Actually, my subject is not that, but my views triggered by Barbara's
question about whether people would breastfeed more if they weren't given
formula throught WIC.

I think one of the reasons WIC was formed was that people were giving
babies all sorts of concoctions some very terrible ones.  I agree that
breastfeeding is best, and formula a poor fourth, but it is still better
than the canned evaporated milk and water or the watered-down goat's milk,
etc.

Would more mothers breastfeed?  I don't think so.  I think babies would get
much worse start-ups and we would have more health problems than we do now.
 Moms tend to breastfeed because they know it is best - not because they
don't have any other alternative - family and friends are always offering
them ideas of alternatives (and legislators, too - one here told me there
was no reason for moms to pump at work - they could just give them goats'
milk).

So our job, I think, must continue to be - marketing of breastfeeding.  If
we can get people to all want a kind of shoe, or a kind of jeans, or a kind
of car - then we must use the same skills to get people to want to
breastfeed.  Unfortunately no one is getting rich on that product, as
opposed to Intel or MicroSoft, but the specialists in Social Marketing can
teach us a lot.  

Any ideas on what we can do?  Perhaps a brain-storming session in Lactnet
on marketing strategies for 1998?  The theme of this years World
Breastfeeding Week really lends itself to this type of program.  Any
takers?

Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, IBCLC, LLLL (and not a bone of marketer in me)
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