>the hospital gave
breastfeeding mom's a more appropriate goodie bag, No diaper/cooler bag
with formula logo and samples.  They gave a good quality hand pump, a tube
of purified lanolin, and a list of breastfeeding support groups in a plain
plastic bag.<

Do we know that this is a more appropriate bag?  I wonder if giving bf
support group info only to breastfeeding women, not to all, is appropriate.
I wonder what effects giving  women an indiscriminate hand pump and an
even more indiscriminate lanolin tube ("You cannot breastfeed if you don't
separate from your baby.  You cannot expect to breastfeed without some
nipple pain/trauma" -- is this the message?) does.  I wonder what effect
having to choose which bag you want to receive has?

I don't know.  As far as I know, there is little research on the effects of
such
gifts.  But lets not say 'formula gifts are bad, so give other gifts'
without thinking 'wonder if no gifts at all or some other approach
altogether is better?'.

See, being interested in breastfeeding *for me* is partly to do with
unhooking bodies (women's and babies') from the capitalist machine.  Naive,
I know.  Out of tune with the spirit of corporate america, for sure.
Different from a concern with lactation, sadly so, in this day and age.....

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK
(US citizen and ex-pat)

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