Breastfeed or else

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Why does the for profit milk bank charge for 1 ml what the non-profit charges for 1 oz.? Why are moms not told their milk is being sold? This is another healthcare ripoff. No one is saying the product is not a good one, but the mark up is very high. The analogy in these ads is akin to equating what going to Dunkin Donuts does to your cardiovascular function to what doing a line of cocaine does. Not the same.

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.
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.

I totally agree 100%. I have one child who was bottlefed and one who was breastfeed for 4 years so I have experience with both.

Some people here ARE basically saying that formula is basically the same, not that much different, when it is substandard ("I was bottlefed and I'm fine" "My child was bottlefed and she is healthy"). Formula should be used only when breastfeeding is not available. Formula is second rate, simple as that. I can admit that, when I choose to formula feed my first child, it wasn't the best choice. She would have been better off if she were breastfed, there is no deny that, you can't even debate that.

This doesn't apply to those who truly can not breastfeed, and I know for some that is a reality (I have a close friend who got NO milk at all for her 12 pound newborn who was born via C-section, she mourned the loss of breastfeeding, she was pissed, she was angry! Sometimes things happen in life that suck). And yes thank GOD formula was available to her baby!

Those who choose not to breastfeed, it was their choice to feed a manufactured artificial "milk" to their child and they should go into it knowing that there ARE risks associated with it ---a LOT of women don't realize there is a difference, don't realize AT ALL that breastmilk provides documented protection that formula simply does not. There is still much ignorance out there about formula and breastfeeding and the differences between the two.

Now after having said all that I agree as well that a lot of companies do not support their female workers coming back from maternity leave with breastfeeding. When I went back to school full time it was HARD to find a place to pump. It shouldn't be that way! I think the reason so many women don't breastfeed is because of society, we don't get very long maternity leaves first of all! There is a lot of lip talk about breastfeeding, but not a lot of support for it at times. I was reading an article about one women who was pumping at work and men would walk by her closed office door (they could hear the pump machine) and would make "moo-ing" sounds at her!!

So I think it comes down to yes breastmilk is FAR superior to formula. When you choose to give your child formula, you choose second best (and notice I said choose, some women simply don't have the choice). But society and schools and companies need to get on the band wagon and support breastfeeding moms! Formula companies need to stop advertising completely and stop pushing formula on moms (I mean they give those free cans out for a reason, they want you as a paying customer).

A good book about the formula buisness is called Money, Milk and Madness. It's a real eye opener to the history of formula. Using fake nurses to tell women that formula is better. Oh boy....

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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.

I just felt substandard. It is hard enough to be ill and trying to care for a newborn without having everyone look at you bottlefeeding your baby...meanwhile you "think" that they are admonishing you for doing so...

Laura

PS I was only 20 when I had my daughter, looked even younger, and was not ready for any of the scrutiny that I received.

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

First, just looking back at some of the replies:

That doesn't make you a "4th rate" parent!
I never ever ever said that about anyone.

And here, just a sampling of comments, to show that although lip service is given to "breast is best" no one really believes it.

Bottlefeeding is not UNHEALTHY!!! It is merely a different form of nutrition.

I don't really think that Bottlefed/breastfed makes that big of a difference

was never breastfed and I don't think i'm any worse for the wear

I believe that you can skew research to make it appear any way you want it.

o I don't completely buy into the obesity issue.

Having raised two bottle-fed kids who are now healthy, well-adjusted, intelligent, and productive adults, I will have to say this article made my blood boil.

It's not like formula feeding is a danger to the baby's health, like cigarette smoking is.

She is now an active, non-obsese pre-teen girl with an IQ in the gifted range.

Both are honor roll students, both are a normal weight unlike many of their (breastfed) peers, and neither has ever had an ear infection, strep throat or any type of serious illness. In fact, they rarely even get colds!

as for preventing obesity...don't buy it.

I feel sorry for the moms whose babies won't take a bottle at all and their own husband can't even feed the baby.

The breast is best idea considers only one thing: nutrition

I was formula fed - and soy at that. Since childhood, I've rarely been sick. I have a genius IQ.

Artificial or not - it's still nutritious.

I was a bottle fed child and turned out just fine. I bottle fed both of my children and am happy to say that they are very, very healthy. Neither of them have had more than 1 cold a year, never had an ear infection or any other problems (knock on wood). Where as my sister-in-law who has breast fed both her children for at least 12 months each had two children who were sick constantly! Between cold and ear infections we could not keep up.
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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.
I just felt substandard. It is hard enough to be ill and trying to care for a newborn without having everyone look at you bottlefeeding your baby...meanwhile you "think" that they are admonishing you for doing so...

Laura

PS I was only 20 when I had my daughter, looked even younger, and was not ready for any of the scrutiny that I received.

