Should Hospitals Really Lock Away the Formula?
Photo: Veer / The BumpIn a move that’s sure to add fuel to the great breast vs. formula debate, the New York City Health Department will soon launch a new breastfeeding initiative that will affect new mothers city-wide. Beginning Sept. 3, the voluntary “Latch On NYC” program will allow maternity hospitals to lock away infant formula for the better good of breastfeeding.
What exactly will this mean for new moms? To start, you won’t see promotions or advertisements for formula brands at your hospital. City officials hope that eliminating ads will let women decide which form of feeding is best for baby without being influenced by advertising. Those who choose the bottle route — whether due to personal preference or breastfeeding difficulties — will only be able to get formula after a nurse has properly signed the food out.
This isn’t the first step taken by health officials to make formula less prominent in hospitals. In 2007, hospitals started to ban formula from gift bags. Lanyards and mugs with formula brands’ logos were also prohibited. Today, 27 of the city’s 40 hospitals participate in the ban. Massachusetts health officials followed suit earlier this month after putting a stop to free formula giveaways throughout the state’s 49 hospitals.
The push away from the bottle was made by NYC Health Commissioner Thomas Farley after studying the benefits of breast milk. “Human breast milk is best for babies and mothers,” said Farley. “When babies receive supplementary formula…it can impede the establishment of an adequate milk supply and can undermine women’s confidence in breastfeeding.”
American Academy of Pediatrics agrees, recommending mothers breastfeed exclusively for their baby’s first six months and continuing to breastfeed for at least the first year. The Greater New York Hospital Association says that while ninety percent of NYC moms start breastfeeding immediately after giving birth, that number shrinks to thirty-one percent two months later.
Do you think banning free formula samples and locking away formula at hospitals can help promote breastfeeding? Or do you think these new rules are excessive?
Plus, more from The Bump:
Breastfeeding Advice Hospitals Don’t Give
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
So are we now equating formula with narcotics in hospitals because they keep those locked up, too. I am all for promoting breastfeeding but I think this goes a bit too far and makes it seem like, by choosing to formula feed, you are giving your baby something dangerous in some way.
I applaud your choice to breastfeed because it’s YOUR choice not because it’s breastfeeding. You should applaud my choice to formula feed because it’s MY choice and we’re both trying to be the best moms possible. By locking up formula I think we are coming dangerously close to making mothers feel like they are making a bad choice by choosing to formula feed. Why I choose to nurse or not to nurse is no one’s business except mine and my family’s, and maybe my pediatrician. Making it that much more difficult for moms to get access to formula is going down a very dangerous path that could impact mothers in a lot more ways than just their access, or lack thereof, to formula.
I agree with you completely. At what point did it become ok to shun moms for formula feeding their children? Not to mention you have to consider those parents who can NOT breasfeed for a medical condition, in the quest to promote breastfeeding, are we inadvertantly shutting out the moms who had a masectomy and no other choice but to formula feed. I say locking up the formula is just too much and it sends all the wrong messages to those who choose to formula feed.
Amen Alison Stella!
I think this is a bit excessive. I don’t think advertising sways mothers into deciding how they want to feed their baby. It’s a personal choice. I chose to formula feed my son because I didn’t feel comfortable pumping or breastfeeding in public and wanted to share the duties with my husband so he could establish the bond of feeding him too. I also wanted a visual of how much I was feeding him so we could be on a schedule and I could plan my day around his feedings. It’s not a bad thing if someone doesn’t want to breastfeed. That’s why there are other options out there. Many babies were formula fed in the 80′s and we all turned out fine. You can’t force someone to do what they don’t feel comfortable doing
I think there also needs to be some sort of development that allows moms to stay home with there babies longer. 8-12 weeks is not long enough, but with this day and age, moms have to have a job or they can’t put food on the table. The two month mark is exactly when most moms have to go back to work and pumping is not always easy to do at work and in my case, made my milk production drop since I did not have my little one actually nursing. I also think moms staying home for the first year (or until the start school) would be fantastic for not only the health of the baby, but the mental development as well. Children need to be nurtured and educated, and moms give whats best for babies! Maybe the government should stop giving so much money to those who abuse the system and help those out who are trying to better this world!!
