I stand corrected in thinking that I could not join ILCA if I wasn't a "lactation consultant." Apparently, anyone who pays the dues can be a member. So, now that I know that, will I join? Absolutely not. If ILCA will GUARANTEE not to have any sponsors at future conferences who are ever -- at any time, in any place in the world -- violators of the WHO Code, then I will happy to join or just to contribute money to help fund a conference. Til then, they won't get my money. I also absolutely do not buy the argument that lactation consultants need to have these exhibitors at the ILCA conference in order that they can learn about the products that their clients might use or ask them about. For sure, the mothers aren't going to conferences and seeing the fancy display booths and videos. But anyone can go spend an hour in the baby aisle of their local grocery store, Wal-Mart, Babys 'R Us, drugstore, etc., and check out the new products available to mothers. You can see them advertised on TV, and in new parents' magazines. In the US, most big cities and many smaller ones have a Borders or a Barnes & Noble -- bookstores with coffeeshops -- where you can go sit with a cup of coffee and read the magazines for free, for as long as you want. Electric pumps certainly have their place in the world, and have helped many a woman get a supply going or maintain a supply for a baby in NICU or with congenital feeding problems. I wish electric pumps had been available to the public in 1985 when my son Peter was born -- he might have gotten much more than 4 months of partial breastfeeding. Nevertheless, the average American mother now thinks that every new mother NEEDS an electric breast pump in order to breastfeed. I know someone who had a baby a month ago, and before she delivered she was talking to the local IBCLC about which pump she should buy -- even though she is planning to exclusively breastfeed at the breast and isn't planning on going back to work for a year at least. Yet, she was absolutely convinced that she HAD TO HAVE a breast pump. Ditto for expensive specialty clothes that she could nurse "discreetly" in. If ILCA is not able to support itself and put on conferences, then it needs to fold, or be reorganized. I realize ILCA considers itself an international organization, but I suspect the vast majority of members live in the US, and are not able or willing to travel to overseas locations like Australia, or even Mexico, to go to a conference. Whose idea was it to have the conference in Sydney? It is very expensive to fly to Sydney and to stay in Sydney, and the plane ride is positively grueling. Why not have several smaller conferences, one in Australia, one in the US, one in Canada, one in Europe, etc., with local speakers? I work now for a non-profit membership organization, and it would LOVE to have lots of money to provide more services, put on conferences, etc., but it is not willing to take money from anyone that might compromise the services they do provide. So, they do what they can on membership dues, selling subscriptions to publications, etc. Kathy Dettwyler _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html