Whilst I share huge sympathies with your point of view about all the bad
things about the press release, and bottle and pumping cultures... we
have to start somewhere.
Few women in the USA even know The Code exists, never mind that the USA
has both signed it, and utterly ignores it. The work NABA does in
documenting Code violations in the USA is both Herculean and largely
unsung among the nursing mothers in the USA.
Yes, it's a terrible thing when companies write their trash and imply
that they are needed in order to make a good breastfeeding
relationship. However, the truth is that in the USA, many women have to
pump in order to supply human milk to their babies in daycare, whilst
they return to work. Change at the ballot box in order to given such
mothers maternity pay, is unlikely to happen in the near future - and
Evenflo becoming Code compliant is not going hinder that one jot. These
woman do need to pump and these babies do need to use bottles if they
are going to receive human milk during the working day.
It's easy for us to sit on the outside, and look at what's NOT being
done, and ignore what has happened as it's too small in the scheme of
things to be worthy of much note. Rome wasn't built in a day, and this
is a two edged sword. However, it's the forward looking and progressive
edge of the sword I'm choosing to look at, not the "you need us to be
there" side of the publicity machine - which exists _regardless_ of any
Code complience.
In terms of sending the right signals, and even in terms of letting
mothers know such a thing as The Code exists, I feel this is A Good
Thing, and is to be applauded. Evenflo could have ignored Code and
trampled straight on. Instead it engaged in discourse with NABA and
_tried_. You can be cynical all you wish to about it's reasoning (and
I'm there too) but at the end of the day, the message on the street is
"This Code thing is important." which also brings the mesage "this
breastfeeding stuff is important." Do I care that the breastfeeding is
important in terms of their profit? Yes, I do... but I also think
knowledge and awareness of The Code, and willingness to acknowledge its
importance, is VITAL.
I propagated the info about the Code stuff, as I felt it was important
to do so. Some people responded with "That's fantastic" and one woman
replied with "I hope this means their pumps improve, as they suck." So
the mothers out there are not bowled over with joy at this news in terms
of the service the company provides them... pumping mothers are too
shrewed for that! But they were cheered by the fact that somethings are
starting to change, and the Code means something _even in the USA_.
As I said, I understand utterly, and support, everything you said about
the half empty part of this particular glass... but I'm choosing to
rejoice in the half-full part of the glass. Anything that raises both
the profile of the Code, and tells USA mothers that any part of the
breastfeeding business is paying attention to Code issues, is a huge
step forward in my eyes. One tiny step at a time...
Morgan Gallagher
Cheered and encouraged in England. :-)
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