Frankly, I'm not surprised by reaction of many of the people on the ABC
Forum.

In my opinion, the ads take too big of a jump from where we are, to where we
want to be.  To me, these ads (both the original, and revised) place the
entire burden of breastfeeding on the shoulders of the mom. But we all know
how many obstacles she will face, both in the health system through poor
information and technical support, and societal opposition to NIP, balancing
work and breastfeeding, etc.

For the most part, a mass media campaign should inform the general public
and changes attitudes of all society - mom, her family, her employer, health
professionals & administrators.  But these ads place all the burden on the
mom.

As a breastfeeding mom, with no ties to the past or existing health care
system, I wish the ads could have spread that responsibility around.  Here
in Canada, where we have initiation rates as high as 90% in many places,
moms KNOW they should breastfeed.  I'm tired of people telling us to do it,
without the support systems in place to help us achieve it.  I actively
confronted my local health region when they proposed a pamphlet that
recommended breastfeeding for 2 years or longer, whether they would actively
support this with REAL services.  I know there is a contact number and
website at the end of the ads, but the message is not clearly communicated
that there is support in place to help the moms.  Although initiation rates
are lower in the US, I still choose to believe that the majority of moms
want to and would breastfeed, if they felt that the obstacles before them
were achievable.

I have no problem with the statistics or the degree of risk that is
communicated in the ads, only that is only targeted to the moms themselves.

The vast majority of moms who stopped breastfeeding, have NO idea how they
were sabatogued by the health system, their relatives, their employer, the
formula co's, general society, etc.  I think it is completely understandable
that they feel very insulted and attacked by this campaign.

I think perhaps just a subtle change, such as showing a number of bystanders
cheering on the moms that are taking the risks (doctors, employers,
grandmothers, husbands, etc) would have illustrated that we ALL have a role
in preventing moms from taking these risks.

The formula co's marketing strategy is effective because it empathizes with
the circumstances of the moms.   This campaign does not.  I think a
campaign, with visuals aimed at a more general target, would have won over
the moms better - after all they are the final decision maker.  An ad
showing a doctor and nurse and grandma mother all tossing a baby back and
forth could have been an equally vivid analogy of the risks that faces a
baby when not breastfeed, and who is responsible for those risks.  How about
a mom in the middle of a circle of people (ala the game "monkey in the
middle").  She has her blouse half open and she is trying to breastfeeding
the baby, but others are repeatedly taking the baby away from her?  That's
how I feel the situation is for a mom trying to breastfeed, these days.

I hesitated to voice my opinion earlier, because I don't want to "look a
gift horse in the mouth" (the campaign commitement itself), and perhaps,
since I am Canadian, I have a different expectation of the role of society
in supporting individual action.   I know that the US is built on a strong
belief of "you can do anything you want if you try hard enough", thus
placing all responsibility for breastfeeding on the shoulders of the mom.
Personally, I think this is an unfair expectation.

Janice Reynolds
(former sales and marketing professional)
Nokomis, Saskatchewan, Canada

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