T'was written:

It is not okay for Medela to flagrantly disregard the Code. They don't
care what we think--I get that. But I would be shocked if they didn't
feel *some* economic fallout of our refusal to promote, sell, or use
their products or to accept their donations or funding. 

**The problem is so few LCs and, indeed, LLLLs, are willing to do that. I
can think of
an acceptable alternative for each of Medela's products. **

Jaye here - Hang on a second...respectfully I must address this last
comment.  I would LOVE it if it were possible for me to boycott Medela to
make them feel the sting of our opinion of their unethical and code-breaking
behavior.  However, Medela is firmly entrenched in my area and no one wants
an Ameda pump regardless of how good it is.  Ameda is NOT at all entrenched
in my community.  We have one hospital that rents Ameda pumps but doesn't
seem to keep spare parts on hand and the moms who purchase Ameda Purely
Yours pumps have a hell of a time getting their hands on spare parts when
they need them in any kind of a timely manner.

I am a full-time Private Practice Lactation Consultant.  The products that
Medela sells HELP my clients and it is in my best interests for my business
to be able to provide them - not only for the client's convenience but also
to feed my kids and keep a roof over our heads.  If I 100% ditched Medela to
make them sit up and take notice that I am unhappy with them, I might as
well ditch a significant part of my business and get a 2nd job - which,
being a workman's comp nightmare, due to extensive injuries and being
classified as disabled by my Dr, is extremely difficult for me to do.  

I am a single mom and fully support my family on my private practice -
something that is NOT in the least easy to do as many out there know.  And,
until Ameda (or some up and coming new pump company) can make it worthwhile
for me to switch out to their products, I am stuck.  Do I like it?  No.  But
the Medela products are good - the company is just having a serious ethical
issue right now.  And, quite frankly, my kids and I sort of like eating and
having a roof over our heads.  

Now - I can use other nipple shields and I can do a supplemental nursing
system a'la Jack Newman, and I can teach moms to hand express - BUT - moms
want things to be simple and easy and they expect me to come prepared with
what they may need.  They do not want to have to go out and find it
elsewhere while they are sleep deprived, stressed out and trying to recover
from delivery all while trying to protect their supply and feed their baby.
And hand expressing in my area is looked at as being an enormous waste of
energy and time regardless of how I present it.

So, while I understand where you are coming from, and it would be great if
we could all band together and 'show' Medela a thing or two, it is important
to not make generalizing comments that go after a segment of our own who may
not have any reasonable options and are as unhappy with this situation as I
am.  I feel stuck between the proverbial rock (providing for my family) and
a hard place (the products I use are made by a company who is now practicing
unethical marketing) with options that potentially put my family at risk
financially.

My .02.

Jaye


Jaye Simpson, IBCLC, CIIM
Breastfeeding Network
Sacramento, CA
www.breastfeedingnetwork.net

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