Peg, this is not about forgiving someone or not forgiving them. No one here
is the hangman, jury, or anything else. But, this issue does have far
reaching ramifications for all of us who do support breastfeeding. Dr.
Sears has done wonderful work, as has his wife. Many other
professionals  also do wonderful work with breastfeeding mothers....for no
money or  celebration.

The issues at hand here are not personal. If money has changed hands in any
way, which I do not know for a fact, but I believe so based on his website
discussion  and his writing,  then this is a violation of the WHO Code. It
is hard to be committed to something while also violating this Code.

I, for one, am not a "Mad Mommy"...but a professional who is questioning
this relationship and the implications, both subtle and obvious.  I find
the term mad mommy patronizing and offensive....as though it were a
reference to a child having a tantrum, from an adult who obviously "knows
better." It's a maddening pat on the hand....

I know that there are those who wish this issue would be all right..that we
could go back to believing that people we love and respect are also
perfect, but no one is perfect, not me in the least, and not anyone
else.   The truth is the truth, and it will surface,  and it is good to
have one's eyes opened to the  realities of the world, even though we might
find them depressing.

I am neither impressed or mollified.  The person who said that the formula
companies are gaining more from this than anyone will ever know, is right.
They ARE laughing their way to the bank.  Buying goodwill and a good name
is something that is priceless to them, because they cannot gain this on
their own. .  I have studied the formula industry in detail  for lectures ,
and they obviously have studied and employed advertising techniques that
will undermine breastfeeding mothers in a cold, harsh and calculated way.
Don't think for one minute that they do not. The subtle phrasing, ..the
implications of failure, the freebies...

....the Madison Avenue boys are hard at work to strut this stuff. Whether
or not it has DHA in it or not, it is STILL not breastmilk.  Advocation for
better products can be done without taking money, and lending one's good name.

If money has changed hands, then this is a violation of the WHO Code, I
repeat. No gifts to health care professionals.  It is not personal. Dr.
Sears has indicated that he needed money for his website, so this implies
that he has accepted money.

Wyeth  will get far more mileage out of him than he realizes, and his scope
of influence in the biggest pharmaceutical industry in the world is not as
great as we or he might hope. Money is the bottom line. Always has been,
always will be. He is not a victim, Peg. He has made choices, and now he
will need to live with them.  Maybe he will take the formula ads off his
site. He may do so...and I would be among the first to applaud.

In 1999, Wyeth advertised and gave away free formula on the internet......a
violation of the WHO Code.  Other formula manufacturers make and advertise
special formulas for diabetics, which is so interesting in light of the
fact that many more babies who are formula fed develop diabetes mellitus.
They catch them on the up and down side, ladies and gentlemen, and if one
is going to be smarter than they are, one better get up mighty early (and
employ a team of marketing sharks).

Kathleen

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Kathleen



  They are truly committed to breastfeeding and to babies.
It was a joy to hear them talk. I hope that everyone can forgive them and
that next time something like this happens we take the time to get all the
facts and to find out what the accused party is thinking before we jump to
conclusions and send off our "Mad Mommy" letters. (Dr. Sears said he has
been averaging about 20 "Mad Mommy" letters a day.)
Peg Merrill, IBCLC, LLL(retired)
Parkton, Md.
------------------------------


Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC co-owner Lactnet, Indep. Consultant
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://homepages.together.net/~kbruce/kbblact.html
LACTNET Archives http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/lactnet.html

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