistical breakdown as the general US population
    (which they don't--they are more urban, more poor, more
    drug-using, etc.), you'd only have a fraction of a percent
    chance that the milk came from one.
    
    Once you adjust for the demographic differences and some
    self-selection out of donation, I'd guess the odds would
    be extremely low (.1% to .01% at a guess) that the milk
    is from an HIV-positive woman.  Then there's the fractional
    chance that the milk has viruses in it, the chance that
    any of them survive storage, the chance that any of them
    transfer to the infant--all less than certain, the last
    one in particular known to be low.
    
    Combine these and you wind up at something on the order
    of one chance in somewhere between million and a hundred
    million that a child would get infected from milk.
    
    The odds of a false positive from an AIDS test are far larger.
    
    Note: this is just a back-of-the-envelope calculation, don't
    assume the exact numbers are right.
    
    		-John Bishop

<    Would you have your child tested if they had donated breast milk????
    
No.  Not after all that time.

I have contemplated being tested, since I received sperm from at least 
3 different donors in my attempts to get pregnant.  At first I didn't get
tested because Colorado didn't do anonymous testing.  Later when anonymous
testing was available to me I decided not to get tested because I figured
that if Evan or I had gotten AIDS that Evan, at least, would have showed it
by now (he is 5 now, was probably 4 then).  

Of course, I could have gotten it and not passed it on to him, but there
is good indication that didn't happen, either.  At any rate, I don't worry 
about him having it, and if your child is doing well I would say not to 
worry.  However, if you already worry, and a negative result would help you
feel better, then go for it.  

      Carol

    Has anyone heard of starting to use use formula milk after
    breastfeeding can destroy the anti-bodies gained from breastfeeding.
    Its something a friend thought and it affects us as Helen is going back
    to work when Rowan is just less than 3 mnths old and he will be going
    to a nursery. They suggested we use soya milk instead. 
    
    Has anyone any info. on this?
     
        Andy
    

    I can't accurately address the anti-bodies question.  
    
    But I am certain that you should not use soy milk.  If you don't want
    to use a dairy-based formula, or if your doctor doesn't recommend it,
    do use a soy-based formula.  Formula is specially blended for babies,
    with a precise amount of fat, protein, and nutrients.
    
    Laura

As -2 is from a UK node, I suggest you talk to the experts on baby feeding - 
your local health visitor.

The anti-bodies things sounds crazy to me. How can formula destroy the baby's
anti-body system!! Please talk to your health visitor about which formula is
suitable for your child. Some babies can only tolerate certain ones and the
longer a baby is breast-fed, the more precise you have to be on change over.

Your wife may want to consider mixed feeding on returning to work - formula 
during the day, but to continue to nurse night and morning. Or she could
always pump and build up a milk bank prior to her return. I returned to work
when my daughter was 11 weeks. I pumped from 6 weeks until 6 months when the 
pump gave out and I wanted to give my body a bit of a break. Rebecca then had
SMA formula at creche and me the rest of the time. At 12 months, she started
on whole cow's milk during the day. At 15 months, she is still nursing night and
morning, but gets by on milk, juice and water during the day. 

Your body quickly learns to adapt to part-time nursing, as it's all about supply
and demand :-)

                Celia 

    Yep, Health visitor said the anti-bodies thing *was* rubbish, and that
    it was probably a misunderstanding of breast is best, and any mixed
    feeding (formula/breast) reduces the benefits of breast milk.
    
    Helen's planning to express sufficient for Rowan's first week at
    nursery, by which time he'll be three months, and then make the switch
    to mixed then. As he'll be at nursery for about 5 hours a day, we hope
    that will mean at most one bottle of formula a day. He's quite happy
    with a bottle with expressed milk or water, and he's not fussy about it
    being warm.
    
    Andy

    I have some questions about schedules.
    
    My baby is one month old and can't seem to make up her mind if she
    wants to feed 3 hours, 4 hours or whenever!
    
    I'm getting concerned about this because I'm going back to work
    in 2 weeks.  
    
    Should I try to keep her on a schedule?  She WAS sleeping through
    the night at one week old and now she's waking once or twice, which
    I don't mind, but it's just not consistant.  Last night she fed
    about every 2 hours, totally not like her!
    
    What I would ultimately prefer is to nurse her at 6:00 a.m. and
    again at 6:00 p.m. and 9-10 p.m.  On this schedule, she would
    have only 2 feeding of formula during the day.  But sometimes,
    whe wants to eat 3 hours during the day.  Sometimes she ends up
    eating at 4-5 in the afternoon, which will mess things up when
    I'm working.  
    
    Should I just play it by ear and let her decide?  I have an
    Au Pair, who is very inexperienced with infants.
    
    I didn't have this problem with my first two, they were every
    4 hours right from birth.  So I'm not sure how to handle this.
    
    Thanks,
    Peggy

    Peggy,
    
    I would play it by ear.  One thing I have explained to Frank and anyone
    else who watches Atlehi, is that if she starts acting hungry within an 
    hour of when I get home, try to distract her.  If that fails, then to
    give her just enough milk to settle her down.  that way I don't have
    the aching breast and sleeping baby syndrome.  
    
    We've also found that the kids will work into your work schedule after
    about a week.  

Mine breastfed every 2 hours for the first four months or so, day and
night.  Then she gradually decreased the number of feedings and increased the
time between them.  I was never able to put her on a schedule for feeding,
and never really tried.  I just nursed her when she asked for it.

I found she wanted to nurse as soon as I got home, regardless of whether
she'd just eaten.  It was more a bonding issue with her ... "you're my
mom and I'm your baby!"  (This lasted up 'til 6 months.)

If your baby is sleeping when you get home, go ahead and pump your 
milk for 5 or 10 minutes.  Your spouse can then give the baby a bottle 
when she awakes, or you can freeze it.

At one month, yours might be going through a growth spurt.  That would
help explain the need for more night feedings. 

I'd just feed her when she asks for it!

    I guess I should have clarified mine.  Atlehi is "on demand" once I get
    home.  However she is big enough that waiting an hour for me isn't going
    to hurt her so we work that thought around with my coming home.  
    
    While a breast pump is fairly effective, it doesn't do nearly as good a
    job on the kid for getting my breasts drained.  I have had mastitis
    once with Carrie, and I don't care to repeat the experience.  
    
    Meg  

	Emily nursed often, too. (Every 2-3 hours)

	By the time came back to work, I was able to freeze 13 bottles
	of breast milk, so I was able to send 2 bottles of frozen milk
	plus one bottle of formula each day.  I nursed her when she woke
	up in the morning (usually 5:30 - 6:00), then again before
	heading out the door.  Most days, she could wait until I got her
	home from the sitter's (my mother's) at night.  My mom had some
	formula on hand in case she needed a few ounces to hold her over
	until I got home, but I think she only used it once.

	As Emily approached 4 months, she began needed a few extra ounces
	in the late afternoon.  I started her on cereal at 4 months, and
	the extra ounces were eliminated.

	Karen

    Hi,
    
    I have a question to ask.  I bought a battery operated breast pump
    put out by Evenflow.  (I use an adapter not batteries)  Well I
    bought it only 9 weeks ago and I think its biting the big one.
    The suction seems to be getting weaker, where I use to get 5oz I'm
    now only getting 3 (and feeling very uncomfortable)  I pump while 
    I'm at work and before it didn't seem to make a difference.  Every
    now and then when I hit the release button sometimes it just won't
    kick back in and I have to keep hitting the release button for it to
    kick in. 
    
