i know i will sound like the grinch who stole xmas, but there are several
problems with the various solutions suggested, and in the interest of saving
people's time and efforts, i will mention them here. first, the expense of
donating and shipping EBM would far exceed the cost of buying formula at the
grocery store and shipping it. and would it be used? are those who run the
orphanages able to store the frozen milk and are they willing to prepare it
and use it? just because we know it is better doesn't mean that they would
agree. i don't even know if it is possible to ship the milk that far and keep
it frozen.

also, LLL cannot endorse moms providing donated milk, although it would
certainly be possible to spread the word without using LLL as a channel.
however, when most of the moms who would help are involved in LLL, the public
perception would be that LLL is endorsing or sponsoring the actions. they
would not want to be in this position (as i understand it). and those who
rent pumps are usually working on a very small margin, and would probably not
be able to have people use pumps for free to provide this milk.

hospitals are given "free" formula in exchange for a specific response, which
is giving the formula to mothers whether they intend to breastfeed or not.
this is marketing. if we ask hospitals to donate the formula, they will most
likely refuse, because they would be abrogating their contracts with the abm
manufacturers. asking mothers to donate their abm for a "heroic" cause will
certainly glorify the miraculous substance and the "generosity" of american
mothers who are giving something good to the little orphans.

i know, it sounds like i don't have any good solutions. i don't! but only
when the government there makes these orphans a priority, will their
situation improve. the situation is much the same in iraq, apparently, and
probably plenty of other places in the world. i suspect that if the people
there cannot and will not adopt these babies, it is an expression of how
desperate their situation is. so that means these babies are disposable, and
fixing part of the situation is not enough of an answer (i know, i know, i
have that heartfelt desire to sign up for a few to be shipped to my house
pronto).

then there is that business about "teach a man to fish" except i am from
oklahoma, where it turns into a joke (give a man a fish, you have fed him for
a day, teach a man to fish, and he will spend the rest of his life out in a
boat drinking beer).

carol brussel IBCLC
waiting for a positive idea for a solution in denver CO

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html