Breastfeed or else

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Well...I kinda have a funny story. When I chose to breastfeed, I knew it was the best of the options to go by to begin with...and gave it my best! But there was another underlying factor...

Before the thought of EVER becoming a nurse or a mother for that matter, I was an assistant manager of a very great pet store (oh those humble days!) and I wanted to be a vet! I watched the differences in kittens and puppies if they were weened at 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks or more! The more milk from mom the less chances they were to come in with eye infections, colds, and other common germs! I mean staggering difference, and I cringed at 4 week weens...I knew some would die in my arms despite my all!

Just seeing that...at the tender age of 18, I knew..nature did make mothers milk for a reason...and bio classes taught me about the antibodies in breast milk! Geesh, I wasn't the smartest on the block, nor the dumbest..but I came to the conclusion all on my own! I do believe that folks can still do that!

From kittens/puppies that died in my arms because they were weened at 4 weeks (or less...some puppy/kitten mills took them from mom the moment they could sell the offspring!)...I really felt that mothers milk was the BEST! But still...I watched kittens/puppies..and yes children survive on formula also..they just didn't have the immunity coverage that mothers milk gave!

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

So, as nurses, are we not supposed to advocate for things that are healthy, because it could make the person feel guilty?

The recently diagnosed Type II diabetic could feel like we are blaming them because they are overweight when we counsel them to lose weight. Smokers say they don't like to hear that they shouldn't smoke.

These studies are educating the doctors, done by doctors, who have very very little education when it comes to infant feeding. Can you tell me how many classes you had in nursing school, teaching you exclusively about infant nutrition and how to assist struggling mothers?

The World Health Orginization, UNICEF, the Surgeon General, AAP, AAFP, AAN, and pretty much whatever organization you would like to look at, they all agree that formula is sub-standard (when you consider breastmilk to be the standard) They all agree that a child should be exclusively breastfed for at least 6 months, then nursed for at least one year (WHO, AAFP and UNCEF say at least 2 years) and then for as long thereafter as both mother and child wish to continue.

Again, as medical professionals, it is absolutely our place to be telling our patients what is healthy and what is not, and what they should try to get the best health possible.

No one is suggesting stoning mothers who give formula, and no one is suggesting we stone overweight people, or smokers. But that doesn't mean they will never hear that they aren't making the best choice possible.

To compare it with obesity, there are people who are obese because of verifiable medical conditions which are absolutely beyond their control. There are people who are obese because of psychological or personal issues that cause them to seek comfort in food, or be uncomfortable with exercise. There are people who are genuinely just lazy and eat junk and don't exercise. Just because there are people in that first group, doesn't mean that the 2nd and third group can't be counselled and helped to overcome their struggles with obesity. We shouldn't just consider the topic of diet and exercise taboo because some people have a medical condition that prevents them from losing weight.

And the woman who had such a negative experience nursing, I would argue that it wasn't a successful nursing relationship. A successful one doesn't entail one party being miserable and in pain.

And as for why I would want someone else to experience it? For the same reason you would want anyone else to be happy and have a wonderful experience. You like a movie, you advise your friend to go see it, maybe even treat her out to see it together. You find a cleaning product that works amazingly? You tell your friends and anyone you know who has dealt with that stain. It's the same thing with breastfeeding.

When socioeconomic status and education are adjusted for, breastfed infants still have lower rates of leukemia, type I diabetes, obesity and other health problems. These denials of the facts are when in truth, people are trying to say that breastfeeding isn't best, or that formula is the same. If formula was the same, the statistics wouldn't show a difference. People want to give lip service to the fact that breastfeeding is superior, they say "yes yes, we know, breast is best, whatever". And then in the next breath, they try to discount the studies, and deny that formula is, in any way, substandard. When breastmilk is available, it is. When breastmilk is not available (as it was originally intended to be used) formula is far superior to other options, such as homemade concoctions, straight cow's milk or starvation.

