The idea of paying women to breastfeed makes me uncomfortable for some
reason.  Even with the reported increase in WIC BF rates associated with
paying women with valuable goods I can't help feeling this is somewhat
patronizing.  (Of course, I guess it's also patronizing to GIVE them ABM)  I
don't get the same negative feeling when lower insurance rates are discussed-
because it is directly health related- and a clear cause and effect
situation- less illness to contend with equals less need for high insurance
premiums, just as for non-smokers.

Part of my concern stems from reading PUNISHED BY REWARDS by Alfie Kohn.  He
reports on numerous studies which clearly show paying people is not only
ineffective, but eventually results in *decreases* of the desirable behavior
that was being paid for.  People don't like to be manipulated.  It cheats
them out of the internal reward when an external reward is offered.  One
measure of these types of programs is what happens once the rewards are
withdrawn.  There is a backlash-  "I'm not doing it if I'm NOT going to get
paid!"  20 years ago I heard that some countries had much higher blood donor
rates than the US, and the difference was that in the US we paid people to
donate blood, and in other countries it was considered a simple act of good
citizenship.

When the formula industry's gives out "gifts" we all know they're really
bribes- and something we ought to put a stop to.  Do we want to bribe women
to breastfeed?  Am I too idealistic?  OK I'll get down...

Sue Jacoby, IBCLC & LLLL    who doesn't pay her kids for grades, either, BTW,
and they're both "A" students, thank you very much!