I think that more important than locking up the formula is to provide better education. As a mom who is breastfeeding a 10 and half month old I can honestly say that education has kept me breastfeeding more than anything (and I got free formula from the hospital). I know quite a few moms who stopped breastfeeding because they thought they weren’t making enough in the first couple of days (hellooo they weren’t even in the milk stage, they were still in the colostrum phase; not to mention that some moms feel that if a baby is fussy they must be hungry so since you can’t measure milk in their boobs they thought they must not be making enough), or they had a poor latch and were rubbed raw enough they felt they couldn’t continue. So NY should make sure there is lots of education and people to help with breastfeeding available before they start talking about locking formula up!!
I understand that it is up to the mom to choose and it is their business what they want to do, but I must say, breast feeding is the best thing for the baby. It builds their immunity, it helps mom lose the baby weight, and it provides for a strong bond with mom and baby. Immunity being the key item here. Antibodies are passed on to baby from mom which will help baby fight off disease/sickness. 60-70% of the body’s immune system is in the intestinal lining.
I think the idea behind what the hospitals are doing is to encourage moms to breast feed, for the health of the baby. Creating a non-biased environment with no influence from advertising makes sense. No one can make $$ off encouraging moms to breastfeed, but big corp loses. Moms who think formula feeding is just as good have been thought to think that by the big companies who make the formula.
Yes, many people were not breastfed in the 80s, but look at everyone having more and more digestive issues. Oh, they happen to be the generation born in the 80s. Hmmm. There has also been an increase of diseases big time in the world so a strong immunity is even more important for our children. I’m curious to see what the effects will be of two or even three generations of non breastfed babies in terms of strong or not so strong immune systems. If I had the choice to decide if I was going to be breast fed or not, I would choose to be breastfed. It’s too bad we have parents choosing not to for the sake of being too embarrassed of doing the most natural and healthy thing in the world. If your baby had the choice, what route do you think they would prefer?
Actually, formulas are very comparable to breast feeding today. As someone who chose to formula feed, with a daughter who is now 19 months, has had maybe 3 colds (two of which may have been teeth related), and who excels it is ridiculous for you to say the only way to happy healthy children is on the boob. It is also a violation of my rights as a woman and a mother to chose what I want to do. We allow women to chose to end pregnancy well into the second trimester of life, but we condemn those who want to bottle feed?!? It is also ridiculous to say that this helps women get skinny again. This is as silly as saying you are pregnant, eat whatever you want. Eat for two. We all know you do not need to supplement your daily intake of food for two. I was in my normal jeans three days after I delivered my daughter and didn’t put on a pound until pregnant with my second child.
I agree with the other women that relate this to other “locked up forbidden’s” in hospitals…completely excessive. And your comments are uneducated and rude to those of us who chose a different path than you.
My comments actually come from an educated place. I have been studying nutrition and working with naturopathic doctors since 2008. It is a fact that breastfeeding is best. Nestle actually says that and they sell formula. http://www.nestle-baby.ca/en/products/formula/starter/goodstart_probiotic.htm
Here is an excellent article describing pros/cons to both sides, but it still states that breastmilk is best for very significant reasons.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/breast_bottle_feeding.html#
Common sense is a big part of it too. Here is a quote from the article.
“Formula can’t match the complexity of breast milk. Manufactured formulas have yet to duplicate the complexity of breast milk, which changes as the baby’s needs change.”
I’m not comdemning women who formula feed, I’m saying that not doing it out of embarassment is a poor excuse to not even try. There are some women who cannot breast feed for perfectly good reasons and in those cases, formula is the next best option. I’m not sure why you brought abortion into the debate as it has nothing to do with this.
This debate will never come to an end because even if a million studies were done to prove that breast milk is best, genetics and environment will also have a major affect on the health of a human being. Even if your child is not breast fed, and is as healthy as can be, he/she could have strong genetics and live in a less toxic environment than a kid who is breast fed, has weaker genetics and is exposed to more environmental toxins and thereore becomes “sicker” than your kid in comparison. Nobody can predict what will happen to their baby breastfed or not, but I just think it makes sense to provide the best option whenever possible. Breast milk is the best option, hands down and there are enough studies out there proving that.
As a side note, I am a huge believer in balance. I have friends who really badly wanted to breast feed but couldn’t. In these cases, they dealt with the guilt and stress of not being able to. This stress and guilt can have a worse affect on the baby. So, for these moms, if using formula reduces stress, than the baby benefits. It’s all about the best option for the baby. Ultimately, the decision is up to the mom. I agree with you there.
On another side note, as for the losing the baby weight part, when you breast feed (which I”ve been doing for the last 8 months with my daughter), your uterus is stimulated at the beginning and knows it’s time to contract back to normal size. It’s a really neat feeling actually. This is not to say that someone who doesn’t breast feed can’t lose the weight, it’s just a mechanism of the women’s reproductive organs that is in place to bring parts back to their normal shape and breastfeeding helps initiate it/speed it up.
Michelle I could not agree more with you. I chose to bottle feed my son because I went back to work three weeks after he was born. He is almost 4 and has had maybe two real good colds. In fact the breastfed kid’s in daycare were sick every week with something new and he never got what they had so I truly think this is a personal choice and a choice that should not be forced upon anyone.
They are NOT saying you can’t choose to formula feed and all you have to do is ask for the formula. They are not violating any rights and to be honest if you’re going to get your panties up in a bunch over having to ask for a free sample then go buy your own formula. It’s not the hospitals responsibility to feed your child, it’s yours.
I really don’t care if someone choses to FF, that’s their choice but the free samples are not a right, they are a nice bonus so stop complaining about having to ask for it instead of it just being given.
I’m in Canada and we get 1 year mat leave. 2 months is definitely too short. I agree Jenny. Even though by law you are allowed to pump while at work, it’s not the same as having your little one nurse. Plus, day care/babysitting is astronomical and what parent wants to leave their newborn with a stranger that early on? The best part about being at home for 1 year is that you get to experience the milestones your child goes through. Why should the government hold you back from the best years of yours and your baby’s life.
I don’t think it’s excessive. Formula is still available if you want it. I definitely think they should stop giving free samples, it’s just a marketing tool. Usually the cheapest food is the worse thing for you, but in this case the cheapest is the best. Breastfeeding is challenging, but most thongs that are good for and produce the most rewards are. Unless there are medical issues there is always help (la leche league, kellymom, lactation consultants) to get you through the tough times.
I am completely offended by this whole initiative. I have Lupus and am not able to breastfeed because some of my medications will pass through the breastmilk and can be harmful to the baby. I am heartbroken that I will not be able to share in that experience with my newborn. I do not need anyone treating me like I’m a bad mother because I have to bottlefeed. There are plenty of reasons why women choose to bottlefeed that are completely out of their control and they, like me, are probably upset about that fact but do it because its what is best for the baby and their own health.
I have lupus and there has not been an issue with me breastfeeding my son for 19 months… I don’t want to sound mean but if you really are heartbroken and wish to nurse your child there are other natural methods of boosting your milk supply (that was my main issue) and double checking with a certified lactation consultant about which drugs actually do affect your baby. You may still have a chance. Doctors are trained to be safe so rather than be unsure they just advise you not to nurse.
It’s not the formula that’s the problem. It’s the hospital staff that are trained to push it on you. That was my experience at Santa Monica-UCLA. One nurse just left it in my room after telling me maybe I was too old to nurse. (I’m 42.) Another asked to take our baby away and give it formula in the nursery so we could sleep. Finally when we were leaving, the worst nurse asked to feed our baby formula for the trip home. All this at a time when it’s crucial to have the baby hungry to stimulate milk production! Luckily we got help from Corky at The Pump Station. My tip is bring in an outside lactation consultant. The ones at the hospital thought there was something wrong with our baby’s tongue. So not true as confirmed by our pediatrician and again I think a sneaky way to get you to use formula. Six months later I’m still nursing so it worked out and I can feed my baby anywhere anytime!
uh, I would blame your hospital staff for not understanding what your wishes were. I was a bottle feeder and I was harassed about not breast feeding. I finally lost it and told them to keep the lactation pushers out of my room. They almost ruined the first two days I had with my son.
