I have a "Ginger Bread House" theory (Epstein-Gilboa, 1997) I thought of the story after I had just resigned from a hospital that had finally disclosed that the source of my salary was an artificial baby milk company.  I was being harassed after resignation for speaking out. I analyzed the situation and came up with this. For many of you it is obvious, but the metaphor might help others realize our reality to a greater degree. 

This metaphor explains why hospitals, institutions, companies and similar would hire professionals or create programs that negate their actual goal. For example, why would hospitals with high epidural rates hire well educated and naturally focused childbirth educators? Correspondingly, why on earth would a hospital unit with symbiotic ties to an artificial baby milk company hire a lactation consultant and create breastfeeding programs? Why would companies  with invested interests in hindering breastfeeding relationships hire lactation consultants and announce this to potential customers?   It just doesn't make sense right?! Actually it makes a lot of sense.  

Very briefly do you all know the children's myth about Hansel and Gretyl? In this tale the children are tempted by the "being" (for lack of a better and politically correct name) The "being"  wants to gain access to the children and to eat them for its own needs. The only way that the  being can gain access to them is to create an exterior filled with things that they love, ginger bread cookies, candies and other goodies. The children fall for this ploy, indulge themselves and are caught by the being. They are in its hands. In most stories the children are rescued.    

Compare that to a culture in which childbirth education,  breastfeeding classes, birthing rooms and lactation consultant sessions have become the in thing. These programs bring in clients. These programs are ginger bread cookies. They could never "bake these cookies" without our help. So it seems that we are used to a degree to bring in clients.

Unfortunately, at some stage, the institution, company and similar steps in and tries to meet its goal. That might be as drastic as unnecessary medical interventions during birth, convincing a mom to supplement a breastfeeding baby or exposing parents to very direct and influential promotions of products. It might be also be as simple as sending a family home with an unrelated handout that has logo of a company who funds them.
 
Maybe we should stop helping them bake the cookies?!!
 
Keren Epstein-Gilboa MEd BScN RN FACCE LCCE IBCLC
PhD (Candidate)

reference: 
Epstein-Gilboa K. (1997). The Experiences of a lactation consultant as a change agent in an institution with symbiotic ties to an artificial milk company: Change, resistance, disclosure, resignation, harassment and implications (unpublished manuscript). 

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