I think it is important to make sure that we do not confuse the need to pump milk with issues pertinent to the Code. Much of my work with mothers and babies has involved complex medical situations or our proverbial train wrecks of normal breastfeeding gone awry. We know that mothers of preterm and ill infants, employed mothers, mothers with all sorts of problems benefit from pumping milk with high quality, efficient equipment. It is important that as clinicians we make sure our mothers have not only the best information and guidance possible, but also the equipment that is best suited to their problems and situations if it is needed. The use of breastfeeding equipment is a daily issue for many of us. However, so is the Code. The Code represents a set of guidelines on how companies market certain products covered within the scope of the Code. It does not preclude the use of equipment when needed.

USLCA will be hosting a webinar on the Code on January 14 at 1:00 EST. I will be discussing many of the issues we have raised here on Lactnet and invite anyone with further interest in the Code to join us in January. There is an opportunity to ask your questions which I will do my best to answer.

One thing I have noticed in my lecturing around the country and in corresponding with so many colleagues around the world is the passion and dedication demonstrated to the nursing mother and infant. Whether we are discussing positioning for infants with tracheomalacia, delayed lactogenesis, best practices for the first 48 hours, the Code underlies our approaches and our ethics within the helping role. I view the Code as an extension of the ethical principles that all health care providers incorporate into their practice. Those ethical principles put the patient first. Our loyalty is first owed to the patient, not our employer, not our colleagues, and not industry.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA




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