Why would mothers want to pump their milk ?, asks Jil Lepore in today’s New Yorker article (http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/19/090119fa_fact_lepore?currentPage=1). It may seem weird to give expressed human milk in a bottle (or spoon/cup), but it is really the second best option after giving breastmilk directly from the breast. And what’s the third best option ? Giving expressed human milk from another mom. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, and continued breastfeeding for up to 2 years, as it is the best food for a healthy infant optimal growth.
This message is starting to reach a lot of moms, and I think a lot of them would nurse instead of pump if they could. Unfortunately, maternity leaves, especially in the USA, are very short, and breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months is next to impossible for most working moms, who then turn to breastpumps in order to give the best of what they have to their baby. Longer maternity leaves are synonymus with longer breastfeeding rates. If babies were accepted in the workplace, maybe the pumps (and the bottles, for that matter) would not be needed anymore.
