Respected colleagues,
I know the discussion on "gifts" from the pharmaceutical reps has sort
of fizzled out.  I need to ventilate a moment.

Last week, our AIM salesman dropped off a big box of sport bottles for
the staff, of course emblazoned with the teddy bear and some smarmy
phrase about how his brand of AIM makes "strong babies".  (Gimme a
break!)  They arrived Thursday; on Saturday the box was still sitting
in the break room, mostly full...an encouraging sign.  I was unsure
what to do; don't want to chafe any hides, but those bottles were
certainly chafing mine.  

I commented to the nurses in the room that I didn't know if I had the
strength to deal with this issue...and several of the more outspoken
staff suggested I just take them away.  One even said, "I would have
done it myself but I'm too chicken!"  Wow.  I did not wait to be told
twice--!  Away they went.  (Unfortunately, they are now living in the
Lactation office, another problem altogether.)

Since then, I have thought about making a little flyer or poster,
perhaps titled "Where Did the Water Bottles Go?" explaining that, at 
worst, items with AIM logos undermine breastfeeding and infant health
and, at best, make the Lactation team feel discouraged and devalued. 
This will be followed by a respectful request to decline any and all
offers of any items displaying AIM logo. 

What do y'all think?  Any suggestions for statistics or pithy passages
to quote to support this stance?  

And what to do with all those STUPID BOTTLES--?!  Deface them?  Fill
them with wet sand to throw at the AIM salesman?  Mark the box "Free
urinals"?!  (Honestly I hate to throw them out because of the whole
plastic issue--maybe they can go in the recycle bin?)

Sorry to rant, but Lactation can be a tough field.  The feeling of
continually swimming against the tide can really wear one down.  I need
whatever encouragement I can get sometimes!

Carole Jernigan
RN, BSN, IBCLC
Mary Birch Hospital for Women
San Diego, California


 
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