    Do you think my model is a lemon, or are there better ones out
    there I should get?  How long are these suppose to last?  (I pump
    3 times a day if that matters)
    
    Thanks!
    Karen

    Karen,
    
    You may want to check the gasket where the bottle hooks in.  sometimes
    reseating this will fix the suction problem on many pumps.  I am not
    familiar with the evenflow, having gotten hooked on another variety,
    but I do know when I was having problems pulling the gasket and
    reseating it (and sometimes replacing said gasket), got production back
    up.  
    
    This has also been a problem on the manual pumps as well.  When the
    flange wears out, they don't suck anymore.
    
    Meg
    

Karen -

You might also want to try taking the pump apart and cleaning it out.
The Gentle Expressions pump just a couple of small screws holding it
together.  Hopefully the EvenFlow pump is similar.

I was about ready to throw mine out when we took it apart and found quite
a bit of milk residue inside the pump itself.  After a quick cleaning, it
worked just fine.

Good luck,
Susan

    	I have an Evenflo that I have used (and still use) for two babies.
    Nine weeks is too soon for the pump to have died, if all of these
    suggestions do not work, send it back to the company or try bringing it
    back to the store.

    	One other thing is that you mentioned you collect five ounces at a
    time, assuming that you use a four ounce bottle (which comes with the
    pump) you may be sending milk up into the vacuum hole (which would clog
    up the motor).

    	A good cleaning would be the best bet.

    			Wendy

    Just an update:
    
    After pumping on one side I would then empty the milk into a larger
    bottle then pump the other side.
    
    There is an 800 number in the phamplet that came with the unit, when I
    called and told the woman what it was doing she told me to bring it
    back.
    
    Well Friday I was going to bring it back after work, HOWEVER, it died
    trying to pump that morning.  So I ended up running to a local pharmacy
    and buying a different brand.  Took the evenflo back that night and
    was given my full money back.  I was going to buy another one but they
    didn't have any in stock.  The new model I have "gentle expressions" is
    ok, took me a couple of days to get the hang of this model and how
    it works.  So, we shall see how long this one last.
    
    Thanks for all the replies.
    
    Regards,
    Karen
    
    

    Karen,
    
    FWIW,  The gentle expressions pump I am using has been through 5
    children that we know of, and was purchased used 7 years ago, so I have
    no idea how many kids it really has been through.  (I'm borrowing it
    from a friend who doesn't need it this year)
    
    Meg

    	I have often wondered when some women seem to "go through" a few
    pumps with each kid. I can't imagine my pumps not lasting for all of my
    children. (hopefully a few more to come ;-))

    	For whatever it is worth, earlier I had made the decision to use
    two pumps at the same time instead of buying the (very) expensive
    "double pumper". Using two pumps is an inexpensive and nice solution
    to the problem. It takes far less time and aggravation. Wouldn't go
    back to doing each side separately again if ya paid me.

    				Wendy

    I just finished nursing Natasha (now 2year & 1 month).....I can't
    believe it's over........
    
    Anyway, during that time I was on the pump for 18 months, the first
    year it was used about 3-4 times a day during the work week.  I would 
    go through a pump every 4 months.  I was like a dairy farm! :-)
    If I wasn't careful the milk would get to high in the bottle before 
    I emptied it and it would damage the pump.........this would usually 
    happen if I was pumping while my husband and I were traveling.
    
    I would also buy a new pump when I saw the one I was using getting old
    looking from the constantly boiling & cleaning (even with bleechings).  I'd
    buy one before the next one would die.........twice I got caught full
    of milk......no child around and a broken pump......not a fun scene.
    :-o
    
    The pump that lasted the longest and I loved the most was evenflo pump
    with batteries.  I liked the convenient peach bag it travels and and it
    was easy to hold.  And most important it was strong with out hurting.
    
    Just my 2 cents 
    

I bought several nursing bras at Rich's Department Store in Nashua
yesterday.  They are the exact same bras as were sold in the last
Sears catalog.  (In fact, it looked to me as though the Sears' name
had been cut off the end of the label.) Sears charged something 
between $15 and $20.  Rich's charged $5.99!

I bought five of these last October ('92) when my daughter was born.
They've worn very well, with more than one year of day and night use.

Another nice thing is the range of sizes: they had between 32 and 50!

    
    How do you get in contact with this "La Leche League" in the MA area?
    
    Also, no stores seem to have any electric breast pumps other than
    Gerber's or Magmag's.  Any info on these and other brands?
    
    Thx-
    
    Lynne

    RE: La Leche
    
    Call your local hospital's maternity section. When I needed to call I
    called Nashua Memorial's Birthplace and the nurses had the number of
    the local representative. The fact that noone returned my call after
    5-6 attempts is another story.
    
    Shaila

    I just found out that if you have Harvard Community health insurance
    you can contact your primary care and they can authorize you getting a
    pump, no less for FREE and DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR!
    
    This information was given to me by the nursery at Emerson hospital.
    
    For the Acton, MA office you can call Carol Baker at 263-1131.  My
    primary care has confirmed that this is covered through Durable
    Medical Equipment, part of Harvard Community.  However, I am now being
    told that you need to have a sick child to get this.  (what a run
    around!) I guess your pedi has to authorize it which is probably the
    primary care?  
    
    Anyone else know about this?
    
    cj

Durable medical equipment is usually for a sick child, but you might get
the pump paid for if you can get your pedi or your OB to write you the
prescription. I got a prescription for one when I had my kids, but my
plan wouldn't cover it,  and you could definitely classify my kids as 
sick!  But it won't hurt to call HCHP and ask about it. The most they
can say is no.

And I've had other medical equipment covered such as in-home oxygen,
an apnea monitor, and a nebulizer. It's standard procedure for medical
equipment that is prescribed to be delivered to your door, and for some
things, you get training to boot.  When we got the oxygen and monitor when
Brad came home the first time, we got in-home CPR instructions complete
with dummy and posters for the house tht was very helpful. They didn't
leave til we said we were satisfied with all the training, and we had
my parents sit through it, too.

I doubt that you'll get the medical plan to cover it because it's more
for convenience than a medical reason, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't
try. I've gotten more than 1 thing changed at hospitals and medical plans
just because I complained and had helpful suggestions on ways to improve
things.  There's no reason you can't also get something changed for the
better.

Cathy

    cj,
    
    I had a "sick" child and had a prescription for a pump....Although I
    just found it 3 years after while cleaning the file cabinent;^).  For
    fragile, sick children, breast milk is not just 'recommended' it is 
    essential, which would explain why pumps are prescribed, besides,
    mothers can't be with babies all day when they are hospitalized.
    
    For a dollar a day (what the rental costs in my area) it is cheaper
    than formula....
    Believe me, you are fortunate to want a pump rather than require one.
    
    beth

    OK ... I obviously stated things I shouldn't of ....
    
    1.  My child was sick and in the hospital for a week under an oxygen
    tank earlier this month.  He couldn't breastfeed and I needed a pump.  
    Unfortunately, he is getting the same infection again and I want 
    an effective pump to start expressing milk if he gets to the point where
    he can't nurse rather than the little ones in the stores...
    
    However,
    
    2.  For Harvard Community to cover your child must be hospitalized and
    under a month.  My pedi said yes she could cover it, but because he is
    3 months, the medical department won't.
    
    So, I'm off to see a women in Townsend and Acton, where I can rent one
    cheaper than the $2.50/day/$75/month which is the cost in my area at
    the pharmacies. 
    
    
                   

Our daughter was in the hospital for a week after birth with jaundice. 
Because of the sleepiness brought on by the jaundice, she would 
constantly fall asleep while nursing and was not eating enough.   
After each time she nursed, I pumped so that we could get some more 
down her with a bottle (can't force breastfeed, but can force bottle 
feed).    This use of the pump was covered in full by Harvard.   Also, 
the "kit" you need to buy in order to use the Medela (and Lactina) was 
covered (and I now use that kit with the Lactina I rent (and I pay for)). 