The clinic I attend actually premotes breastfeeding as best for baby and encourage you to at least try it. I went into this pregnancy knowing I want to breastfeed but also understanding that because of certian health issues and medications that I may need to take, I may not be able to breastfeed or breastfeed for as long as I would like. Locking up formula is a dumb idea in my opinion, I should be able to feed how I choose without explanation to anyone. What’s next, no disposable diapers because they are not green so we must wash cloth diapers while in the hospital. Yes we know breast is best but as parents we should not be made to feel as less than because of how we choose to feed.
This tends to be one of my soapbox issues… The hospital I work in is very unfriendly to formula feeding. Is breast feeding best? Yes, by far, we cannot even come close to matching the nutritional value of breast milk. A perfect example is just how much smellier bottle fed babies diapers are. BUT this a very personal decision. Some women just cannot make enough milk. There a social and cultural factors that affect this decision. And when it come right down to it, it is the mothers breasts and her baby!
I believe that as a nurse, it is my job to educate my mothers and then fully support the mother’s decision (as long a baby is getting enough to eat). I have known of too many mom’s leaving the hospital feeling bullied into breastfeeding by our lactation nurses, and others feeling horribly guilty if they are unable to breastfeed. Nothing about that is okay.
Just because the hospitals are locking it away doesn’t mean mom’s can’t have access to the formula, so just settle down everyone. No one’s rights are being trampled on. If you read the article in its entirety, it states that mothers can have access to it if there is a medical reason they can’t breastfeed (like being unable to produce or because of certain medications the mother is taking).
I’ve been doing a lot of marketing research for a local non-profit milk bank in my area, and the marketing tactics of formula companies from the 1950′s onward has been just plain evil. That doesn’t translate to “Mom’s using formula are bad mothers,” it simply means that after decades of being told breast milk is unsanitary, that it causes your breasts to lose their shape (that was a serious message, no joke), formula is easier and being given enough free samples to get a mother hooked, breast feeding has not been the norm for quite some time.
While formula is a safe alternative to breast milk, it doesn’t replace it entirely. This effort by New York is just one step to rectify over 50 years of misinformation. I agree that more education to the public and more protections for breast feeding are necessary to really gain traction. And I really do hope more mothers at least try to breast feed if it’s possible for them. The CDC, Surgeon General and APA all say breast is best, and there’s a reason for it. More studies are proving this to be true every day.
If the government is so concerned about breastfeeding and the health of children, they should work to make maternity leave longer than 6 weeks to bring us in line with the rest of the western world. Taking away a baby’s primary caregiver at 6 weeks of life does far more harm to breastfeeding than a few formula advertisements ever could.
I like that a man made this decision for all New York City mothers. He would know about the trials and tribulations of breastfeeding because he “studied” up on it. Moreover, if hospitals are concerned about promoting what is best for babies and mothers, maybe they should start by looking at their maternity care and labor and delivery practices and ask themselves if those are promoting the well-being of babies and mothers. This is just another way for the medical establishment to dictate to women what is best for them and their children.
I am all about this initiative! People like to say that breastfeeding makes your child smarter or healthier. That’s not actually true. The fact is that formula feeding makes your child score lower on IQ tests and lowers his/her immune system’s capabilities. I can appreciate the need for formula when a child will die otherwise; however, studies have shown several times that less than 3% of the world’s population cannot breastfeed. At this point, it’s a public health issue since we’re busy poisoning our children because we’re too lazy to do what we’re biologically made to do. Treating it as a back-up is honestly what we should have been doing since the beginning.
Oops! I forgot to mention that I agree with what several have said previously about the US needing to make maternity leaves longer. Only having 6 weeks to get a breastfeeding relationship established as well as trying to figure out pumping schedule is extremely difficult.
Heather, my formula fed father’s IQ is 167 and my breastfed IQ is 149. Average is 120.
