Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
I got a call on my cell today from a man who said he worked for Materna, the 
biggest Israeli formula company.  First, he asked if I had ever heard of 
them, (Ha, Ha, what a hoot) and then said he got my name because he knows I 
deal in Medela products and wanted to know if I sell Silicon Nipples. 
Apparently, they want to start giving out silicon nipples for free in the 
hospitals.  Why he thought to call me is still very strange.  Like I would 
sell thousands of nipples to him, I am just a private practice LC.  At first 
I was waiting for someone to scream "April Fools!" although it is June 20th 
here!
I almost flipped.  I told the guy why I wanted absolutely nothing to do with 
his company, how they are jeopardizing the health of babies and mothers, 
etc.  He seemed really surprised to hear this.  He had never heard of any 
research showing free formula made a difference, and was really interested 
when I told him it should be a paid for, prescription product only.  I then 
explained to him why his company wanted to hand out silicon nipples, why it 
is a tool that belongs in the hands of an IBCLC working with a mother, etc. 
He seemed surprised that this was the motive of his company.    He told me 
he really did not
know that his company does anything to undermine breastfeeding in this
country.  And no idea that a WHO code exists, and they are seriously 
violating it.
I told him if I was in his position, I would have serious ethical problems
with doing my job.
I told him the results of its misuse is the exact reason his company wants 
to give
them out, to "hook" women on formula.

I really was not sure if this was a joke.
Is he just dumb?  Or an older man who really did not know anything and is 
just doing his job?  We must be succeeding in something in this country  if 
this is how low a formula company is willing to stoop.
That means someone in that company had to see all the research about silicon
nipples and decide this was the way to go?

Still shocked and amazed,

Jessica Billowitz, IBCLC
Israel

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html