So they covered the pump while she was in the hospital and it was 
medically necessary for me to use it.   


FYI, the cost of the pumps goes down.   The women who run the rentals 
privately and the drugstore were the same price, $2.50 per day for a 
per/day contract, and less per day (~1.50 I think) for 3 months and $1 
per day for a 5 month contract.   

I have a dilemma regarding pumping while away on training for a week (PKO).
My daughter is 4 mos. and will be accompanying me on the trip so as to
keep the nursing going (will be at a sitter's house for 4 days, and
grandma's 1 day) and to keep my husband somewhat sane (he gets to handle
my 2 1/2 yr-old son solo, so I'm getting the better end of the deal ;-).

Currently, I pump once a day using a Ross manual and get around 4 oz.
which gets used for the next day at daycare (other feedings are formula).
The problem is - it can take 30 minutes (more if let-down is stubborn)
and I'm not sure if there will be an appropriate place and the time for
this during the training. I'd like to get the time down to 15-20 minutes,
if possible.

I guess my options are: a) pump twice for shorter times using the Ross
pump (but it's no bargain since the cleaning time adds up) b) buy a
small battery pump like Gentle Expressions c) find a Medela Lactina in
that area to rent (pharmacy? hospital? La Leche?).  Anything I buy must
be small and light for travelling - I've looked around a bit, but don't
want to risk buying a "dud" machine off the shelf.

Any others out there who have gotten around such an issue?  By the way,
my son was breast-fed until I took a 1 week business trip when he was 6
months (without him) so this time I'm trying to prevent that kind of
"forced" decision, while not imposing on my other responsibilities too
much.

Thanks for any pointers,
-Cori

    
    The Lactina is great for travelling.  Your Pedi may rent them, or
    try local hospitals, or the local La Leche League for sources.  I think
    they rent for a few dollars per day.
    
    The only drawback is that an outlet is required - and if you're
    limited to bathroom stalls, you're outa luck.   

That's not the case anymore.  Now they make the Lactina Plus, it comes 
with a rechargeable battery as well as an adapter for the car lighter. 

The woman I rent from has them (it's what I rent).   She's in Acton, 
the town over from Maynard, so if you want to contact her for the time 
you are here, let me know offline.   

As for PKO, I found a bathroom in the non-training part of the 
building (right near the Dan Cook Conference Room) that had a chair
which I pulled into the handicapped stall.     The other idea is that
there is a handicapped shower "room" in the training center part - a
door right off of one of the main hallways marked handicapped shower. 
That has a lock, so I went in there a few times and sat on the
shower seat.   It's private, no one wanted to use it while I was there. 

I believe PKO was discussed in an earlier or other note.  Anyway,
when I was there last Spring for a course, there were many empty
single-door classrooms.  I just taped paper over the door window,
put up a note that said "Occupied", then backed my chair up to the 
door.  No one could come in. This worked very well.  FYI, I was using
an electric Lactina.

	My wife rented an electric pump from the hospital on a trial
	basis, to see if she liked it. It worked fine, and we decided
	to return the rental and buy an inexpensive unit, figuring
	we'd amortize the cost over potentially several children.
	
	The pump is the mini-electric by Medela.  Susan pumps according
	to the directions, once or twice per day. This particular
	unit can be run on batteries or on AC from the socket.
	To turn the pump on, you depress a switch attached to the unit.
	You must keep your fingers clenched around the switch, or the
	pump turns off.
	
	After several weeks of this, Susan's dominant (right) hand
	in painful, and the physical therapist at our HMO suspects
	carpal tunnel syndrome.  The PT actually did some test to
	determine if it's the medial nerve or some other nerve.
	
	We conclude that it's the vibration of the pump from her 
	having to hold onto the handle to keep the power on that
	causes her pain. As a workaround, she now uses a thick
	rubber band to keep the switch depressed.  If you experience
	a tingling sensation in your hand, you might want to try
	this.  Carpal tunnel is not a situation to be trifled with.
	
	By the way, Susan relayed her suggestion for a better
	on/off switch to the manufacturer.  A customer support
	rep left a message saying that feature was already under
	evaluation.
	
	Sam

As much as I like the Medela Lactina, I too found holding the
"trigger" on their mini-electric inconvenient.  You would think they'd
have done a better design, given how well they do all their other
pumps.  I'm glad to hear they're considering changing it.  You might
ask them for your money back, or for a credit toward renting a Lactina.
They seem very responsive to customer needs. (They send me a duplicate
of the mini-pump because they said their tests indicated it might not
be as durable as their standards required!)

On a related topic, I'm toying with the idea of becoming a distributor
for Medela pumps.  A friend of mine who lives in Marlboro does this.
She says it's fun and a great way to meet other moms.

Has anyone else here done this?  How did you like working with Medela?
(I checked the home business notes conference, but there are no notes
on this topic.)

Also, for those of you who have rented pumps, how did you find your 
distributor?  Did you call the 800 referral number?  Friends?
Hospital?  I'm curious how much time I'd need to spend making contacts.

Any suggestions, on or offline, are welcome.

--Jennifer
dtn: 381-2859

On a recent trip to the U.S. I purchased and Evenflo battery operated pump for
my daughter. Eventhough it appears to be a new unit (the box was nicely wrapped
in clear celophane), there was no user manual, and my daughter is experiencing
problems getting it to operate properly; it doesn't appear to be creating
enough suction.

I'll try and describe how she is using it:

1. She fits the small yellowish "nipple" (with a very small hole) over the
small pipe which extends our from the top of the unit.

2. She screws the bottle top onto the bottle.

3. She places the large horn on the wide pipe extending out from the bottle top
unit.

4. She inserts the bottle in the unit so that the top of the cap of the bottle
(which also has a small hole) is sitting under the "yellowish" nipple attached
to the small pipe.

She turns on the machine. It does make a humming sound, but there does NOT
appear to be enough suction. She tried this using both two brand new duracell
batteries and with a transformer. She even tried increasing the output of the
transformer to 6 volts and 9 volts. In this case the machine works faster, but
the suction created is still NOT sufficient.

I tried turning on the machine with any bottle attached and I put my finger
under the hole in the small pipe at the top of the unit, and there is "some"
suction, but it isn't very strong.

Thanks,

Cb.
  

    It sounds like there is an air leak in there somewhere.  Something is
    not tight enough.  My evenflo pump also came with some washers. They
    are rubber rings that fit between the top of the bottle and the screw
    lid for the bottle.  Mine pump does the same thing if I don't use
    the washer.  If yours did not come with these, you could easily make
    your own from a regular bottle nipple that you don't need anymore. 
    Just cut away the rest of the nipple until you have a ring about
    .25 inches wide.  Hope this helps.
    
    
    				Mary Russo

This may not be your problem, but it can also help to wet the cone 
to help the seal around the breast.

-Tanya

	Has anyone had experience/success using the Evenflo
	manual breast pump ?

	I just bought one, and found the suction to be virtually
	non-existant, even with the added "suction valve" in place.

	I also found it to be messy.

	I'm wondering if I got a dud, or if it's just a poor design.
	I'm sure it's assembled properly, and I *think* I'm using
	it right.

	I used to use a tube-in-a-tube manual pump, and the suction
	was ten times better (20 times ?)

	Comments/suggestions ?

	Karen

Most of the breast pumps that you can afford ummm...well, I started to say
"suck", but the problem is they *don't* suck.