I breastfed or pumped about 12 hours a day. I pumped in between feedings and did not sleep AT ALL for the first two weeks. I still had to suppliment at that time as well, using a syringe so he would not take to the bottle. He gained weight and I was told I could stop supplimenting ( yay!) went back to nursing constantly. Five days after only BF, brought him to be weighed and he lost weight! I cryed hysterically as he downed formula in the ped office. I had to stop nursing eventually because my starving baby was too tired. 5 different lactation consultants, expensive pump, bleeding nipples, four weeks, no milk. The judgment hurts, but these posts are right, we need empathy for others inability and lifestyle choices
I think that it is true that our maternity leave is too short. I am so lucky that when I had my son my husband got an extra job so I could stay home!
I do think that hospitals not forcing the formula on you is not necessarily a bad thing. I was SO nervous about breastfeeding to begin with. Nobody in my family had done it before me and they all think it is weird. My grandmother is so uncomfortable with it that she makes gag faces when she talks about it… The hospital I delivered at was SO supportive and that is why I was so successful! My son was jaundiced and needed to eat more often so my night nurse woke me up every 2 hours and sat there with me when I fed my son and helped me with everything! Every nurse I had was so helpful and at the end I was terrified to take all of that free formula home. I was afraid that I would get lazy and tired and just have my husband use it…
Luckily at almost 5 months old, my son had formula once in the hospital (before my milk came in when he was in the biliblanket) and twice since then (the power was out twice, we couldn’t open the freezer, and I was gone getting things to get the water out of the basement.)
Had I not had the support in the hospital and a great LC, I would have used that free formula for sure…
What happens if the nurse is busy getting stuff for someone else and your baby is stuck waiting for half an hour or longer before it gets fed? I have had clogged ducts before I was pregnant and my doctor has told me there may be a chance that if they clog again I might not be able to breast feed for periods of time. What if I can’t right after birth? I see not allowing advertisement and all that but locking up formula is a little extreme.
Wow, I think that is very excessive. It should be the woman’s choice to breast feed or NOT to breastfeed. Isn’t this AMERICA we are living in?
I think this is excessive. I also think that this makes it seem like mothers are not intelligent enough to make their own choices. Women are very intelligent and do their own research to make the correct choice for themselves and their baby. I really don’t need a man restricting a woman’s choice of how to feed her baby. Men have told women what to do with their bodies for far too long. It would be a cold day in h-ll when some male health commissioner decided what was best for my breasts, my body and my baby! He needs to mind his own business.
I am a breastfeeding educator and I too have lupus and I am still breastfeeding my 19 month old son. I agree with the article because it’s not saying that moms can’t get formula or that it’s bad for you it’s just simply stating the truth that mothers milk is best and should be first choice. It’s not that formula is compared to narcotics but if the moms are not given it first hand they may have a better experience with breastfeeding.come on lets be honest everyone wants to take the easy way out and although as moms we all want the best for our babies done may choose whats easiest for themselves rather than their baby. I don’t think is fair to force everyone to breastfeed but I fully agree that it is fair to have everyone start from scratch and decide on their own.
I am a mother/baby nurse at a hospital that is going to be implementing the breast feeding initiative. I want to make somethings clear. The hospitals that are starting this initiative will not be giving out free formula samples and coupons to promote breastfeeding over formula feeding. That being said, if a mother comes into the hospital and has no intentions of breastfeeding she will be educated on breastfeeding but then given as much formula as her infant needs while in the hospital, she will not be judged or refused to be given formula. Something else that has not been mentioned, the hospitals that are starting this initiative are educating their nurses WAY MORE than other hospitals. Mothers wont have to wait for the lactation consults to come around in the morning for a few feedings, they will have 24/7 breastfeeding assistance from all the nursing staff because of the increased education we are receiving. If a baby is not gaining weight adequately then formula will not be held back from those babies. I understand that this sounds like a controlling, overly extreem initiative. But honestly it is just about educating and SUPPORTING those mothers who do want to breast feed, or maybe those who come into the hospital with little information about breastfeeding. Breastmilk is the best options for babies, but even a hospital cannot control what how a mother and father decided to feed their baby. I was given formula the second I delivered my son and as soon as I started having difficulties breastfeeding the Lactation consulted started me on supplementing formula with a syringe (this was just over 12 hours after delievery) I had every intention of breastfeeding but because the nursing staff was not educated about all the different breastfeeding options (hand expression, pumping, different positions) I has to wait until the next day for the lactation consultant to visit me. If I had been at a hospital where all the staff members were educated and formula was not to readily available, I believe I would have had a totally different experience. This is just my opinion.
