Hi Jaye, please don't misunderstand my frustration with Medela and the
continued use of their products as an indictment on individual LCs. It
certainly was not meant to be that. I will respond to specific points
below:
However, Medela is firmly entrenched in my area and no one wants
> an Ameda pump regardless of how good it is. A
I would postulate that this is due, in part, to Medela's unethical
advertising. :) Also, by "acceptable" I didn't mean marketable or
popular, but good-quality and effective.
>
> 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.
I can certainly sympathize, Jaye. I am a new LC and not a distributor,
I am only talking "what ifs" and not "hows."
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.
Again, I can sympathize. I have a second job that I would LOVE to
ditch, but just can't make a living doing birth work exclusively. I
can certainly appreciate the importance of earning money--especially
in this economy.
I want to play devil's advocate here, though, and ask if you would
feel the same if I was talking about selling Enfamil or Playtex
bottles or Gerber pacifiers or even a Nestle product? Certainly ALL of
these products serve a purpose for our clients from time to time and
having them conveniently located in our office makes it doubly useful
for our clients. I guess I don't understand the defense of Medela when
we are quick to recognize other offenders.
>
> 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.
The thing is...Ameda does make a product that will serve our clients.
I don't know enough about your practice or community, but I would hope
that if *I* were a distributor (which I don't really plan on being, so
I'm not sure it was wise for me to get into this discussion) my
clients would come for my experience and knowledge and would either
accept the products I had conveniently for them, or, at a minimum,
come to me for my consultation before going elsewhere to purchase
another product.
Do I like it? No. But
> the Medela products are good - the company is just having a serious ethical
> issue right now.
I guess I just don't see that as a *just*.
>
> 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.
Or you could use a Lact-Aid and Ameda shields/pumps. That wouldn't
really be any less prepared on their behalf--it may just not be that
branding they're after. And again, at what price is Medela's
reputation coming at? Also, I can't afford to carry much product, and
I have--on more than one occasion--run out to get a client something
they needed and brought it to them. I am not out to make new moms'
lives more difficult either.
>
> 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.
Again, I was only putting it out there that we are enabling a
non-compliant company to continue to be profitable and make bad
ethical decisions by continuing to support them regardless of those
decisions. It is not my intention to "go after" our own in any way.
Again, I have no vested interest in any products, and therefore it is
easier for me to sit in the ivory tower. But the more I engage in
these discussions and reflect on where I want my income coming from,
the more convinced I am that I will forgo any distributorships for
these very difficult reasons. I am not trying to minimize the
importance this income holds for you. I'm just trying to share my
perspective on it, which, I am gathering, is unpopular and seemingly
judgmental. The judgment is meant for the violating company. Not you.
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.
>
I'm sorry you're feeling that way. I hope, for everyone's sake, Medela
decides to change their policies. Truly *that* would be the best
outcome for all.
Respectfully,
Gina
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