I only had luck with a rented Medela pump - the heavy sucker you use at the
hospital.  I rented mine from a local pharmacy, only to find out with our
second child that I could have rented one for less than half the price from
a lactation specialist through the hospital.  My suggestion is that you
check into a Medela.

Good luck!

     Carol

    I have had luck with the Kanneson system for manual pumps (varies as to
    brand) and with the battery powered gentle expressions pump.  The major
    problems I have had with any pump is that the gaskets don't always
    manage a tight enough seal to suck.  Sometimes I have had luck by
    putting water on the gaskets when they are worn.
    
    meg

	That's interesting, Meg.  It seems my (Sears) manual pump
	(tube-in-tube) gets worse when the gasket gets wet.

	I can successfully pump for 5-10 minutes, then the suction
	starts to fail.  Even if I switch sides and know there's plenty
	of milk available, the pump just barely cuts it, and I end
	up hand-expressing.  I'd been assuming it was from the gasket
	getting wet, but maybe it's something else...

	Anyway, that was the reason I bought the Evenflo, but it's
	even worse than my barely functioning Sears.

	Carol, have you heard any feedback on the new Medela pumps
	that you can purchase for ~$129 ? 

	Karen

    I know I commented in an earlier file, but my Medela manual pump that
    they gave me in the hospital after Christopher was born, was just
    great! I pumped each day at work and it seemed easier and faster than a
    battery operated one - I never did get the hang of the one electric
    pump I tried.
    

RE: .145

I've used the Evenflo manual pump with some success.  This was 2 years ago, now,
but, as I recall I found it tiring.  I mean, I really had to work with this
thing to get it to successfully and consistently pump.  It was very important to
keep the suction "thingy" moist so it will cling to/grip the breast.  This 
manual pump was not great for pumping enough to fill bottle for the boys, but
great for relieving the pressure and breast pain when my husband and I went 
away for our two separate weekends away from the family.

Hope this helps ...

    I will be returning to work from Parental Leave in July.  I am
    currently trying to "stockpile" some milk for when my daughter is at daycare. 
    
    I can't seem to get the hang of expressing milk into the Playtex
    disposable bags... the milk drips down the side.  Can someone give
    directions??  Also, once the milk is in the bag, what do you use to
    seal it??
    
    Thanks much.

	I always express into a larger, firmer container (I've got a 
	great plastic 2 cup measuring cup), then transfer it into
	the bottle liners.  The measuring cup works well because it
	gives me a more accurate measure of how much milk I actually
	freeze in each bag (I find the liners to vary depending on
	how you hold them).

	Karen

    
    
    	I would set up the bag in a bottle to hold it while I was pouring
    the milk and then I would seal it with a plain 'ol twisty.
    
    	In the freezer I had a small tupperware bowl that I would put the
    bags into until they froze so that they would freeze upright.
    
    	When the babies started drinking larger amounts, I just froze the
    milk inside of 4 ounce bottles (the soft rubber/translucent ones) and
    then defrost those.
    
    				Wendy

    Use a cup or something more firm, as noted earlier.
    
    The best suggestions I got about milk storage came from my family
    practitioner. She suggested only storing bags with say, 1 oz, or 2
    oz. That way you can visibly learn to recognize which are 1 oz bags
    and which are 2 oz bags, and mix/match as you need to, rather than
    defrosting too much at once.
    
    Also, rather than having to date individual little bags - put them
    in the freezer as usual, but at the end of a week, collect all of that
    week's little bags and tuck them in to a ziploc bag, and simply
    write the week's date on the outside of the ziploc bag. You end
    up with a virtual file cabinet of bags, so you can them remove them
    oldest first.
    
    Good luck,
    Lynn
    

	Another comment on storing:

	Similar to Lynn, rather than date the bags, I take one shelf
	on the door of my freezer, and store them from left to right.
	As I remove bags each day, I just shift the bags left, so we
	always are using the oldest milk first.

	Re: 4 oz bottles ... with 23 bottles in the freezer when I
	came back to work, I'd need lots of little plastic bottles!

	My brother-in-law saw my "stash" when I opened the freezer to
	get him some ice and said, "Look, a dairy!" ;-)

	Karen

	PS - Final chapter on the breast pumps... I returned the Evenflo
	manual pump to Walmart - they took it back no questions asked.
	A friend at work *gave* me her Medela manual pump, and it's working
	quite well.  (Any pump that causes let down even after 20 minutes
	and 6 ounces of milk is okay by me!!)

    The freezer door does not give you the same temperature as the freezer
    will.  May I suggest moving to the inner freezer close to the sides of
    the freezer.  I used to keep ice cream in the door, but it would never
    stay frozen, so my repairman said I had to store things in the freezer
    to achieve optimum freezing temps.
    
    FWIW...
    
    -sjd
    

    re .155
    My neighbor used to call me the Dairy Queen when I was nursing :-)
    
    

	Thanks Sandy.

	The bottles are staying solidly frozen, as are other items
	I've got on the door.  Still, rather than take chances, I
	guess I ought to find some room inside (that should be
	interesting!).

	Karen

    
    	Just wanted to share a funny event from the other day.
    
    	We went out to eat after work, and Andrew needed to nurse.
    	I went to the ladies room and was nursing him when a woman
    	I knew from my old aerobics class walked in.  I said hi, then
    	she asked me, "Is that your baby?"
    
    	I answered nicely, but thought of lots of possible humorous
    	replies after she left...
    
    Karen
    

    I haven't tried freezing breast milk yet.  My concern was that it might
    get freezer burns from being in plastic bottles or in those platex
    disposables.
    
    has anyone ever had that kind of a problem?

    I froze breast milk in the little disposable bags for the playtex
    nurser.  It worked great - at least my baby never seemed to "mind"
    the taste, so I assume it was fine!  I was told you could freeze it
    for up to 2 months, although I never had that much supply on hand!
    
    Lila
    

	I, too, have always frozen breastmilk in the disposable
	bottles.  Emily and Andrew never complained.  

    I freeze mine in plastic bottles but these were the guidelines from one
    of my books.
    
    Refrigerator storage should not exceed 24 hours.
    
    Refrigerator/freezer storage two weeks or less.
    
    Deep Freeze can be up to 6 months.
    
    i've never had enough stashed to go longer than a week in the freezer,
    so this has never been an issue.  As I recall freezer furn takes much
    longer than the two weeks in a normal refrig/freezer combination.
    
    meg

    Another question...I rented the Medela Lactina because I would
    like to pump when I return to work.  For those of you that pump
    at work, I assume you don't have the opportunity to sterilize the
    parts (breast shield etc) between uses.  Is hand washing the components
    sufficient.
    I am paranoid about always sterilizing all of the parts but if I
    express at work, the shield etc won't have the opportunity to be
    sterilized between uses.
    
    Am I being too paranoid.
    
    I assume you must either take the disposable bags with you or
    take some sterile plastic bottles with you to work.  Would it be
    sufficient to carry the bottles in a ziploc bag?
    
    Also do you need to put the milk in the refrigerator first before you
    put it in the freezer or can you just put it in the freezer.  How do
    you keep it cold for the ride from work to home??
    Can the milk be thawed out in the fridge?
    
    Thanks for any comments.
    
    Also, for those of you at HLO, is the nurse's office pretty good about
    letting you pump there?  Is there a freezer there than can be used
    during the day.
    
    Nancy

    Nancy,
    
    I guess I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum than you .... I never
    sterilized a single bottle in my life.  I've got 3 kids.  I used to
    boil all the nipples, once a month or so, other than that it was hot
    soapy water and a scrubby brush.  The bottles got the dishwasher, or a
    good soak and scrub in hot water.  Occasionally a dose of bleach if it
    needed it.  Pacifiers get the same as nipples, except I try to make
    sure I pull of any extra 'lint' at least once a week (-:  After they've
    been dropped, they frequently get 'cleaned off' in my mouth before
    giving them back to baby.  I'd rather eat the dirt than him!
    
