Hi, Robin, I can't say you are making a mistake. I don't know. I live in the 
Chicago Area, there are thousand of pumps available through LCs, Hospitals, 
and now, Babies R Us. When I first went into the store, I DID tell the woman I 
was a Lactation Consultant, and she seemed a bit smug, and smiled when she 
said, "All our pumps are already out. Some for 3 months at a time." And 
continued to smile when she told me she didn't "have to know" about the pump 
etc because the "hospital tells them women what to do with the pumps." 

We have dozens of Babies R Us in the area. I was, in the past, asked to do in 
services and participate in Baby Fairs, but as they sell AIM, Detachment 
Equipment, and do a brisk business in everything from Nipple Shields to over 20 
different types of bottles, I said No Thanks. But, the situation may be quite 
different in a small town, though, where they may be more open to listening. 
These BRS have a high staff turn over, and I rarely see the same people in 
there, when I make my every 3-6 month trip to buy Toddler Time stain 
remover or accompany a friend. 

More news: Today, I called THREE more Babies R Us in our area. At one, I got 
an other man who said he was the "Pump Expert" and he told me that "you can 
tell how much milk your baby is getting by pumping. That way you know." He 
kept referring to "eight ounces" as the standard of what I should be pumping. I 
explained my baby was only 6 wks old (LOL!) and I doubt he took 8 oz. Again, 
there was the undermining questions about "do you think you have enough 
milk?" He also told me, when I asked how the milk got into the bottles, (I said I 
hadn't rented one yet) that "the milk goes through those tubes." 

When I said I had seen them and they looked hard to clean, he said "Don't 
worry, maybe those are for air. I don't know. I'm not a doctor. We have some 
bags you can buy to clean those parts in the micro." When I expressed 
concern about the fact that "the pump was in SOMEONE ELSE'S house before I 
rent it?" He said  they clean them. I asked "with what?" He replied, "Um 
disinfectant." I asked what kind. "Lysol" he replied. (No, not Cavicide, LYSOL.) 

He also told me that, yes, my breast "would hold only as much milk as the 
baby eats at that feeding." When I said I heard "from those la leche ladies" 
that the breast makes milk the entire time you are using the breast, he 
said. "No, it is already IN THERE. But, I'm not a doctor." *sigh* I thanked him, 
and then told him I was going to call either LLL or a Lactation Consultant. He 
said, "Maybe that's a good idea. They (I assume Medela) tell us how to rent 
the pumps, but not about your body." Jeez. 

The next one I called had similar responses, less than accurate data about 
storage, milk production and even how to use the pump, and then tried to 
undermine my confidence in my milk supply, and tried to sell me a "breast 
bottle" and, of course, some formula because as I didn't take any home from 
the hospital, I was "tempting fate, what is something happens? A lot of women 
can't make enough milk. I couldn't. We have that Breast Milk Formula, that has 
the same stuff as breast milk in it." This was their "pump specialist." "Trained" I 
guess. 

Is BRS allowing these stations as a jumping off point to simply sell more 
formula and unnecessary paraphernalia? 

I am getting the impression that they will make a LOT more money if the 
women who rent their pumps fail at breastfeeding, and buy formula for a year 
or more. What a marketing ploy! 

As far as I know, there isn''t anything in the contract one signs to be a 
Station that protects us at all. I need to make it clear that LCs who have 
pump stations are NOT employees of Medela, and we certainly aren't "cozying 
up" to anyone. :) There ARE situations where Mothers need a pump, or a 
nipple shield, or storage containers and buying a good quality scale (which I 
think is invaluable to the way I practice Lactation) is too expensive, so we 
HAVE TO rent. All the hospitals in our area carry these products, and the LCs I 
know who carried pumps and kits from now defunct companies found out they 
were getting NO business, because mothers wanted the pump they either used 
or saw or were given a kit from in the hospital. 

Rachel, I would be happy to write an article. I have some more research to do. 
But, I will e mail you. :) 

I think grass roots activism is needed at this time. I see this as a very scary 
progression, starting, as someone else said, with selling nipple shields directly 
to the public, with NO consultation. 

I expressed to Medela a pact which would be similar to a pharmacy. Only 
pharmacists can dispense certain drugs, I know years ago, we were told that 
it was "in the works" to only allow stations to IBCLCs. Devices like Nipple 
Shields, Pump Kits, Hospital Quality Pump rental or otherwise, could be similar 
to Medical Equipment (because according to the FDA, now, they are NOT) and 
only qualified persons could dispense them. Of course, then only people who 
really NEED pumps ETC will have access to them, and yes, that will probably 
be lesser pumps bought and rented. The "Bili Bed" is by prescription or by 
reference by a HCP, so why can't Hospital Quality Pumps, Shields etc be, as 
well? 

Thank you all for your input. I think we can get things moving. I hope so. In 
my area, if I do my math right, there are at least 20 pumps out there, rented 
by people who tell women you can only freeze your milk for a week,  and 
refrigerate it for one or two days, "just like formula" and who think the breast 
is a Bladder, which fills and empties, and when it is empty, you won't have any 
for your baby, and they will be MORE than happy to sell you some formula, to 
make up the difference. "It's always on sale here!" (After all, you wouldn't 
want to "tempt fate.") NONE of the people at any of the BRS I spoke to, who 
claimed they were the store "Pump Expert" had nursed a baby. 

I hope I am not digging my own grave here, But I cannot stay silent. Thank 
you all for your varied and suppored input, Lactnetters. I think we have some 
work to do. 

Mary Jozwiak IBCLC, RLC, LLLL
Private Practice (and hoping my "right" to rent pumps will not be pulled now) 

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