Carol responded to my post in which I highlighted the underlying message of a particular web site and seriously questioned how appropriate it is for breastfeeding professionals to work on similar projects.
I can see her struggle and I am sure that many of you have similar questions so I will attempt to answer and provide more insight. 

Carol said:
"I feel it is imperative, if we can get to the "upper echelon" of some of these big corporations, that we make inroads in enlightening them about ACCURATE bf information.  It's been a long slow process, getting ( ...(k.e.g.))*  to
change their site bit by bit, but I feel that's the only way we're going to make headway with these huge companies."
 
I (Keren) respond:
First of all, it is my sense that the role of breastfeeding professionals or any clinician for that matter, is to provide accurate information and to facilitate pathways to good health for clients, not huge companies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
 
Yes, there are clinicians who work for corporations and when this occurs, clinicians should ensure that their work does not come in conflict with their professional ethical obligations. 
 
In fact, large corporations often seek out clinicians and others who provide them with necessary information as a means of improving their image and selling ability. They like to know their target population and this includes gaining awareness of related issues connected to the target population. We must take this into account when we team up with the company. Again remember, that the goal in business is to sell a product and not to enhance health. Often the facade of facilitating health is used as a means of gaining access to the trust of clients and yes, also health care providers.  
 
As many of you are aware, certain companies involved with non breastfeeding items and substances, probably make more efforts to learn about breastfeeding than a lot of health care professionals. They ensure that this information is used in enhanced packages and advertisements to families. They likely know that in order for families to believe and trust them, their information should be accurate, relevant, appropriate and up to date.
 
The problem is that the accurate information is framed in such a way that mixed messages are sent to the reader.  At other times, accurate information is combined with wrong information. Remember, the ultimate goal is to sell a product and to eventually lead the client to the product at hand.  By the way, one need not mention the exact product that one is intending to sell in order to make a potential customer interested in the product. Often, the creation of a mental image in addition to a company logo is all that is needed to direct the client to product. So for example, we do not need pictures of bottles to make people buy bottles, the mental image, created by brilliant advertisers, is just, if not more effective.

Bearing the effect of accurate information, on sales, in mind, we realize that it would actually be better if companies continued to provide clients with wrong information. This reduces client trust and thus, devalues the company and their product in the eyes of the potential customer. Naturally, the effect of this strategy is increased with concurrent educational programs that provide accurate information without ulterior motives. 
 
Now some of you are now repeating the celebrated, but ineffective argument that the company advertisements are  the only place that clients are exposed to breastfeeding and so it is better that the information that they receive there is accurate. This argument has been proven as weak over time. 

It is important to note that, the subject of breastfeeding has become more visually apparent in our culture, than is used to be. Hence, families are exposed to breastfeeding at some level. Albeit, it is unfortunate, that many of these images are coloured by non breastfeeding terms of reference. We might use our efforts to redefine breastfeeding in these areas. For example, many of you interact with the media, create programs about breastfeeding in schools,  have web sites for parents, write papers for non breastfeeding academics, and similar. 

In addition, most families come in contact with health care professionals at some point during their pregnancy and early parenting experience. While, families are more likely to be influenced by members of their microsystem than by health care professionals, the practitioner still has some impact. Thus, we should put our educational efforts into teaching those who reach families and are supposedly  ethically guided to truly enhance health. This task in itself is major and we need every creative voice we can get. 

Hence, there are many channels to reach breastfeeding  families, without the companies who sell products that interfere with nursing relationships. Furthermore, let us not be fooled by warm, sweet and apparent empathy displayed to us by companies, administrators, and similar. While, some of them might actually hold beliefs similar to ours at the individual level, their goals at the macro level, might be very different indeed.  We need to remember that, believe it or not, they need our  knowledge and creativity more than we need them.  In addition it has been my personal experience, that smiles and apparent efforts cease when they sense that we interfere with the genuine aims of the macrosystem.  
 
I send sincere good wishes to those of you who struggle with this issue. Perhaps a review of literature on the politics of breastfeeding and related topics might also help you in your decision process. I might also look at ecological models in order to gain a sense of the whole picture. In addition I composed a "Ginger Bread Theory" (1997) that I will detail in another post.

Keren Epstein-Gilboa MEd BScN RN FACCE LCCE IBCLC
PhD (Candidate)  

* note I took out company initials 

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