    For pumping, I used a hand pump at work.  I kept it in a canvas
    backback on the floor under my desk.  After I used it, I'd wash it out
    with warm water, and stick it back in the bag.  Every day I'd bring in
    new bottles (I used regluar bottles to store/freeze it in) in a paper
    bag, or in the backpack.
    
    The pumped milk ended up in a bottle, in a paper bag, in the fridge
    till I left work.  Then I'd drop it at the sitters when I picked up the
    baby.
    
    I've thawed milk in hot water, in cold water, on the counter, in the
    microwave, and in the fridge.  I didn't notice any difference.  If
    there's any type of nutrient breakdown, I wouldn't have noticed
    however.
    
    I used small (4 oz) glass bottles to store the milk in, that I got from
    the hospital.  Ask your local hospital if they can spare a few.  They
    try to recycle them, but may be willing to set a few aside, especially
    if you say why.  W/ a "Marks-a-lot" marker, I'd write the date on the
    top of the metal cap, and stick it way back in the freezer (warm or
    cold).  I think it freezes better if it's already cold, then shake it
    well to mix the fat back with the milk, before freezing.
    
    And even after eating all those terrible germs, we're all still alive
    and healthy! (except the boys do seem to like a lot of bugs... (-;)
    
    They didn't do this stuff hundreds of years ago when there wasn't any
    medicine.  It doesn't seem necessary to me.  I also go on the theory
    that if you're never exposed to anything 'bad', you never learn to
    build up any immunities.  That's personal theory.  Aside from ear
    problems with Jonathan (infections), and a bout of pertussis picked up
    from the local school, by my 9-year-old, they've all been very healthy.
    
    Good luck!  If you're very worried about the shield, maybe you could
    buy an extra?  Try to relax .... before you know it, the baby will be
    putting things in his/her mouth that'll make you want to puke! (-:
    

    I never bothered to sterilize the pump equipment. I just washed it in
    hot soapy water after every use.  Since my kids were in the NICU while
    I pumped milk and delivered it to them, I did have the luxury of having
    sterile water in bottles provided by the hospital so I just emptied out
    the water and poured the milk in, and it went straight in the freezer.
    
    I imagine at work you could just put it in a fridge or bring in a
    cooler and use that to transport it back and forth. 

    Mine goes straight into the freezer at home and at work, as we have a
    refrigerator/freezer on the floor.  As far as sterilizing everything, I
    run my washable equipment through the dishwasher, and run hot water
    through it at work if I don't have an extra with me, or didn't get my
    "bell" run through the dishwasher the night before.  
    
    Bottles etc, are also run through the dishwasher, and I bring them in
    in ziplock baggies.  I don't get overly concerned about germs, more
    than just common sense.  I think there is some overkill and scare
    information in most of the books about breastfeeding and working.  Tyr
    "Babies, Breastfeeding, and Bonding" by Ina May Gaskin for more down
    to earth ionformation.
    
    Meg

	I'm in HLO1, Nancy, and I pump in the ladies room.  I never
	checked at the nurses office, but I did notice a woman going
	in there several times, so I assume they will accomodate.

	I use a Medela manual pump, and attach my own 8 oz. plastic
	bottle to collect the milk.  There are some 6 oz. bottles that
	came with the pump, but I usually pump 8-10 ounces at a time,
	so I prefer the larger bottle.  It only takes me 15 minutes to
	fully pump both sides.  There's a huge refridgerator
	across from the vending machines in building 1 where I store
	the milk until I go home.  I've got an insulated lunch bag
	to bring the milk home.  Lately, I've got no supply at home,
	so I give the milk directly to my daycare provider to use the
	next day.  When I had a huge supply at home (23 bottles when
	I returned to work), I brought home the milk and divided it
	into disposable bottles before freezing.  I always brought the
	oldest bottles to the sitter each day.  I think most of my bottles
	had been in the freezer about 6 weeks before they got used.  
	At 5 months and 18+ pounds, Andrew doesn't seem to have been
	adversely affected ;-)

	I'm so busy at work now that I only manage to pump once a day,
	so I do have to supplement Andrew with formula at daycare.  Before
	he started on solids, I was making a lot more milk, so I was
	also managing to pump some extra at night.  Now if I try, I can
	only get about 2 ounces (not really worth my effort).

	Good luck!
	Karen

	I bought the Medela hand pump when my
	daughter was born (April 1993)  It came with the pump, cooler and
	I think six 4oz bottles.  The cooler was the styrofoam type and it
	had those blue cold packs in it.  I would bring the cooler and pump
	into work in a bag and keep the cooler by my desk.  I would
	pump at lunch time and put the bottles in the cooler and then keep
	it by my desk for the afternoon.  The bottles stayed plenty cool
	enough and when I got home I put them in the frig and the cold packs
        in the freezer to keep frozen.

	I sterilized everything before the first use, but then just used 
        hot soapy water to wash with between uses.

	Good Luck,
	Karen T.

    Another question...After I boil the breastshield, bottles, nipples etc.
    I've noticed almost a whiteish residue on everything.  I think it is
    probably mineral residue from our water (it is well water).  Does
    anyone else notice this??  I assume it isn't a problem.
    
    thx,
    Nancy

    nancy,
    
    if you think it is mineral residue, you can rinse them in vinegar, or
    put it in the water when you boil.  that should clear it up.
    
    Shouldn't be a problem though.
    
    meg

    I notice the same if I haven't rinsed all the soap off well before I
    wash them, or if I let them soak in soapy water for a long time before
    boiling.  Usually it comes right off with a light scrub.
    
    

    
    I had this too. I boiled the nipples before the first use. I used well
    water also. When the nipples dried there was a white residue which was
    sort of powdery.  It came off easily when I washed them with soap and
    water. 
    
    Kathy
    

    
    Hi, I'm new to this notesfile (and to parenting; Alysa was born 5 weeks
    ago).  Anyway, my wife is going back to work in a couple of weeks, and
    she's been looking into renting an electric pump.  So far, she's gotten
    quotes from as "low as $60 a month to $100...  I think this is
    outrageous!  Does anybody have any leads of places which will rent
    pumps (I believe she wants the double sided one) at a reasonable price?
    She's planning on breasfeeding for another 4 months, but I really can
    see us paying $250-$400 for a rented pump... We would even consider
    buying one if it makes sense.  Any help will be greatly appreciated...
    regards,
    
    Luis

    Luis,
    
    Feeding formula costs about $3.00/day if you can use the standards.  If
    your child has problems the price can go up.  
    
    My solutioni is to have a battery pump ($33.00) and two hand pumps,
    (12-20 for good ones) and rotate them.  there is also the possibility
    that she can hook up (no pun intended) with another mother at the
    office and share the cost of the machine, but each provide their own
    shields, collecrion stuff, etc. 
    
    meg

Hi Luis,

Were those rates from LaLeche League?  They rent very good pumps, but
I thought their rates are generally lower than that (can't remember exactly).
There are LaLeche folks in Leominster and Auburn area - I would call the 
hospital where your wife gave birth and ask for referrals.

    
    I got my pump from LaLeche League (see phone book in your area) for
    both of my children.  In fall of 91, I paid 30 per month, I now pay
    35.00 per month for a minimum of 4 months rental.  Price significantly
    grows if only for a week/month.  Both pumps were Medela Lactina
    Electric Plus models and I use the double pump set-ups I goot at the
    hospital.  Most rental agents for LaLeche can sell you your set-ups if
    you need them and these pumps may be "larger" to hall around but
    time-wise they really worked better for me than anything commercial I
    could buy.  
    
