Dear Diane,

I think this is a real opportunity to teach the reasons to avoid any exposure
of infants to bovine protein, as well as the need for BFHI compliance to
facilitate BFing, and thus achieve the health benefits for both mother and
child.  You might also debunk the reasons for thinking an infant might be
intolerant of human milk.  You might even give the devil his due, and
accept the idea that if one infant in a million really can't tolerate human
milk, M-J might have an answer, if it doesn't expose the infant to foreign
proteins, or hyperestrogenize it.

Try to keep in mind that even though a formula company is sponsoring
the session, the nurses in attendance are potential supporters of BFing,
so you must leave them with enough knowledge to be advocates, and
avoid anything that might offend anybody but the sponsor.

I think it's nice that a formula company is sponsoring a BF session.  As
long as you can keep it from helping to push formula on babies, it's kind
of poetic justice (you might even consider it a tiny partial restitution for
the damage they've caused).  I think you should accept expenses, and
announce that you're contributing the honorarium to help support BFing
(a local LLL group might have ideas for how to use the funds).  Let the
formula pushers pay, but make sure the proceeds benefit nursing mothers,
not them.  I forget the reference, but isn't there something in the bible
about the apples of Sodom turning to ashes in your mouth?  So let it be
for the formula pushers!

Keep in mind Kathy A's brilliant definition of LC service:
>"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities
>brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."
You really can make a difference here, and you won't have to sell your soul
just because the devil's paying.  Be firm, but fair, and damn the torpedos!
Full speed ahead!

Good luck!

Jonathan

On Wed, 10 Apr 1996 13:25:00 +0100, Diane Wiessinger wrote:
>I'm scheduled to do a bf talk for 40-50 nurse managers in a city a few
>hours away.  The organizing nurse and I have talked by phone several times,
>but have never met.  In the past, I've mailed her ILCA videos to show her
>nurses, and I thought we were on the same wave-length.  She was to cover my
>bus fare, one motel night, handouts, and a tiny honorarium.  I've done 6 or
>8 very similar talks, *always* under baby-friendly circumstances, always
>shoe-string operations, as this appeared to be.  It simply never occurred
>to me to ask about funding.
>
>I just got a letter from her, enclosing the flyer for my talk and details
>about location, projector, etc.  It ended with this paragraph:
>
>"You may think it unusual that a formula company is sponsoring this breast
>feeding presentation.  I feel strongly that rice lyte and other M-J
>nutritionals have a real place for infants who may not tolerate any form of
>milk.  Bob S., our M-J representative, is a delight and a strong supporter
>of continuing education for nurses."
>
>The flyer, of course, leaves no doubt as to the sponsor.  I nearly had a
stroke.
>
>What do I do and how do I do it?  I'll foot my own bill entirely now, of
>course, including handouts.  But my good friend the nurse is also providing
>handouts, and I can guess what they'll be.  At *my* talk!!!
>
>I could cancel, which would certainly save me money, but would that do more
>harm than good at this point?  I'm one of 2 speakers for the day.
>
>I could call the nurse and express my dismay, but that might prompt her to
>request that I avoid saying certain things.  If I don't call her, at least
>I'll have free rein.
>
>Free rein to do/say what?  How and to what extent can I enlighten without
>alienating?  Please, please help me!