I am also dismayed by the marketing practices of some pump manufactures 
but I am just as dismayed by the lack of intelligent thinking by people 
on the claims being made. I am absolutely appalled at hearing from 
nurses and lactation consultants how one of the two major brands is 
better than the other and moms will fail at pumping on the other major 
brand. To me, this is just plain ignorance and a complete sell out by 
the lactation community towards one manufacturer. This is all related to 
the marketing of one manufacturer.

I am not at all impressed by the bottle nipples that Medela uses (if 
they have changed recently, I am unaware of this). They were NUK style. 
These have fallen out of lactation favoritism for many years.

I am not impressed by how much liquid collects in the tubing of the open 
collection kits used by one manufacturer and how this is glossed over 
and ignored by everyone. When the HMBANA says closed collections systems 
are better/best, why is this not openly talked about and mothers told to 
clean their tubing?

I am dismayed by the disinformation that some pump companies put out 
there. For example, I am hearing how one company says the other major 
brand pumps are no good, have poor cycling, or bad rhythm, etc.

I am dismayed by the disinformation being put out on the Medela old 
style piston/cylinder manual pump using the tubing and how it is failing 
to work for my clients. I have to think someone in the company is 
promoting using this manual as a double, set up like a Lactina 
collection kit, or why else would almost every hospital in Houston that 
uses Medela be sending moms home using it this way? And why hasn't 
anyone tested it before recommending it so they know it isn't working? 
Meaning why are LCs recommending this when it doesn't work?

I have NICU nurses telling me that the WIC brand pump is not as good as 
their hospital pump but the moms love the WIC brand as much if not more 
than they liked the one in the hospital. Where does this kind if 
ignorance and disinformation come from? Not from science or follow up!!

And let's not forget how one particular pump is promoted, marketed, and 
I even hear hospital staff repeating this same line, as the BEST pump 
there ever was. What research is this based on that this is better than 
any other pump? Moms buy it hook, line, and sinker, and pay more to rent 
this pump when the lower priced one would do just as well. I get low 
income moms renting the most expensive one because the hospital or pump 
dealer said it was the best but they do not have the money and get 
snookered into something they can not afford. And when that particular 
pump isn't working well for them, they blame themselves until someone 
says try another style/brand and gee, that pump is now increasing her 
supply.

Marketing is marketing and companies are in business to make money in 
the USA. Profit is okay by me because I think capitalism is a good 
system. I just wish people would use their brains -- especially LCs -- 
and think about this and realize that it is all hype and marketing in 
order to increase the sales. I work with a variety of moms using a 
variety of pumps and I know that there is no one best manufacturer nor 
one pump that will work for every mom. I can see for myself what is in 
the tubing of the collections kits that moms are using and whether or 
not the tubing is moist or clean.

Off my soapbox, Kathy Eng, BSW, IBCLC

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