    Good-luck!!

	The Right Start Catalog has an electic, double-sided pump
	for sale for $149 ... I don't know the brand or how well it
	works.

	I've managed fine with manual pumps, hand expressing, and
	a not-so-great electic pump for when I'm too tired/lazy for
	the manual.

	Karen

    
    	Thanks all for your suggestions...  My wife talked to a friend of
    ours that has a rented double sided pump for a year, and she's going to
    assume the "lease" of that pump...  I believe it turns out to be around
    $30 a month...  I guess this is as good as it will get...
    
    Luis

    For those of you that express milk at work, is there a need to wash
    your nipples before each pumping.  The instructions with my rented
    breastpump advised it.  IF someone neglected to do so, would there be a
    greater chance of contamination of the milk?

    Ye gads, I never washed before pumping, especially at work. I did
    take the lint off, though :-)
    
    The bigger caution is not to use soap or lotions on your nipples while
    breast feeding since that can go into the milk.
    

    
    i never washed them.  Takes more time, and I don't wash my nipples off
    when Atlehi nurses.  She is used to my sking germs, I  figure.

I just rented a pump from a woman in Acton recommended thru Le Leche League.
The quote was 2.50/day or 1.50/day for 3 months or less than 1.00/day for 5 
months.  But she did mention that Modela was raising their rates, so prices 
may be subject to change.  She's really nice, too, and I'd recommend her.

But, where to go now, at work?  Almost two years ago, when I had my daughter,
I had a nurses office to go to, even though the Nurse rotated rounds in other 
buildings.  Now I'm in MRO and they closed and rebuilt for office space 
what used to be the Nurses office.  I have a make-shift situation borrowing 
a computer lab at lunch time... but the restrooms don't have electrical 
plugs (or privacy)!  

I wish Digital wasn't so hasty in closing all the Nurses offices.
Anyone else have these problems?

-Tanya

    
    Does your facility have a woman's locker room?  I found that
    to be the best place but it took me a long time to figure it out.
    Handicapped restrooms also work.
    
    ......................beth

    Yup - Our nurses station is also closed.  Not sure where I"ll go once
    our next baby is here!
    
    BTW, Medela's main phone number  is 800-435-8316 for catalog on their
    products (purchase).
    
    Medela also has a referral line:  800-TELLYOU which has:
    	- referrals for lactation consultants
    	- info on pump rental stations 
    	- a 15 question quiz to help you know if you're "off to a good
    		breastfeeding start"
    
    Rachel

    I've run into this problem too.  At ZK, I casually mentioned it to
    someone while in front of the security desk and they informed me that
    nursing Moms can ask for Key number 1 and this will give you access to
    the old nurses station.  It's *very* comfortable and private.
    
    Now I'm at MKO2 and I use the locker rooms.  There's a chair that I
    face to the wall for added privacy.  I go at odd times (around 3:00)
    and haven't been interruped yet.  I wouldn't advise it during lunch,
    though.
    
    And I too have never washed my nipples prior to either pumping or
    feeding my babies.
    
    judy

My wife owns a Medela Rental Station, so I asked her about
this situation.  She asked me to send along this advice:

Medela makes a rechargable battery, called the PowerPak, for use
with the Lactina Plus pump.  It recharges in 8 hours (essentially,
overnight) and then runs for 1 hour (4 pumping sessions).
Unlike using batteries with some small pumps, the PowerPak
maintains same number of pumping cycles per minute as using
the AC adaptor.

The battery is relatively inexpensive: my wife's rental rate 
for the PowerPak is $10 per month.  (The person you're renting 
from might have a somewhat different rate because Medela lets 
each station determine their own price structure.)

As an added plus, the PowerPak includes an adaptor for use with
your car's cigarette lighter!

Anyway, the PowerPak should help with those situations where
you don't have access to an electric outlet.

-- Barry

    This was the closest appropriate note I could find. I'm 7 weeks away
    from my due date and I'm starting to get ready for baby #2. This time I
    hope to be better prepared than I was with my 1st. 
    
    My question is can anyone recommend a good nusring bra? One that's
    convenient and comfortable? I bought 2 before I had my son was born and
    they turned out to be very uncomfortable. And added to the nursing 
    disaster I went thru with my son. They were all cotton with pads that 
    unhooked for nursing which I thought I would like. But they didn't work 
    out so good. They got all bunchy when I used them and didn't provide
    much support. 
    
    Any recommendations?
    
    thanks alot,
    
    Karen 
    
    

    karen,
    
    I gave up on trying to find a nursing bra I could stand, and instead
    went to a hookless sportsbra.  They are cotton lined, cheap at my local
    discount store, and have strong enough elastic that I just pull up the
    bottom of the bra to expose a nipple for the littles.  
    
    While sportsbras may not do a lot for your "shape" they do provide good
    support and ease of use.  I'm spoiled and wear them in all but the most
    formal setting now.
    
    meg

    Thanks! I think the sportsbras are comfortable as well. I'll take a
    look at some and give it a try. I want to be as comfortable as possible
    this time!
    
    Karen

    karen,
    
    you might want to get a couple with a larger size than you normally
    think you would take for the first few weeks.  I normally use a large,
    but with the baby, and extra-large was needed until things stabilized.
    
    meg

    I also hated the hook-type of nursing bra. With my second son, I found
    a decent nursing bra at Sears that had a stretch opening (kind of like
    the "pocket" on men's BVDs) - this worked really well for me and I
    remember they washed well too.
    
    

    
    Hope this is the right place for this note.
    
    I've been back to work now for three weeks after the birth of
    our second son.  Every day I pump twice a day at work, put the
    the milk in the fridge in playtex liners and freeze them
    immediately when I get home.  The next day the milk goes to the
    sitter's.  Each day, same thing.
    
    OK, here's the thing.  The last two days I've followed the
    same routine.....milk goes into the freezer at 5 p.m. and
    pulled out the next morning at 7 a.m.  However, the last two
    days one bag is frozen solid but the other bag is still liquid.
    My first reaction was that my freezer was going, but everything
    else was fine (meat, ice cream, ice cubes, etc.).
    
    Both bags contain 6 ozs of milk and both are placed in a
    small tupperware bowl.  I can't figure this one out.  It's
    never happened before and I've been freezing milk this was
    for months now.
    
    Any ideas?
    
    cb
    

    is the tupperware bowl only one, or is it two bowls?  
    
    Are you putting your milk to freeze in the same spot of the freezer you
    always have?  Mine has a couple of "hot spots" where things get
    chilled, but not frozen. 
    
    And to finally add to the mystery, have you tried marking your bags so
    you know which bag is which pumping, and what have you been eating for
    each pumping. 

    RE: .194 - Why would what she eats have a bearing on the milk?
    What is the correlation between what one eats and the milk?
    
    Nancy

    I am not sure if there is a correlation, but I have found when I am
    gorging on salty foods the freezing point seems to go down.  Of course,
    with my flaky freezer who knows?  the spots where things stay frozen 
    for weeks seems to move around.
    
    meg

    
    Yes, the bags are in the same bowl in the same spot in the
    freezer as they have always been.  This has never happened before
    (fridge is only 3 years old) to anything in the freezer.
    
    Today I'll mark the bags (morning & afternoon) & see what
    happens tonight.
    
    cb
    

>    RE: .194 - Why would what she eats have a bearing on the milk?
>    What is the correlation between what one eats and the milk?

When my sister was nursing my nephew, each time she ate brocolli the baby
would get terrible diarrhea.  This was the only thing that she had trouble
with.
						Tracy

    Also,
    
    Ever have "real mild" not the dairy farm kind?  In the spring when the
    cows or goats get into the wild onions, you can taste the difference.  
    
    meg

Freeze the baggies up on the shelf, not down on the bottom.
In a frost-free freezer, there's a thaw cycle around the parimeter.
(Same wisdom for ice-cream, etc.)  

-Tanya

    
    Thanks Tanya.  That's just what I did.  I moved the tupperware
    container to the top shelf (on the side) and it's fine now.
    Guess that was the problem although I never noticed it before.
    
    cb
    

    If your child is using the milk the next day there isn't a need to
    freeze it, is there??     Mary

    No, but breast milk which is not going to be used in 24 hours should be
    frozen.  it can be kept in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator
    for up to two weeks.  If longer storage is desirable, then it should be
    stored in a deep freeze.  it will keep there for up to 6 months.
    
    meg

	Any ideas on how long it takes for milk to go away once
	you stop nursing ?

	My sister and I were talking about this this weekend.  She stopped
	nursing 7 months ago, I stopped about 3 months ago.  We both
	still have milk, and both still occasionally leak.

	Just a curiosity type question...

    It took me close to a year the last time I stopped.  It made being
    around newborns in grocery stores kind of interesting if one screamed. 
    ;-)
    
    meg

    It got progressively shorter with each kid.  The first one, it took
    close to a year.  The second ~7 mos, the 3rd ~2 mos.
    
    

    RE: 203 - From what I have read, breast milk can be refridgerated up to
    72 hours.  This is per instructions for the Medela breast pumps.
    Of course an article in American Baby stated 48 hours. I thought I was
    conservative using 48 hours as a guideline.
    
    BTW - Per Medela, it can be stored in a side by side refridgerator for
    up to two months.

    Can you please point me to the note that discusses breastfeeding
    locations at the various Digital facilities?  I am looking for PKO.
    
    Betty Coleman
    BEEMER::COLEMAN

    Does the facility have a nurses/health services station? I'm at HLO in
    Hudson and I've been pumping at the nurses office for a long time.
    With my 2nd daughter (20 months ago) there were five of us that pumped
    and we sometimes shared a room. Now with my 3rd (7 mo) there are three
    of us that pump right now. Even when they are closed for lunch, they
    know I pump so I can come in. Only a couple of times the room is being
    used and I have to either use another room or use the bathroom.  But
    overall they're very helpful.  
    
    If you have any questions you can mail me a note.
    
    Rose

    I have heard that exercise will cause lactic acid build-up in
    breast milk causing it to become sour.  Hence I have held off
    bicycling and jogging until my baby is weaned of at least the 
    daytime feedings.
    
    Is this true.  I'd really like to try to get into some type of exercise
    routine but I don't plan on weaning the baby until she is ready for
    whole milk (she's eight months old now, another 4 months to go).
    
    I'd welcome comments from those that have combined an exercise program
    while nursing.
    
    Thanks,
    Nancy   

	I exercised 4 times a week while nursing my kids, even when
	nursing them exclusively.  Some days, I'd nurse them right
	after a workout (which is how I discovered how much I liked 
	sports bras vs. nursing bras!).

	Neither of my kids minded one bit.  I also on occasion would
	pump after teaching aerobics because Emily would already be
	sleeping when I got home.  I never noticed a difference for
	her taking the milk I pumped after exercise vs. any other milk.

	So, although I've heard the reports, I'll probably do the same
	if/when the next kid comes along.

	On the other hand, my sister would "pump-and-dump" her post-workout
	milk, since her son seemed to mind it.

	That's also an option.

	Karen

    i also haven't had a problem with "lactic acid buildup" and
    breastfeeding.  We backpack which may or may not sound strenuous unless
    you do it, and Atlehi was in two wilderness areas before she was 8 weeks
    old.  She was exclusively breast fed until she was 6 months old and
    still is nursing at not quite two.  
    
    Believe me, I couldn't give up my "walks" every week, gardening, or
    remodeling for the two-three years I have nursed each kid.  
    
    i think the big thing you want to pay attention to is getting enough
    fluids and enough calories.  I mean twice or more as much water as you
    normally drink when exercising, as water is the key to a good milk
    supply.
    
    think of it this way, if lactic acid buildup in milk was a problem, the
    human race would have died out long ago.  Even aerobics 4 times a week
    is nothing compared to the physical demands of the past millenia and
    further back into prehistory amd they didn't have "gerber, isomil, or
    anything of that sort then.
    
    meg

    I was in TTB and ZKO when I pumped with my first child but I'm not 
    sure that PKO has a health room anymore, which is where I did it at
    TTB even though it was locked.  There was a note (maybe old parenting)
    that discussed suggested places in various facilities...

>>>  think of it this way, if lactic acid buildup in milk was a problem, the
>>>    human race would have died out long ago.  Even aerobics 4 times a week
>>>    is nothing compared to the physical demands of the past millenia and
>>>    further back into prehistory amd they didn't have "gerber, isomil, or
>>>    anything of that sort then.

	You obviously haven't taken my aerobics class, then !

	;-) x 1000

    What is the correlation between what the mother eats and what is in the
    breast milk?  For example, if the mom consumes honey, would the baby
    have a reaction.  (Babies shouldn't have honey due to infant botulism).
    
    The reason I ask is because antibiotics the mom takes can be found in
    the breast milk.
    
    If the mother's digestive system can't screen antibiotics out of the
    breast milk, then how would it screen out the properties of the honey
    responsible for the infant botulism?
    
    Just curious.
    Nancy

    nancy,
    
    Antibiotics are made to be distributed throughout the body.  The
    botulism spores in honey are easily dealt with by the digestive tract
    of a mature person who has a healthy immune system.  They don't get
    into the bloodstream of the healthy adult, and therefore can't cross
    through the blood into breast milk.  
    
    Drugs of many kinds have to get into the bloodstream to be effective
    and will cross into milk, and placentas.
    
    meg

This brings up a question I have.  What is the relationship between digestive
system, and blood system, and milk production? 

let's hold aside medicine, because clearly it is made to get into the blood
and body fluids in general.    But let's concentrate on food... 


1) what is the relationship between your blood system and your milk
production?    I guess that gets into how is milk produced? 


2) You eat food and you digest it.  But what component of certain food gets
into your blood (or does not) that it ends up changing your milk?  Certain
foods make your baby gassy, so something must get from your digestive system
into your milk.    How does that happen?  

    Well, from what I was taught (being diabetic), everything that you eat
    is converted to sugar, to be used for energy.  If it isn't immediately
    used, then it's stored as fat.
    
    This would lead me to believe that other things are also released into
    the blood stream, and now you've got me wondering the same questions. 
    Maybe there's different "sugars", depending on what you ate and how
    much your body is able to break it down?  Maybe it has to do with the
    energy available from what you eat, and whether you're body's using
    "new" food, or stored fat, to make the milk.  
    
    ...all the rest, I have no idea.  Pure Magic! (-;
    
    

    I know garlic comes through milk, but there again, it is a pretty
    systemic flavor.
    
    fortunately my kids have all liked garlic from an early age, but
    grabbing my milk to cream coffee was a mistake for someone at home one
    morning.
    
    ;-)
    
    meg

    You know, there's nothing like coming into work and discovering that, 
    just as you're ready to us it, the breast pump is dead!  That was about 
    11:30.  So around 1:30 as I was getting more and more uncomfortable I
    told my manager that I had a personal emergency and had to go to the
    mall (and he didn't question it!).  The great thing about working in
    ZKO is that it's so convenient to make a quick shopping trip, well, at
    least it was when there wasn't any construction going on.
    