That's just being a mom though. I was nursing my preemie and I felt like I needed a t-shirt that said "Yes, I'm married, own a home and have a college degree." It's not that most of the people were judging me. It was that I was judging myself. Being a teen with no prenatal care does increase your risks of having a preterm birth like I had. But I was in my mid-twenties with incredible prenatal care. Hearing people talk about how important prenatal care and preventing pregnancy in young girls didn't bother me, because the fact is, it is true. And sadly, some teen moms do have preemies with lots of health problems. And they probably feel terribly guilty about it. But does that mean we shouldn't tell others what they can do to prevent it?

As the prayer goes: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

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It doesn't matter WHY milk banks are so expensive. What does matter is that it is not a feasible option for most moms who can't breastfeed. I love my baby to pieces because she is a baby that wasn't supposed to ever be, but I was not willing to go into debt to feed her lobster at every meal when cod was available. Not as good as breastmilk? I wholeheartedly agreed with that one. But for someone like Josh to say I did not do the best I could for my child........THAT makes my blood boil.

I struggled for 5 months to pump enough to give my child one feeding a day of breast milk. I took herbs. I took Reglan. I are cultural foods my mom told me about to increase milk. When I finally told my doc, who is a breastfeeding advocate, that I was ready to give up, he said, "It's about time." I had his and my husband's complete support, and I still felt like a failure.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Not as good as breastmilk? I wholeheartedly agreed with that one. But for someone like Josh to say I did not do the best I could for my child........THAT makes my blood boil.

And i don't think the media helps this either when they practically imply that someone who's not breastfeeding is less than a parent.

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Speaking of formula:

"The FDA is alerting the public to a recall being conducted by Mead Johnson for their GENTLEASE powdered infant formula, lot number: BMJ19, with a use by date of July 1, 2007. This lot was found to contain metal particles, consisting of up to 2.7 millimeter in size."

also

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/inf-warn.html

also

"between 1982 and 1994 alone, there were 22 significant recalls of infant formula in the United States due to health and safety problems. Seven of these recalls were classified by the FDA as "Class I" or potentially life threatening. Recalls were made for all the well known companies, Nestle (Carnation), Abbott, Mead Johnson, Wyeth, Nutricia and more. Products were recalled for such things as contamination by Salmonella, Klebsiella Pneumoniae and bits of glass. "

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Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

But no one here is calling you a failure. You have to be able to accept that, and trying to discount or suppress the information about the benefits of breastfeeding will not make that happen. You have to be able to accept yourself, that you honestly did as best as you could and then you gave your child the next best available.

I made a promise to myself with my son. I would give it my all for 6 weeks. If by 6 weeks, it still wasn't working, I could walk away, knowing that I had done everything in my power to nurse, but it just didn't happen. By week 4, things had gotten better. But if I had gotten to week 6 and he still was screaming at the breast because of nipple confusion and we were still doing suck training, then I wouldn't have looked back.

No one here has said that moms who give formula suck or are inferior parents. All that has been said is that formula is inferior to breastfeeding. And it is. But when breastfeeding isn't available, it's superior to starvation.

On this thread, there have been people who have had medical reasons why they couldn't breastfeed. There are people who have had negative experiences that might have been able to be improved, if there was better support and education. There are people who also had no desire to attempt nursing. None of those are automatically bad mothers (I have no idea what kind of mothers they are! :D ) But they are all different situations that would have benefitted from different interventions.

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I wanted to add that I KNOW some women can not breastfeed. I have worked for LLL and as a breastfeeding helper and there are some women who truly can not breastfeed.

And yes, no one needs to be making anyone feel guilty, but sometimes moms do that to themselves (heck we make ourselves feel guilty about a lot of things, sometimes that is good, sometimes it is things we truly have no control over). And when you use terms like breast nazi, or lazy formula moms all that does is keep that guilt and war alive. Some of you are doing that right here!! It is about education and supporting women to breastfeed! Some may not like that their choice of formula is second best, but it's just true. Heck there are things I do that are not exactly healthy for me, I don't always like to hear about it....LOL

But it doesn't dispute that fact that most women CAN breastfeed yet choose not to.

There are a LOT of women on here that simply are saying that there really isn't a difference between breastmilk and formula. You are dead wrong.

Also don't forget the benefits healthwise to the mother. Less risk of breast cancer for one thing! That is a pretty big deal.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
And yes, no one needs to be making anyone feel guilty, but sometimes moms do that to themselves (heck we make ourselves feel guilty about a lot of things, sometimes that is good, sometimes it is things we truly have no control over). And when you use terms like breast nazi, or lazy formula moms all that does is keep that guilt and war alive. Some of you are doing that right here!! It is about education and supporting women to breastfeed!

How about support for those that don't breastfeed???? Sounds like a few could use it!!

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Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
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.

You shouldn't be juging someone else's choice, period. Who anointed you to be the final arbiter on what is/is not correct? It's attutudes like yours that cause so much resentment. No one needs your permission/approval of her choice of feeding a child.

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