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Two moms trying to raise their families a little greener, a little healthier, and with a whole lot of love. All this while trying to save a little green along the way. Product reviews, green ideas, money-saving tips, and more!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Medela Controversy

I was just reading a very interesting post on a fellow Mommy-blogger's site regarding Medela and their blatant refusal to follow The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. Kind of shocking and hypocritical that a company that is the most popular and foremost in the arena of breastfeeding products isn't supporting this, isn't it?? I have yet to fully digest and investigate more into this, but wanted to share and get YOUR thoughts on this. Rather than reiterating what has already been so eloquently written and rather thoroughly researched, please visit the Makes Mom Happy blog and read her post.

Please tell us... Does this change your opinion of Medela? Will you continue to support Medela?

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting about this! I'm so glad to see this crucial information building some momentum in the blogosphere. =D
    ~Amy

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  2. Wow, very interesting.

    I own the PIS. I've always thought the open system was unsanitary, but I was under the impression the only closed system pump were the opens you rent from the hospital. Ignorance on my part.

    It's a shame the don't follow the code. I wish I could say I'd stop buying their products, but I don't buy them anyways. I much prefer Lansinoh bags. I rarely use my pump, but if I should ever need to replaced it I would definitely look elsewhere.

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  3. I know - I wish I had known you COULD buy a closed system that wasn't hospital grade and crazy expensive. Like you said, I don't really buy Medela unless it has to do with my PIS pump I bought before I knew this. Lansinoh makes better bags, in my opinion, and Medela doesn't even come close to the bra sizes I need!

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  4. I was very surprised to learn about this Code, especially because just about every company and health care worker I came across during my pregnancy blatantly violated it. Motherhood Maternity gave me a Playtex bottle every time I shopped there, and somehow they put me on a mailing list that kept formula samples arriving in my mailbox every week. Babies R Us gave me a free BornFree bottle when I started my registry, and I think I also got a free Dr. Brown's bottle at one point from them also. The worst was at the hospital, where we were encouraged to give Ian formula when he wasn't nursing well, and were then given a stocked Similac diaper bag to take home. I believe this experience is what ultimately led to our failure to breastfeed despite my very best efforts, but that doesn't mean I would stop shopping at Babies R Us or using BornFree products.

    As for Medela, I did my research and ultimately purchased an Ameda pump because it uses a closed system and was much less expensive than the Medela pump. I have never purchased a Medela product, and now that I'm not nursing I have no reason to do so in the future. As for their stance on the Code, I guess it's better that they are up front with consumers who take the time to research and educate themselves on Medela products as opposed to just blatantly violating the Code and not explaining their position.

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