Tuesday, July 31, 2012

On Bloomburg and formula, i.e. Formula IS medicine

Bloomburg is a crazy nanny statist, but in the formula area (not a ban if you actually read about it, just having nurses not hand it out like candy really), he is right.  Formula is medicine.  This is coming from someone who had to supplement with formula for 6 months of her child's life (I still continued to breastfeed and am breastfeeding her still at 16 months old).  All  they are doing is having mothers request the formula instead of formula being pushed on them by nurses find it easier to hand out formula than give a mom who is trying to breastfeed the support she needs to be successful.  Breastfeeding is hard work and many mother fail at breastfeeding successfully because of lack of information and support, not necessarily the true ability to do it.  Moms should be given every possible resource to help them to breastfeed their children and women should not encouraged to automatically pop a bottle of formula in their child's mouth at the first sign of problems.  The formula companies spent the 50s convincing mothers that formula was better than the "old-fashioned" breastfeeding, and it has taken decades for people to realize otherwise.   Lack of breastfeeding knowledge from older generations is why we are still having so many mothers chose not to breastfeed or not have success at it.

2 comments:

  1. I agree with you about the lack of support. I think there needs to be more support after you leave the hospital. I had no problems until after I'd been home a couple of days. Thank goodness I had support from friends who were also breastfeeding

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  2. I actually had a doula that came over and helped me get through the rough patches at home. She came over at the drop of a hat bless her soul!

    Then I cried to my mother who nursed her babies and she helped me through reassuring me my baby wasn't going to die.....I spent many a days crying trying to figure it out. I was not prepared for how difficult it was going to be. I fought for our nursing for 3 months straight. It was a struggle but we did it. And I will fight to feed the next baby too....I'm hoping I have a little experience under my belt and will not be afraid to pump to get things moving etc.....

    She even was in the nursery where she had formula and we still were able to hang on. We fought against all odds.

    She didn't nurse after birth because she was in NICU for 3 hours.

    She slept in nursery both nights (for 4 hours) because hormones were whacked.

    So we beat the odds. :)

    I agree with you on lack of knowledge from older generations....lack of support......Sometimes all you need is someone to calm you during the first few weeks. :)

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