The formula companies have millions invested, if not billions, and that's why they want formula feeding to continue. Health organizations and governments are spending millions, billions and trillions in healthcare costs. That's their reason for wanting breastfeeding to be done.

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Giving patients information is not the same thing as laying on the guilt trips. If a mom has questions, by all means give her the answers (straight no guilt). If she's decided one way or the other, support her in that endeavor so that she can be as successful as possible. Period.

I just saw some of the new "commercial" for breastfeeding. It equates activities that are clearly dangerous with bottlefeeding. How inaccurate can you get.

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So, as nurses, are we not supposed to advocate for things that are healthy, because it could make the person feel guilty?

The recently diagnosed Type II diabetic could feel like we are blaming them because they are overweight when we counsel them to lose weight. Smokers say they don't like to hear that they shouldn't smoke.

These studies are educating the doctors, done by doctors, who have very very little education when it comes to infant feeding. Can you tell me how many classes you had in nursing school, teaching you exclusively about infant nutrition and how to assist struggling mothers?

The World Health Orginization, UNICEF, the Surgeon General, AAP, AAFP, AAN, and pretty much whatever organization you would like to look at, they all agree that formula is sub-standard (when you consider breastmilk to be the standard) They all agree that a child should be exclusively breastfed for at least 6 months, then nursed for at least one year (WHO, AAFP and UNCEF say at least 2 years) and then for as long thereafter as both mother and child wish to continue.

Again, as medical professionals, it is absolutely our place to be telling our patients what is healthy and what is not, and what they should try to get the best health possible.

No one is suggesting stoning mothers who give formula, and no one is suggesting we stone overweight people, or smokers. But that doesn't mean they will never hear that they aren't making the best choice possible.

To compare it with obesity, there are people who are obese because of verifiable medical conditions which are absolutely beyond their control. There are people who are obese because of psychological or personal issues that cause them to seek comfort in food, or be uncomfortable with exercise. There are people who are genuinely just lazy and eat junk and don't exercise. Just because there are people in that first group, doesn't mean that the 2nd and third group can't be counselled and helped to overcome their struggles with obesity. We shouldn't just consider the topic of diet and exercise taboo because some people have a medical condition that prevents them from losing weight.

And the woman who had such a negative experience nursing, I would argue that it wasn't a successful nursing relationship. A successful one doesn't entail one party being miserable and in pain.

And as for why I would want someone else to experience it? For the same reason you would want anyone else to be happy and have a wonderful experience. You like a movie, you advise your friend to go see it, maybe even treat her out to see it together. You find a cleaning product that works amazingly? You tell your friends and anyone you know who has dealt with that stain. It's the same thing with breastfeeding.

When socioeconomic status and education are adjusted for, breastfed infants still have lower rates of leukemia, type I diabetes, obesity and other health problems. These denials of the facts are when in truth, people are trying to say that breastfeeding isn't best, or that formula is the same. If formula was the same, the statistics wouldn't show a difference. People want to give lip service to the fact that breastfeeding is superior, they say "yes yes, we know, breast is best, whatever". And then in the next breath, they try to discount the studies, and deny that formula is, in any way, substandard. When breastmilk is available, it is. When breastmilk is not available (as it was originally intended to be used) formula is far superior to other options, such as homemade concoctions, straight cow's milk or starvation.

The formula companies have millions invested, if not billions, and that's why they want formula feeding to continue. Health organizations and governments are spending millions, billions and trillions in healthcare costs. That's their reason for wanting breastfeeding to be done.

Bottlefeeding is not UNHEALTHY!!! It is merely a different form of nutrition. I don't believe we should "counsel" any mother into a choice that she feels guilted into. Whether you want to believe it or not, some people are just prone to be sick and some aren't. I don't really think that Bottlefed/breastfed makes that big of a difference... as long as you love your child, you can bond with them and still bottlefeed. That doesn't make you a "4th rate" parent!

