Winnie writes:


>Many things are done that I
>cannot agree with in good conscience.  However, I cannot change
>everything at once.  I have to pick and choose the battles considering
>such things


And Lauries writes:

"but these are
the "reality" issues to work thru first before even getting close to
"ideal." this is enough to make me cry in my pillow. editing a website
doesn't seem like such a bad thing."



All of us, volunteers and professionals, work in the real world where
'bad things' happen with regard to breastfeeding support.  And jolly
exhausting it is too!

Not being able to change things (or not all at once!) is of course a
reality...the debate I thought we were having was whether it was
ethical to take money  (or a lunch, or a lunch box, or a pen, or a
notepad, or a badge) from companies ***whose very existence depends
on breastfeeding failing, or not being selected in the first place***.

This has *nothing to do* with working in an institution where
ignorant (wilfully or otherwise) professionals order 4-hourly feeds
or unnecessary formula supplementation or whatever. It has *nothing
to do* with the relative powerlessness of the lactation
professional/volunteer in the way policies and protocols are decided.

It's just to do with where your money/lunch  comes from, that's all.

Personally, I have no appetite for a 'purer than thou' witch hunt.
Personally, I would be ok with lunches from people who make pumps,
for instance, though others would not be,  but I don't resent them
for having a different benchmark from me.  We can debate it,
surely....and reach a consensus that taking money (or whatever other
trinkets are on offer) from an anti-breastfeeding organisation (by
definition, this would be a formula company, surely) would be
unethical.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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