    I got to Sears to buy another Gentle Expressions pump (same as the one
    that died) and apparently they don't make them anymore.  So I bought
    the MagMag pump, battery operated with AC adapter available, only Sears
    didn't have one. I naturally assumed that the AC adapter for my
    original pump would work.  I got back to work around 2:15, finally
    around 3:30 I went to the nurses office to relieve myself and
    discovered that my AC adapter doesn't work...
    
    I finally got home at 6:00 found my AA batteries (the last 2) and
    pumped, and pumped, and pumped.... 18 oz's later I felt much better!  I
    just hope it doesn't through my milk production off, tomorrow Aaron
    get's his 4 month shots and I want to have plenty of milk available to
    nurse him whenever he needs comforting or help relaxing to go to sleep.
    
    About the pumps that I've used, I really liked the "Gentle Expressions"
    pump and was hesitant to try the MagMag.  To my surprise, so far I like
    the MagMag better (of course I would have liked a vacuum cleaner if it
    helped empty me out yesterday!).  If this one lasts 3 months like my
    first one, I'll be more than satisfied, if it lasts longer I'll be
    amazed!
    
    Does anyone by anychance have an AC adapter for a MagMag, pumping 4
    times a day will really eat up the batteries!
    
    sandy

    Seems that a hand pump would have been a good backup plan. 8^) 
    18 oz in one sitting, wow! 
    
    Now wouldn't it be nice if we had a nice place to pump.
    
    Gail

	Sandy,

	Have you tried expressing by hand ?  It's even easier when
	you are full of milk.  I resorted to that several times when
	my manual pump wasn't getting the job done.  

	Karen

    I have the MagMag with adapter, but it's being used at the moment.  I
    got it at Prime Value in MA.  Try Service Merchandise.
    

    re: expressing by hand.  I tried it, but by then I was anything but
    relaxed so my body didn't cooperate!
    
    When I got home my son was watching while I pumped with a look on his
    face that let me know he wanted me to save some of that for him!  He's
    4 months now so I'll probably reduce the pumping sessions (1 time a day
    at work, 3 times at home) and start letting him have more formula. 
    Right now he takes anywhere from 12 to 18 oz's of milk at daycare plus
    anywhere from 2 to 7 oz's of formula.  He also takes cereal with pumped
    milk in the morning and night.  In fact, he only nurses once or twice a
    (week) day now, the rest of the time it's pumped milk in a bottle.  I
    miss the sleepy, milky smiles.  On the weekend he mostly nurses with 1
    or 2 bottles through the day (for his cereal).
    
    Thanks for your replies, I'll try Service Merchandise this weekend!
    
    sandy

The following is being posted for a member of the PARENTING notesfile
community who prefers to remain anonymous at this time.   If you wish
to contact the author by mail, please send your message to me and I will
forward it to the anonymous noter.    Your message will be forwarded with
your name attached  unless you request otherwise.

Carol Stolicny, PARENTING co-mod
-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Ideas needed...

When I pumped for our first child, I was in a facility where there was a chair
in the handicapped stall and that worked very well.   No risk of being walked
in on, and the chair was comfy, and being in the bathroom didn't bother me.

So now I'm pumping for our second child, different facility.    I dragged a
chair in the handicapped stall of our restroom, used it and all was well.  Put
a big note on it to please leave it there, and the next day it was gone - of
course.

How do I get the chair to stay there?   Alternately, any other ideas in OGO?


On another topic.  Had occasion to be in MRO, and that used to be the best
because you could duck into the nurses office.   Well, nurses office is now
offices of Site Personnel.   No one was around, so I ducked into an unused
4-wall office and sat in the corner in the dark so no one would be able to see
me through the door's window as they walked by there to get to the fridge
in the other room.   That was the worst.

Any ideas in MRO 1?


thanks

    Just off of the west lobby in OGO is a private LOCKED bathroom.  If
    you're facing the doors to go out, it's to the right of the doors. 
    There's a little alcove you need to go into to get to it.  Nice and
    private.
    
    Holly
    

    I can certainly relate.
    
    I'm fortunate that here in MSO2, I can use the nurses office. But I do
    travel to other facilities, notably MKO, and the usable spaces
    elsewhere are a bit of a challenge.
    
    I find the handicapped stalls at MKO usable only if I bring along my
    alternate power source [no electrical outlets in the stalls] which I
    don't carry unless I know I'm going to be off-site. At MKO the women's
    locker-room at the Life/Wellness Center is where I usually find myself
    -- no privacy, but if they don't mind me seeing them naked, I don't
    mind them seeing me pump.
    
      Annie

    I work in MRO1 and there is no place to pump privately.  I've resorted
    to the ladies room in one of the towers, they have a large handicap
    stall in there.  I'm sure that I've piqued the curiousity of a lot of
    women that are wondering what that strange noise is.
    
    I have an Evenflo electric/batter pump.  One thing I've learned is to
    keep lots of C batteries on hand.  I keep a spare set in my case and
    another in my desk, along with extra nursing pads.
    
    /Susan

    I've learned to take over conference rooms, bathrooms, sit in the car,
    sit on a bench in the bathrooms with showers, or wherever else I could
    find a place.  Most of the time when Atlehi was under a year, I could
    get into the "NOD" room, but sometimes people would be in meeting
    there.  
    
    Most of the women I have run into in the bathrooms/shower rooms have
    been supportive, and some even offered me tips on how to get things
    flowing better.  A very few stared or quickly looked away embarassed,
    but IMO that was their problem, not mine.  The main thing is to find a
    comfortable (for you) place, if possible.  As far as a chair, maybe
    chatting with someone handling facilities would help, but I have sat on
    floors when necessary.  I refuse to sit on a toilet, it seems untidy,
    as well as uncomfortable.  
    
    meg

    re: .228 
    
    FYI - There is a locker room in MRO1, that has private (curtained)
    shower/dressing areas. They are not huge and don't have chairs in each
    one, but there use to be a chair in one of the stalls. Not ideal, but
    at least more private than a bathroom. It is located at the bottom of
    the stairway that is next to the credit union (near the cafe). 
    
    
    Marcie

    Thanks, I know about the locker room (I'm a runner), but somehow the
    chair always seems to mysteriously disappear.
    
    I miss the nurses office.

    I will be in PKO3 for a couple days of training next week. Any tips on
    where would be a good place to pump?
    
    Unless things have changed there is a low-traffic women's bathroom
    tucked behind some lab in the training center. But it's been a couple
    years since I did training there.
    
    I suppose I should take the battery set-up instead of relying on
    available electrical outlets?
    
      Annie

    
    
    I'll be in an all day staff meeting in MKO1 on Friday, 4/19.  I use one
    of those heavy duty, electric only pumps.  Does anyone know where I can
    pump in private?  I currently pump in a handicaped bathroom with
    electricy in SHR3.  Any pointers or a name in facilities to contact?
    
    Thanks,  Beth

    It is not exactly private, but there is a plug in the Life Center
    locker room. [this is were I was directed by the vestigal remains of
    Health Services]
    
    When I remembered my battery pack, I'd pick an off time use one of the
    curtained dressing areas in front of a shower.
    
    If not I plug in in the corner of the open dressing room.
    
      Annie

    For those visiting MRO or residing here and needing to breastpump.  I
    had facilities put a plug into a marked "handicap" bathroom just above
    the cafeteria, just for this purpose.  They were extremely cooperative. 
    The bathroom has a toilet, sink, plug (now), shower and lock on the
    door.  It is hardly used, very private, and available now!!!