Reflect what cultural changes?????? Mothers bottlefeed for the exact same reasons that mothers bottlefed in the 1950s.  The same myths that were constructed by formula companies in the 1930s are the same myths that still persist in the minds of most women in industrialised nations and sadly, now in developing countries as well.  

It is laughable to think that marketing, media, and advertising do not have POWERFUL holds over our lives... Even those of us who consciously try to reject and protect ourselves from the messages and mind control.  BILLIONS of dollars are spent on marketing products every day.  Did you know that there will be a junior brand manager, making $60K/yr whose ONLY responsibility will be in -store marketing for say a product like laundry detergent?  That is, an MBA who spends his/her days designing coupons.  Are the consumer product companies stupid ?  Are they spending their money on nothing????? Are you familiar with the concept  "Return On Investment?"  Because I can assure you these companies are.

A big part of marketing stuff is creating a NEED that doesn't really exist.  Perhaps, Renee, you've bought into the idea of this NEED?  Perhaps this is the real Emperor's clothes in your analogy.  That is, perhaps with the YEARS of powerful marketing by pump companies we are much more reliant on them then we ever needed to be..... or need to be....

The way in which an infant is physically, spiritually, and emotionally nurtured is NOT cultural and it is TIMELESS.  The WHO CODE attempts to protect this human right of the infant (not the mother).

And yes, Renee, there are a LOT of people who agree with you.  They work for marketing companies, formula companies, and bottle and teat manufacturers....


-----Original Message-----
From: Renee Palting [mailto:[log in to unmask]]=20
Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 12:11 AM
Subject: re "updated" versions of the code

As an FYI- there is a booklet available for minimal charge, 5.00 =
available
called "Code=20
Essentials."  It is available via IBFAN. It places the code and relevant
resolutions into one=20
document.  If you are having difficult flipping thru multiple documents =
with
each Code=20
Article, you will find it helpful as it placed it all together.

I have spent the last 7 months reviewing the "Code."  I know I will be
lynched for saying=20
this, But "the Emperor is not wearing any clothes, and he wears a mullet
too"; it is an=20
outdated document that does not reflect the current culture.=20

Let me say this again... The Code needs to be revised. It is outdated =
and
does not reflect=20
cultural changes women have undergone.  The mind set needs to reflect
reality.

Women are not going to change their mind in their use of a bottle =
because of
the=20
packaging.  Pah- lease. A bottle is a bottle is a bottle no matter what =
the
packaging is. =20
Are we to hand out bottles and teats in brown bags in dark alleys?  Are =
we
to only allow=20
bottle and teats to be sold with prescription?   Would that make it any
better? This does=20
not reflect the current basic issue of misuse of bottles. Women need to =
be
educated on=20
the "how to's","careful of's", "beware of's" and not be treated as
"weak-gullible-mindless-
selfish-detached"  women that need to be saved from marketing images.=20

Do we follow the Code as if it is some sort of Holy Grail? Or do we look =
at
the document=20
and and see what relevance it has to the culture and THEN strategize its =
use
to increase=20
breastfeeding rates?  If it is a living document- I want to know what =
world
does it reflect?

We are using the same illogical argument used regarding sex education in
schools- "let's=20
teach abstinence only, and pretend no teen will have sex and therefore,
there is no need to educate them on birth control because if you speak =
of
birth control...=20
well, you are giving them permission to have sex.  Let's pretend no one =
has
sex until they=20
are married and then we won't have to deal with it."  Is this not what =
we
are doing with=20
bottles and teets with mothers?=20

I am not advocating babes be bottle fed, but I am advocating that the =
Code
be updated to=20
reflect the change in culture. Maybe instead of hiding the bottles in =
"brown
bags," there=20
should be education for those that use bottles and the Code should be
specific and not=20
open to extreme self serving interpretations that changes with the wind.

This is but one issue in the code that needs to be updated.  There are =
many
others. I am=20
not saying that we should get rid of the Code, but it is just a =
document. A
document which=20
really really needs to be reviewed under a clean white light before it =
is
adopted has the=20
Holy Grail of Lactation.

I know I am not alone. I'm willing to bet there is someone out there =
that
agrees.  I am=20
willing to be the one who publicly points and states- "The Emperor wears =
no
clothes."- =20

Renee Palting, RN, IBCLC, RLC
Tucson, Arizona, USA
=20

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