>"Wanting more babies to get more breastmilk is not the issue. Code 
>compliance is the issue."
>
>Maybe this is why I feel the way I do about this whole "issue". For 
>me, it IS about getting more babies more breastmilk. If we are 
>willing to sacrifice that in order to comply with the Code we may 
>have preserved some idealized vision of how "we" think breastfeeding 
>SHOULD be, but have we best served the babies and their mothers? For 
>me the answer is a resounding no.


That's really not what Regina meant, Andrea.

  In context, which is the only fair way to read her post, she meant 
that the issue under discussion was *not* whether Medela (or anyone 
else) was sincere in wanting more babies to get more breastmilk 
(which of course they may be), but whether they marketed themselves 
as a bottle manufacturer ethically,  that is,  code-compliantly.


Upholding the Code has nothing to do with an idealised vision of how 
breastfeeding should be.

It is a way of ensuring mothers (all mothers) and babies (all babies) 
are protected against unethical marketing of breastmilk substitutes 
(and  in the case of bottles, breast substitutes).

Mothers who do not breastfeed, or who do not breastfeed exclusively, 
need protection against unethical marketing as well - which is why 
the Code precludes gifts and branded educational materials, and 
precludes 'idealisation' of formula and bottles, so mothers who use 
formula (for whatever reason) and/or bottles (for whatever reason) 
are not marketed to innappropriately.

The products they use - which, let's remember,  ***damage babies' 
health*** and I include bottles in that  - should not be chosen 
because of fashion,  or clever slogans, or spurious health claims, or 
because they look cute.  Of course these items can be sold freely 
(and I think they should be sold at a consistent low price) - but 
they should be marketed ethically.

>
>I am sad that a mother doesn't want to breastfeed her baby, but it 
>is not the worst that could happen and if she wants to go to all the 
>work of pumping and bottlefeeding, I surely am going to do all I can 
>to support that. She may change her mind, but if I haven't helped 
>her maintain her milk supply, well, we lost the option of 
>breastfeeding. But maybe that makes some people feel virtuous 
>because they maintained the Code.


Andrea, I am uncomfortable with the implication  that people (like 
me) are being unnecessarily purist about this, that I want to feel 
'virtuous'.  It's not about me feeling 'virtuous'. It's about 
*ethical marketing* and showing solidarity with an *international 
code* that has been in place for well over 20 years, and whose sole 
aim is to protect infant health from being affected by unethical 
marketing.

Feeding equipment manufacturers could be part of this,  if they felt 
these concerns were important enough to change their markting 
strategy just a little bit.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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