what is it with moms who parade their choices around as if they are better than the rest of us? sorry, but i find it most with some (read: not all) breastfeeding moms and hits nerve with me. i think this article is great and just lays it out there because these people that are out there shaming society if they don’t breastfeed are disgraceful. i don’t care how you feed your child as long as they are getting nutrition and are not being harmed. leave it to people like my MIL, some babies out there would starve, including my niece, who my MIL had the nerve to tell her mom she “must be doing it wrong”. what right does anyone have to say something like that. and my FIL is just downright creepy, going up to total strangers with babies and inquiring if they are breastfed or not. what planet is that appropriate on?? just because someone chose not to, or simply can’t, breastfeed does NOT make them a bad parent and it does not put their child at any kind of disadvantage. are they loved and cared for? that’s all that matters. if grandma and grandpa can’t accept my kids because i might not breastfeed, that’s on them, not me, and i won’t give a rat’s rear end if they have a problem with me. same goes for those moms who breastfeed in public but don’t have any decency to attempt to cover up either, then cry foul if someone says something. i know what you are doing, i’m not an idiot, but that doesn’t mean i am comfortable sitting a table over from you at a restaurant and your boob is hanging out, and it also doesn’t mean i am going to be comfortable breastfeeding in public either. again, moms, especially new, vulnerable moms, should be free to make their own choices and not be shamed for them by the government, society, and worst of all, other moms.
It’s been interesting reading different women’s replies on this article. I feel like I’ve heard each of the arguments before on this rather sensitive issue. My own personal opinion is that it is the job of the hospital and healthcare workers to provide you with information, not make a decision for you. That seems to be what they do with other medical issues. I think they should provide the pros and cons of both breastfeeding and bottle feeding and then take a step back, let the parents think about which decision they’d like to make and respect whatever that decision might be. I haven’t heard any argument that formula will harm the baby (and maybe that’s my own miseducation) just that breastfeeding is better (or best). So, if the formula is still available to these mothers if they request it, then I think the hospital just needs to make sure that once they provide the information to the mothers and fathers that they respect the decision if it is in fact to request the formula. I was bottle fed along with my siblings because they told my mom it was better at the time. She made her own decision (PS: I get sick roughly once a decade and as far as I know I don’t have a below-average IQ
) ). I am going to try to breastfeed my baby based on the information provided to me now that it will help my child. But I also don’t expect to be treated badly by hospital staff if I am not able for whatever reason to continue breastfeeding. I hope that this initiative encourages people to become aware of the debate, encourages hospitals to focus on their jobs which is to inform, not decision make and that people will be respected for whatever decision they choose for their families.
I don’t know if what they are doing is the best way to go about encouraging moms to breastfeed, but it is a step in the right direction. My best friend had her baby a year ago in the same hospital I will be delivering in soon and even though she was very clear about her decision to breastfeed, her infant was given formula in the nursery against her wishes and the nurse brought her formula bottles twice while the baby was rooming in. While I don’t think women should be shamed for choosing formula, breastfeeding is best and should not be discouraged as it is in many hospitals. Even the diaper bag gift my friend was given (the one specifically for nursing moms) had four different formula samples, and coupons for 3 more, and the only bf supply was a tiny packet of nipple cream. Some nipple pads, creams, bags to freeze milk, discount coupons for pumps or other products would have been helpful, but what was offered was kind of an insult. So often in the US we try so hard not to offend one group that we often end up making the situation worse by catering to that same group. If it is truly mom’s choice then non-biased accurate information should be provided and mom’s decision should be honored and respected.
I think this is a little extreme. I agree, breast feeding is the best thing for babies and idealy every infant should be breast fed, but some mothers cannot as many before me have already expressed.
In the above article it notes that 90% of moms will start to BF and by 2 months it drops to 31%. I would think this has something to do with work schdules. Most moms have to go back to work for financial reasons and even though pumping at the office can be done, some employers aren’t happy with women who’ve been gone for 6 weeks coming back to work to spend a majority of time pumping breast milk in a bathroom stall. It’s another ideal that most employers would have rooms designated for this, but not all do.
