Julie, you do not muse alone. This lovely open-access article (link below) from 2020 discusses the impact of commercial influence and persuasion techniques, and parents' experiences with lactation ... and what gadgets and products they felt they "had to have." https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13006-020-00264-1#:~:text=Many%20of%20aspects%20of%20our,our%20obsession%20with%20celebrity%20culture . -- Liz Brooks, JD, IBCLC, FILCA Wyndmoor, PA, USA Private practice IBCLC, speaker, author, educator, lactation advocate LizBrooksIBCLC.com @LizBrooksIBCLC *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome