I agree with Pamela.  As a working mother of three exclusively breastfed children I feel we as a group have lost sight of protecting breastfeeding at all costs.  I have worked not because I want to work but because I have had to work.  But thanks to good pumps I have been able to provide my sons with expressed breastmilk and they never had to have artificial baby milk.  I used bottles.  With my first two sons I was not a LC and did not know there was any other way to give expressed milk to be honest.  So at 5 weeks I introduced a bottle and they got approx 2 bottles a day while I was at work.  For my oldest son that was 5 days a week.  With my middle son that was 2 nights a week.  It was either use a pump and bottles or go to artificial milk.  There is a time and place for these products for the most devoted breastfeeding mothers.  To accuse Lactation Consultants of going against The CODE because they support a particular product I think is unfair.  We (our hospital) have tried the other product and don't find it to be as good of a pump.  So we use the product that violates the CODE......and why?  We feel it does the best job for our mothers.  Pumps are for pumping breasts so a baby can have their mothers breastmilk.  The milk has to be given to the baby somehow.  Most daycares providers are not going to cup feed.  Not in South Georgia.  So where does that leave us?  We want to make sure then that the babies have soft, pliable, wide based teats.  These just so happen to come in the pump that we happen to sell.  

Yes I think there is a place for the CODE.  I think there are many parts that are needed.  The formula reps are constantly on the Mother/Baby floor doing all the things outlined in the CODE that they are not supposed to do.  It drives me crazy.  I refuse their food, I refuse their goodies they bring to the floor to eat.  I will not be joining them for their Christmas party.  I don't accept their pens, note pads, badge holders or any trinkets they bring.  We have badge holders that we trade for the S*&^%$ and E^%$&# ones.  But we will continue to support Medela and sell their products.  I hope somewhere down the road the CODE will be reviewed and Medela will no longer be viewed as the buy guy.  I don't believe they are.  They have a good product and they are just trying to do the same as the rest of us......support breastfeeding women the best way we know how.

Debra Knight, RN, IBCLC

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