This is a subject that bothers me greatly!
I haven't "supported" a first time pregnant mother preparing to breastfeed in the last two years who hasn't asked me to recommend a pump to her. Let me emphasis this, EVERY SINGLE soon-to-be mother I've been in contact with for the last two years has asked for a pump recommendation.
One mother sticks in my mind:
mother: "Can you recommend a good pump to purchase?"
me: "Oh, are you planning to return to employment after the birth of your baby?"
mother: "Oh no, definitely not. But I want my husband to bond with the baby, so he needs to share in her feeding, plus if I pump during the day, my husband can feed the baby at night so I can get a good night's rest, and I'm definitely going to need a break from my baby, so when I need to get away, I can just pump and go out with my girlfriends and enjoy myself."
me: Mouth falling open...not sure where to start..."Oh wow, it seems like you've given this a lot of thought..."
If these are the reasons mothers are buying pumps then they are automatically setting themselves up for breastfeeding trouble...
Pump manufactures are doing a GREAT job of selling their products to ALL nursing mothers, and many of these new mothers really believe that owning a breast pump is an essential piece of equipment. And when used inappropriately can easily cause trouble and interfere with a successful nursing relationship.
I think we are going to see increasing breastfeeding difficulties caused because of unethical marketing practices on the part of pump manufactures and that saddens me. If mothers aren't being bombarded with enough formula advertisements then there are plenty of pump advertisements out there too.
Michelle Swanson, LLLL
Wyoming, USA
--- [log in to unmask] wrote:
From: Rachel Myr <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: pump marketing thread
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:46:04 -0400
Winnie makes the point that mothers who express and feed their own milk are
giving their children vastly better food than if they were putting formula
in the bottles. Of course this is the case. I don't have a problem with
mothers using breastpumps when they need them. But I doubt that many of the
mothers would call what the pump gives them 'freedom' and I hope I never
live to see the day when a mother asks me 'is it true that the Symphony pump
is second only to a baby, for naturalness?' Groan!
My objection is to the way pumps are being *marketed* to people who work
with breastfeeding and to mothers, at the last several conferences I've
attended and in journals to which I subscribe. The implication, reinforced
by the way all the pregnancy/baby mags seem to have an article about
everything one needs from day one, complete with list incuding a breast pump
but generally omitting 'sling', is that breastfeeding should not be
attempted without a pump in the house. All such a message does, is
undermine womens' confidence in their bodies and their babies, and lessen
the probability that the child will be breastfed at all. It is also of
concern to me that the retail price of pumps has risen rather sharply here
over the past couple of years - possibly to cover the advert budget?
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
