Breast Feeding and NYT article

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Hey guys! This Sunday in the New York Times, there was a great article written by a nursing (as in breastfeeding) mom and it talks about her "adventures" trying to pump on the road. The colum is called Modern Love. I thought it was a great article and am going to have my students read it. I've also e-mailed the article to some of my friends who teach newborn/maternity as well!

Let me know what you think! I included an excerpt to get you interested! The link is at the end of this post.

Nursing My Daughter, and Some Grievances by Lindsay Sterling

{EXCERPT}

THE airport security agent took my frozen gel packs. I had brought them to keep my breast milk cool as I flew from Maine to Wisconsin to attend a three-day potato conference, where I was to report on a new, environmentally friendly brand of potato.

15love.jpg

I already had mixed feelings about leaving my infant daughter, Riley, and her 3-year-old sister at home with my husband so I could take this trip. But I had to go, and John is a loving, capable parent. He does, of course, lack the ability to nurse, but I had left 60 ounces of breast milk in the freezer. Worst case, Riley would cry for me. I consoled myself with the thought that at least my milk supply would remain continuous. I would keep it flowing with my breast pump while I was away. In that sense, I wouldn’t be leaving her.

Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/fashion/15love.html?n=Top%2fFeatures%2fStyle%2fFashion%20and%20Style%2fColumns%2fModern%20Love

You may have to set up a user account to read the article, but it is FAST and FREE. I love the Modern Love cloumn and read it every week on-line.

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God bless her!!! I have pumped in janitor closets, empty offices, and behind the door in a University public bathroom as that was where the only electrical outlet was - got smacked by the door several times each pumping.:madface:

Someone - a man working on the Breastfeeding intiative in our community as part of his MSN program - once told us that breastfeeding was the only food preparation in which is was not only acceptable but required that food be prepared in a public restroom!!!!:uhoh21: :uhoh21: :uhoh21:

What the he** are nursing mothers supposed to do if they are required to be away from their children. Are we back to having to choose between what is best for our children and our careers - as if their is a choice. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

Having to throw away days worth of breastmilk:crying2: :crying2: :crying2: :crying2: :crying2: :crying2:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.

My sister calls it "liquid gold!!!":chuckle

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Specializes in Tele, Med-Surg, MICU.

Thank you for posting the link to the article scribblerrn! Wow!

Before nursing school I had to travel for work, spent 4 days away from my 8 month old. I vividly remember the embarassment of having the airport security guards rifle through my breast pump (2004), and YES I flew home with a cooler full of breast milk on ice. I turned myself inside out trying to run back to my hotel room to pump several times a day at a professional conference to keep up my supply. And if airport security threw out all the milk at the end I would lose my mind.

And for a later day trip, when he was 14 months, I "pumped and dumped" with a medela hand pump in a public bathroom, with people doing stinky business in the stalls next to me... a low point as a nursing mom.

Yikes.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

It is kind of a bittersweet story isn't it? Brings up some good points as well as some that we as a society definitely need to work on :)

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I read the story yesterday and was not very sympathetic. Granted, in the begining of the increased security, there were a lot of grey areas and maybe it didn't occur to her that she couldn't bring ice packs, (even though we knew you couldn't even bring gel candles). But on her way home I don't understand why she bought a cooler, but not ice packs to put in it? I'm sure the hotel would have froze them for her. (coming from expereince).

And I can appreciate the lament about pumping in odd places, but there are no pumping rooms at farms or in airplanes and you have to roll with it.(BTDT)

But what got me was that she blamed Homeland Security! Not the terrorist that force us to live this way!We are talking about people that put bombs in their babies diapers and try and take them on planes and she thinks a woman with breast milk is innocuous? No one is exempt. Not you, me or my infant son (Who has been patted down inside a plexiglass box)

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I read the story yesterday and was not very sympathetic. Granted, in the begining of the increased security, there were a lot of grey areas and maybe it didn't occur to her that she couldn't bring ice packs, (even though we knew you couldn't even bring gel candles). But on her way home I don't understand why she bought a cooler, but not ice packs to put in it? I'm sure the hotel would have froze them for her. (coming from expereince).

If she couldn't bring the ice packs on the trip out there, why would she have been able to bring them on the way back???:confused:

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If she couldn't bring the ice packs on the trip out there, why would she have been able to bring them on the way back???:confused:

She checked the cooler with her luggage. It was full of ice cubes she worried would melt.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

I would cry if that were me. I exclusivly pump milk for my dd. (she is unable to nurse) I would be just devastated if I had to dump a few days worth of her food down the drain. Breastmilk IS liquid gold. To me it is more valuable than gold. It nourishes my dd and keeps her healthy. I would just cry! Does anyone know if it would be allowed to be on the plane if she were to drink a small amount of it infront of security to proove that it isn't anything dangerous? I really feel for that woman. She has already been through enough torment by having to be away from her children.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
She checked the cooler with her luggage. It was full of ice cubes she worried would melt.

OK, so her mistake was not checking the cooler on the trip out.

I think this is going a bit too far. I can see being cautious, but breast milk. Come on. It's not like it's C4 or something.

I agree it's not Homeland Security's fault, however, I do believe our government has let this happen by providing financial aid to just about anyone who asks. Ordinary people can't get by with not paying back money given to them, yet other countries can. Give me a break.

tvccrn

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And they knew it was breast milk because she told them it was??

I agree, they should have had her taste it to show it was not an explosive. But we are dealing with people that have bombs in their shoes and bottles of Visine.

And coulda, shoulda, woulda. For now, this is how we have to live to keep us safe. It's aggravating, sometimes confusing and scary. But I will never forget 9/11 and my family and I have and will make concessions to make sure that doesn't happen again.

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