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Breastfeeding radical is probably a better term. There is a difference between being a strong advocate and being too radical and too forceful w/ one's point of view. It is the mother's choice whether or not she decides to nurse or not. It is not the nurse's, not the doctor's, or the husband's. If you feel she is "too lazy" or "too immature" or whatever, that is "too bad". It is still her call. Bottlefeeding is inferior to breastfeeding in terms of nutrition. Bottlefeeding has some advantages to some people. I agree w/ the statement that breastfeding is like a religion to some people. To some people it is almost a fanatical devotion beyond the ties many have to a religion. If my child were a NICU patient and needed banked milk per the healthcare team's reccomendation, then I would consent to it as I would to a transfusion. If I had been unable to breastfeed and my child was healthy, I would not consider banked milk. I would not expose my child to another woman's bodily fluid, unless the benefits far outweighed the risks, not to mention the prohibitive costs of banked milk. A co-worker of mine many years ago breastfed her friend's child, because the child would not take a bottle of his mom's breastmilk. I will tell you, I would have been furious w/ this woman.

Formula companies are big bucks industies, this is true. Now there are human milk banks who get moms to donate their breastmilk for free and then sell it at an astronomical price. The women who donate do not realize many times their milk will be sold for profit. I find this practice reprehensible. I heard about this on NPR a month or so ago and I was yelling back at the radio. My kids thought I was crazy. I don't even want to think about the approx. $150.00 we charge moms in the hospital for that little plastic kit that goes w/ our electric breast pump. I don't think the execs at the Medela company are living in a trailer park, either. Can someone tell me why that plastic kit costs so much? Many people are also making a profit off of breastfeeding moms. It is by no means nearly as widespread, but there are corporate excesses there too.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Giving patients information is not the same thing as laying on the guilt trips. If a mom has questions, by all means give her the answers (straight no guilt). If she's decided one way or the other, support her in that endeavor so that she can be as successful as possible. Period.

:yeahthat:

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Here's a link to the public radio story. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/05/16/PM200605165.html

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A warning like that may have sent me over the edge when I was unable to breastfeed due to medical problems. I was so depressed that I would cry for hours. I still felt guilty for years! People know breast is best...

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A warning like that may have sent me over the edge when I was unable to breastfeed due to medical problems. I was so depressed that I would cry for hours. I still felt guilty for years!

Same here, KM.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

The problem is, as everyone here is clearly showing: it is impossible to give the straight out facts without inducing "guilt".

http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/health.asp has some fabulous links to STUDIES that show the facts.

FF babies have a higher incidence of GI illness, of UTIs, of respiratory illness, of SIDS. They have a ten times risk of NEC than an infant fed BM. They have higher BP in adolescence and adulthood. They have more ear infections. They have a higher incidence of asthma and excema and other allergies. They are at greater risk to develop type I diabetes. They have decreased eye development. They have decreased jaw development. Mothers who give formula are at higher risk of breast cancer. Their daughters that are not breastfed are at higher risk of breast cancer. Mothers who formula feed have increased rates of ovarian cancer. The mother's bone density suffers from it. The infants are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease as teens and adults. They have higher BPs, lipid profiles and obesity rates. They are more prone to Type II diabetes. They have higher incidence of childhood cancers.

Those are the facts. That is why every single major medical association advises mothers to breastfeed. If a mother knows this, and chooses formula, that is her choice. If she is medically unable to nurse, then she has no choice.

And milk banks are not the "cash cows" they appear to be, pardon the pun. The extensive testing and pastuerization process required for human milk banks is incredibly expensive, and that's why the milk is expensive.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

kaits: Why do you feel guilty? You were medically unable to do so. No one here is saying you should have let your baby starve. lady partsl births are better. C-Sections for convenience are bad, but no one is going to bother a mom who had complete previa and needed a c-section.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

And expensive would be the reason why milk banks aren't realistic for the majority of people out there.

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