[Edit: answer #2 for more info, and #5 for readability]

I read this article on Slate.com about the Harvard med student who won extra time to take her state boards in order to pump breast milk for her 4-month-old baby.

The boards take 9 hours, and test-takers are allowed a 45 minute break to take care of all their needs: bathroom, eating, etc.

Knowing nothing about breastfeeding, I wondered, how hard can it be? So I looked it up. I was amazed.




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Mentally answer these questions and see how they compare to reality:

1) How many times a day do babies breastfeed?

2) What's the worst that can happen if a mother skips a breastfeeding or pumping?

3) Um okay but... how long does one breastfeeding take anyway?

4) How many extra calories per day do breastfeeding mothers expend, given that a regular diet is 2,000 calories?

5) What does the baby gain from breastfeeding that he can't get from formula milk?


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Answers:
1) Babies breastfeed a minimum of 8 times per day. "Breastfeeding at least once every two to three hours helps to keep up the milk production. For most women, a target of eight breastfeeding or pumping sessions every 24 hours keeps their milk production high.[8] It is common for newborn babies to feed more often than this: 10 to 12 breastfeeding sessions every 24 hours is common, and some may even feed 18 times a day.[49]"

18 times a day?!?!?! Even if it doesn't get that bad, I don't know how I could get anything done if my life was interrupted every 2 to 3 hours. No wonder they have breastfeeding areas in supermarkets and work places. SERIOUSLY!

And this is no small, one-month inconvenience. Consider that, "International guidelines recommend that all infants be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life." Not getting enough sleep because these tiny suckling machines eat ALL THE FRIGGIN TIME for AT LEAST ... SIX FRIGGIN MONTHS? Wow. Just, wow.


2) Her breast can become uncomfortably swollen, leaky, and infected. This is a condition known as puerperal mastitis, caused by the blocking of the milk ducts. In addition to the heat, redness, and swelling, and fatigue, in some cases the fever can become severe (requiring antibiotics); ten percent of cases develop into abscesses that need to be drained surgically. Eventually, she can lose the ability to produce milk for her child.

3) " The average feeding time is between 15 and 40 minutes," however, "feeding sessions can last for up to an hour or more (there is no time limit for breastfeeding)." But the mother doesn't get to decide how long. You should not limit the time, because "this can reduce the milk supply and also cut down on its fat content, leaving the baby hungry and upset." (Bupa)

4) 500 to 600, or 25% to 50% more.

5) Oh, you know, for babies, breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of:
Allergies
Asthma
Autoimmune thyroid diseases
Bacterial meningitis
Breast cancer
Celiac disease
Crohn's disease
Diabetes
Diarrhea
Eczema
Gastroenteritis
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Necrotizing enterocolitis
Multiple sclerosis
Obesity
Otitis media (ear infection)
Respiratory infection and wheezing
Rheumatoid arthritis
Urinary tract infection

Not to mention, they get smarter. A New Zeland study found “small but measurable increases in cognitive ability and education achievement. This remained even after adjusting for other factors (such as maternal education level)” (Wikipedia).

For mothers, “Breastfeeding mothers have less risk of many diseases including
breast cancer,
ovarian cancer,
decreased insulin requirements in diabetic mothers,
stabilizing maternal endometriosis,
less risk of post-partum hemorrhage,
less risk of endometrial cancer,
less risk of osteoporosis and
beneficial effects on insulin levels of mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Mothers who breastfeed longer than eight months have better bone re-mineralisation.”

For both mother and baby, it increases bonding. “The hormones released during breastfeeding strengthen the mother's nurturing feelings towards the child. Strengthening the maternal bond is very important as up to 80% of mothers suffer from some form of postnatal depression, though most cases are very mild” (Wikipedia).
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So yeah, I say let her take her damn milk breaks.