This is a follow up from a previous post I made when I had met with a  
formula rep at the hospital I work at and he was trying to give me literature on  
breastfeeding.  I had asked him to give me literature on formula/bottle  
feeding.  What he gave me was a pile on breastfeeding with their logo all  over it 
and one booklet that was on breastfeeding and formula feeding.  The  last 4 
pages were on formula/bottle feeding so I read, critiqued, and questioned  
references for their statements.
The rep was in the hospital yesterday so I asked him to meet with me  
regarding the material.  He asked me about the breastfeeding material which  I told 
him he can have all back.  When he asked me what was wrong with it,  I told him 
it was published by their company.  He tried to argue that  people really 
don't pay attention to those kind of things and I reminded him of  Nike and 
MacDonalds for just a couple of logos and then moved on.
I told him I was disappointed that his company assumes that parents will  
read labels on formula to know how to use correctly. Nothing is covered in this  
booklet on mixing, storing, water used, et.  I asked him why they do not  
describe feeding cues to determine when a baby needs to feed.  I pointed  out that 
large feeds on a set schedule is not natural.  The booklet  also states that 
normal intakes for newborns are 2-4 oz.  I asked him for  literature on this 
and he said that he knew that babies usually only take  an average of 1/2 oz in 
the first day and felt proud that their company makes a  smaller quantity 
bottle to give hospitals than their competitors.  He then  went on to say that on 
a personal note that his wife pumped and his babies would  easily take 4 oz 
(not as newborns) so therefore this is verifying what babies  want and need.  I 
got him to hear me when I described  that breastfeeding is not the same as 
the  mechanics of bottle feeding.  He really was uncomfortable with my  
challenge to soy formula and it's long term risk and I welcomed him to give  me 
literature to defend his position.  
We left our meeting with him saying he will send on my comments to  
corporate.  He continued to try and get me to take literature or to let him  sponsor a 
talk for me.  I told him the only talk he could sponsor was how  to bottle 
feed and mix formula.  He suggested that I give the  talk, I smiled and said no 
that was his field.  I also told him  to check out the web sites on "bottle 
proper" because he can't believe that  parents would do this.
I encourage any other lactation professional to do the same with  formula 
reps.  Make them give you literature and classes on their product,  not how good 
it is but the basics on how to use, mix and research to defend  their 
comments.  I do this because the reality is that formula is here to  stay but parents 
need to know that babies have the same instincts no matter how  they are feed 
and to be aware of this.  Sorry for the length, this is hard  to summarize in 
a short note.
Ann Perry, RN, IBCLC
Boston, MA 
 

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html