Women already have to go through the emotional stress and financial expense of sending their infant to daycare, their work performance back at the office, home maintenance, and even the stigma that can come with deciding to be a stay at home mom. Now if you don’t BF or keep it up, women have to deal with another stigma?
Women need support for their decisions. If a woman is given all of the options and makes a choice, people need to keep their mouths shut about it.
Having a child is a blessing that comes with a lot of emotion and tough decisions that will carry on through the rest of their lives. Why are we trying to make the start of it more difficult?
I understand that everyone has opinions. However I kept over reading something about mothers not breastfeeding in the 80′s… Well 100′s of years ago there was no formula and only breast milk. Granted many people died at a young age due to lack of vaccinations and over the counter medications for fevers, I believe breastmilk is what kept our human race from extinction. Formula can never produce the antibodies that breast milk supplies. I know of mother that couldn’t supply her milk to her little girl because of medical issues, but was given the option to have another mother give her milk to her little one ( and yes they have many programs for this). I’m sorry but I just don’t understand why any mother wouldn’t want to give their baby the best… and it’s free!!!! No mother should ever feel ashamed to feed your child in public because of what others say. Your child is hungry and you are feeding them. What’s so horrible about that? They are helpless and are depending on you to provide the best care possible.
I agree that making comments to breast feed women is terrible! However, believe it or not, I have had RUDE comments made to me when bottle feeding in public (“Don’t you care about your child’s immune system?”), as has a girlfriend of mine who was feeding her daughter breast milk that happened to be pumped. Your comment about giving your baby “the best”? Ignorant. What’s best for you isn’t necessarily best for everyone else. Do you think this magic purveyor of breast milk is available everywhere?
Anything that takes away choice is wrong. Formula should not be equated to medical marijuana; it is FOOD. Anyone who wants to tell me that I no longer have the choice to FEED my child the way I wish is downright criminal in my opinion.
All valid points ladies….yes, breast feeding is a choice, yes we need more maternity leave –and in these kinds forums we are preaching to the choir although I truly appreciated reading everyone’s point of view. We need more women in government in order to make these changes and to stop having men make our personal and professional decisions for us. To this I make three points.
1. As discussed in many earlier comments breast feeding drops dramatically when women return to work. This makes perfect sense – I personally work in a completely male dominated environment – and have for the past 14 years. I get to hear how their wives stay home, their wives breastfed their babies, and essentially take care of the household. The men just have to show up to work and keep their job. And honestly, most of the men accept breastfeeding, but they do not necessarily support it – and I think many prefer bottle feeding. Yes I’m over simplifying but the reality is that this translates to the workplace = there is little to no support in the workplace which translates in to government = no workplace requirements for breastfeeding support. I can completely identify with women who had to make the difficult decision to bottle feed. What is missed in many of the points above is that women who bottle feed often feel endless guilt – guilt that they don’t breastfeed, guilt that they have to work to support the child and guilt that they aren’t there for all of the milestones. Choosing to bottle feed is not choosing the easy way out or being too selfish to deal with the frustrations of breast feeding – it is often a very difficult decision with many factors that have been weighed (cultural, medical, etc.).
2. Breastfeeding, in general, and in an ideal situation, will last 12-18 months. Very critical time to baby’s development. But, what are we putting in to our kids’ mouths after that? I see so many women I know that breastfed their babies and now that they’re 3 or 4 they get cheezy crackers, hot dogs, kid frozen dinners all because it’s convenient . Since I did not have the luxury of extended maternity leave and the lack of support (and location) to breastfeed at work compounded by some medical complications I did not breastfeed , I reluctantly chose to bottle feed my daughter and she is healthy as a horse, she outperforms most of her peers in coordination, language skills, behavior and social cognition. I don’t know if the others in her school were bottle fed or breast fed, to me it doesn’t matter. What should matter is the quality time you invest in your children, the activities you do with them and the quality of what you put in their mouths after breastfeeding (or bottle feeding is over.) Look at the big picture here.
