Some thoughts from the UK on two current Lacnet hot topics:
i. discharge packs. Years ago, formula was included in what we call 'the
Bounty bag' because the main company that handed out the bags was (and is)
named Bounty. The Bounty book (a babycare book that came with the pack)
also had formula ads.The freebie formula stopped being common practice  oh,
I'd say about 20 years ago (though  packs were still given out for a time
by midwives when it was thought a mum 'needed' one - as far as I know this
is no longer done anywhere). More recently, the ads stopped. Why? Because
enough people thought it was such a bad idea they **jumped up and down and
complained and threatened to refuse co-operation with the Bounty bag
reps**.Ha! Baby Milk Action probably have more details of how exactly it
all happened.I don't know enough about the US healthcare system to know if
this form of unethical marketing could be stopped in the same way, but what
do your professional organisations say about it ie the American Academy of
Paediatrics, the nurses and other organisations (do you have an equivalent
of our Royal College of Midwives?)? Do they have conferences at which you
can get a ruling that forbids or strongly advises against co-operation with
free formula?
ii. Working and breastfeeding - your Congressional people who are looking
at legislation around this might be helped by getting hold of the Pregnant
Workers Directive, which is European Union legislation which includes
protection for the breastfeeding mother. In the UK it only applies to the
public sector, but elsewhere I think affects the private sector as well. I
had a client who used it to allow her to decline her manager's instructions
to change  workplace, because it would have meant extra travelling time,
and she would not have been able to return home at lunchtime to feed her
(10 months old) baby. We also  have health and safety legislation separate
to this in the UK, which obliges the employer to provide expressing and
storing facilities at work (*not* the toilet). Problem is, hardly anyone
knows about these protective measures. The charity Maternity Action has an
information campaign which hopes to spread the news.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Heather