HI Melody,

The argument "for" using the rebate coupons is that it can make pump rental
more affordable for low-income women who could not otherwise afford to rent
a quality electric breast pump.  AND if we all pass them out very
frequently, it COULD hurt the ABM company financially.  This point could be
argued that the ABM company will recoup their losses by passing along a
price increase to the consumer.

You may be missing  the BIG PICTURE here. The main reason they are giving
this rebates out is to get the mothers name and address so they can market
directly to her.  Get one of the moms you come in contact with  to send it in
and show you what she receives.  We have done that recently and are expecting
a deluge of coupons, offers, and perhaps samples of their product.  All of
these companies do their marketing research VERY carefully and they will NOT
loose money on this.  Breastfeeding mothers buy more formula than those that
initially formula feed.  Did you know that?  It is true.   We learned this
several years ago from a formula companly rep.   Due to the low duration of
breastfeeding, and the higher education of mothers who initiate
breastfeeding, a mother who breastfeeds  a few weeks or  months, then uses
formula to 12 months, as she is likely to do because she has done a lot of
reading,  uses more than a formula feeding mom who uses it 6 or 7 months and
swicthes her baby to regular grocery store milk as most do.
Educate everyone you can that this is not a free gift to breastfeeding moms,
but another marketing ploy that we must resist.
Jane Bradshaw RN, BSN, IBCLC
LLLL for 17 yrs.