I'm mostly thinking out loud here, which I know can set me up for flames but here goes... 1. I think we need to make sure we are outraged for the correct reason and NOT because Medela/BRU are cutting into our income. I know that makes some of us very unhappy/ nervous/worried but it is not really the reason to "boycott" this situation. It is totally OK for Medela to be promoting their own business in this manner whether it is ethical or not to the LC's it purports to support is another question. 2. How is this really different than selling these pumps / products in the stores? There is no follow up support/info on use /recommendation to local support when a product is sold vs rented. Outrage should have started a long time ago when this occurred. Perhaps it did but of course any company has the right to promote it's product wherever it deems necessary to increase it's profits... that is free enterprise...did we somewhere along the line forget that Medela is a business? And how did we let ourselves become so dependent on them (of course they make very useful quality products (mostly) is how and so we need them to do our job well....some of the time)? 3. Maybe we also need to ask ourselves more about our profession. Are we in it to make $$$ or to help babies receive breastmilk as the optimal food for the health of an individual? Sure it's nice if the two exist together but is there a priority of one over the other. Maybe a good handful of us would not be able to do this if it were strictly on a volunteer basis. And of course then the value of our profession is questioned as well and with it our self esteem perhaps, as getting paid for what you know is how you may be valued on a social ladder. But I was/am a LLL Leader long before I was an LC and getting paid for what I know is somewhat of a side benefit albeit a very good side benefit, LOL. I didn't get "paid"(monetarily) for 13yrs before WIC employed me as an LC... it felt so good to be valued that way after being a volunteer for so long...and nice that I could do something I was GOOD at AND help support my family too. BUT that is not really why I'm an LC. It all goes back to KNOWING that breastmilk is what babies need and helping mothers meet the needs of their babies in this manner changes the lives of that family forever. 4. I do think there is a relatively easy fix here. No not with a boycott but that may be what some of us choose to do. I think that local BRU would be delighted to be removed of the responsibility of dealing with pump questions if only they had a resource to provide. I'm sure they can not show preference so to provide a list of local LLL Leaders and LC's that would be willing to handle questions/concerns seems appropriate and will most likely be welcomed. Our state produces an excellent "Breastfeeding Resource Guide" and distributes widely with numbers of LC's, LLLL's, NMC's. etc. that could be given to each BRU with instructions for the employee to use it as a referral guide. She might even read some of it in her spare time! Am I naive? Maybe. 5. I really am AMAZED at the number of us who depend so much on a pump as to have to carry it on subways. Are they carried to ALL appts?Could the need for that not be ruled out with a good phone call to assertain need first? Wow, bruised shins!!! Ilene Fabisch, IBCLC/RLC, LLLL Clinical Director Mothers' Milk Bank of New England [log in to unmask] www.milkbankne.org 781-535-7594 *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome