Finding Ways to Trick Lactation Care Providers

If you are getting into the field of lactation care, you need to be ready for the trickery. Be prepared.The marketing deception, the lies, the outright bribery - it’s all coming at you. They’re just waiting to capture your attention and divert you from the science.Marketing works; that’s why companies spend money on it. It works on everyone. Works on me, that’s for sure. It’s why I drink a certain kind of sparkling water and wear a certain kind of tank top. Maybe for you, it’s about the car you drive or the shoes you wear. Maybe it’s the phone you’re reading this on - you’ve got brand loyalty somewhere. With lactation, it’s not ONLY about brand loyalty. It’s about the product mentality itself. Companies know the “motherhood market” is ripe for profit, so the goal is to ensure that everyone thinks people need tons of stuff when they have a baby. Free baby registry? Sure. Free samples of baby products? Yep. Free prenatal vitamins and supplements? You got it. And… they’ve got you. If you’re an aspiring lactation care provider, they’re working really hard to capture you, too. You’ve got to know that. You’ve got to see it. Remember when I said that marketing works on me? Well, there’s an exception. There’s a little switch you can turn on and off. It comes from education and evidence-based information and a commitment to truly helping and serving people. I know and accept the science of human lactation as demonstrated through the evidence base and the concept of physiological plausibility. I can see when a product is being marketed that has a potential influence on human lactation, and I can run it through that filter. Is it really needed? Why? What happens if someone can’t get it - are they destined to fail at breastfeeding? The company sure wants everyone to think so, but is that really possible?Here’s where they try to capture you: you probably already know how companies prey on the lack of information new parents may have, giving them tidbits of truth couched in confusing, out—of-context ideas. They’re ALSO hoping this will work on you as a lactation care provider. They want to take advantage of any doubt you might have about your education or knowledge in the science of human lactation. They’re counting on their slick marketing campaigns, catchy slogans, and your tiny bit of wondering if you really understand everything about how lactation works to convince you that maybe their product is kinda necessary for everyone. They’re definitely hoping that if they can get you to take a sample and try it (or give it to one of your clients to try), or if they can join you for a Live on Instagram or get you to talk about their product in a social media post or video, that they will benefit from your reputation and your clients will believe in their product and buy it. The key to resisting marketing when it comes to products which make claims about babies is this: adopt a mindset of scarcity. Is it possible that this product is actually necessary? Well, yes, but for one person at a time, not for everyone. How would they know if it is necessary for them? By having their situation evaluated by a professional, someone in whose scope of practice it lies to recommend the use of a product. If it is not in your scope of practice to evaluate and assess an individual or a dyad AND to understand AND be able to explain the potential positive and negative effects of a product, technique, or service, you should not be talking about products. Period. Refer to another model of care. No breastfeeding product is right for everyone and not everyone needs breastfeeding products. That’s why it’s imperative that we collectively get a handle on this now. There is NO REASON that anyone should be out there endorsing products that can impact lactation (in positive or negative ways!)If you are approached to receive a free sample, do not accept it. If you are professionally curious, purchase the product. Do NOT test products on your clients. Do not share YOUR own results with a lactation product as if they are irrefutable evidence- you are one person. Your experience is valuable and possible instructive to others, but that would require you to evaluate and assess the person you are telling and to determine if it might be the right fit for them. You are NOT RESPONSIBLE for marketing any products, even if they worked great for you, and it’s simply unethical for you to do so. You are responsible to make sure that the people you serve are aware that fundamentally, the use of products and tools* is not necessary for most people SO THAT if they choose to use things, they are actually making an informed decision. You are responsible to resist marketing claims. You are responsible to know and to educate others that no brand of product has a scientific, peer-reviewed evidence base to be able to claim that it helps with any part of the process of human lactation. It doesn’t exist. Research funded by the manufacturer of a product is not objective and does not carry the same weight as other types of evidence. You can help many more people by educating them about the reality that breastfeeding products are not necessary for most people, and that getting good help is the best way to resolve problems or doubts they may have. If you’re going to have the privilege to assist people with working to meet their own infant feeding goals, be a process specialist, not a product specialist. Excel first in the art and science of supporting human lactation and complementary feeding. Then, if you develop an interest in and an ability to study it more, add specialization in a type of product and its uses. Brands come and go, but knowing exactly how and why a type of breastfeeding product may work or may not work, based on our knowledge of human lactation, is the truly valuable part. Thank you for reading Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC. This post is public so feel free to share it.*Products and tools marketed for use before and during lactation include, but are not limited to: vitamins and supplements, breast pumps, nipple shields, nipple everters, herbal preparations, teas, cookies and snacks, protein drinks, supplemental feeding systems, bottles, bottle nipples, pacifiers, and more. This does NOT mean that these products are not ever indicated for use or that they should not be recommended or that parents should never choose to use them. It DOES mean that informed consent for their use is critical because they inherently can impact human lactation and breastfeeding. Get full access to Evolve Lactation at ibclcinca.substack.com/subscribe