3. So ladies, take your passion to government. If you want more women to breastfeed then push for longer maternity leave – it’s the best thing we can do for moms, for babies and for the family unit. Starting it in the hospitals with the guilt ridden push of breastfeeding (believe me I’ve dealt with it) isn’t going to go far unless we get a nation behind us – not just a few hospitals in a big city. Get out and let your congressmen, senators and representatives know your cause, champion women’s needs and make a difference that way- not just by commenting on female dominated forums. I have been championing for years. In fact, I often see that women in government, in an attempt to conform to their male dominated counterparts often do not champion causes like extended maternity leave – which I am a big fan of. They feel compelled to fit in – not rock the boat. Unfortunately, I am unable to take advantage of the family medical leave act – I am in the military. I have seen the struggles of military moms for 14 years, the lack of support, the lack of understanding and the detriment that having children has on their careers – nothing is easy for us – nothing! So for the women who can’t understand why anyone would not put the best thing in to their babies mouths – maybe it’s because they can’t. I deployed to Iraq with a woman who was forced to leave her 4 month old behind. This is our choice, yes, but when judging women for not doing something that they think is best- there are many scenarios to consider. When I saw how much she struggled I chose to not have my first until I knew the threat of going back to Iraq was behind me; my husband is currently in Afghanistan as we await the arrival of baby no 2 and I am also stationed overseas with our daughter away fromthe support of friends and family- like I said, nothing is easy for us. Ladies who chose to breast feed or bottle feed – I support you! NYC hospitals- this is a bit excessive.
I think this is TERRIBLE. I didn’t breastfeed my son because I had to take a medication that would cross into the breastmilk. I felt guilty though because of all the messages out there that act as if I were spiking his formula with heroin and be putting his health and immunity at risk. Thankfully, my doctor and all her partners are wonderful and supportive and reassured me that it was OK… that an unhealthy mother is much less likely to be able to care for and raise a healthy baby. I was so worried and my precious son is a gorgeous, happy and VERY healthy two year old. In fact, he has been MUCH healthier than most breastfed babies I am acquainted with. We ALL know breastfeeding is better for the baby… the religious right has made sure we all know that (for those of you who don’t know, the La Leche League was started by the religious right) but babies have been bottle fed for centuries and I don’t think it is akin to the crime against humanity that the message has become.
When random strangers approach women who are bottle feeding in public and make condescending judgmental comments like “Breast is best” without knowing the circumstances (true story!) it puts added pressure on a baby’s care giver at a time when they need support more than ever!!! I love that the message is out there to take care of our babies and I agree that in most circumstances, breastfeeding is ideal and I don’t even have a problem with promoting that message but I DON’T understand why we have to VILIFY the choices of others. I know a woman with twins who strictly breast fed her babies and they were significantly underweight at their checkup with the doctor telling her to supplement. Would it have been better to let these babies suffer when the only voice they have is their tiny cries? The mom was so dedicated to doing the “right thing” which is commendable but in this case, I don’t think its a grey area. Let’s give these little angels the nutrition and food they need so their little brains and bodies can become healthy and strong. Why don’t we use this energy spent on this ridiculous campaign to fight the people who are trying to sell their babies at fast food restaurants and people whose parenting skills need work like the woman who kept her daughter locked in a bathroom alone for years? Or the tan-orexic woman who brought her 7 year old daughter into a tanning booth? One of the worst child pornography ring in history was just broken up with the youngest victim in the photos being 16 days old… and we don’t want women to have options when it comes to how they nourish their babies.
This sounds like a waste of resources. If a mom really wants to use formula, she’ll go buy it…I have 3 kids and I did half formula half breast for all of them and it worked for me. I had annoying ass lactation specialists coming in to lecture me every day and it did nothing but make me feel like a bad mom! The hospital wants to lock up the formula? Thanks for the heads up, I’ll pack my own! Sheesh, Bloomberg is pushing it…same as his soda ban, pretty useless..if someone wants to drink that much, they’ll just buy two..who will enforce this? Will NYC pay for the formula supplies that hospitals otherwise got for free from the companies in exchange for handing out a few coupons? Or will that get billed to the parents? Ban on giving coupons? Way to help people save a little money! There are a lot of reasons parents feed formula..production issues, sickness that could affect a baby..politicians need to mind their business when it comes to these things.