OB "Freebies"

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Does anyone give out extra freebies to new parents? Our hospital provides the usual Enfamil/Similac diaper bag, knit cap, small classic book and a baby spoon from the volunteers. Just looking for ideas to maybe change it up a bit.

Specializes in L&D.

We have formula diaper bags (from Similac, Enfamil and Carnation) for formula feeding moms and breast feeding diaper bags for breast feeding moms. We also have another bag that is filled with a bunch of baby things including diapers, a camera, birpcloths and more. We give them a pack of diapers, wipes, a knit hat and comb

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Unethical because nurses should be promoting health. Formula doesn't do that....so giving out formula is unethical and brainwashing IMO. Not sure why the OP thinks so, but this is what I think.

How is giving formula to a mom who has decided to bottlefeed unethical and brainwashing? What I find unethical is withholding support from a mother because she didn't choose to breastfeed. We can encourage and educate, but in the end, the mom is the one who gets to decide. And we should be offering support no matter which road they go down. I can see having different freebie bags for breast and bottle feeders. But to "reward" some for making what we think is the better choice and snub the others--that just isn't right.

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IMHO, support should be offered to families in the form of actual support, not gift bags. I hate to use this as an example because giving birth is not an illness or medical condition, but I hope it will make my POV clearer...You don't leave the hospital after surgery with a bag full of freebies and samples, but you do leave educated about your condition and unique situation and you are armed with lists of places to go for more support (nutrition, exercise, support groups, etc). That's the kind of thing that we should be doing for mothers. ALL mothers.

I do not understand how it is considered to be unsupportive of a mother's decision to formula feed not to give her a formula gift bag. There are very good reasons why hospitals/doctors/clinics shouldn't be handing out samples of formula and formula bags as "gifts". The most notable reason being that formula does not promote optimal health, another being that the hospital is being used for targeted advertising of patients.

Research has shown that the formula sample that the hospital or clinic gives to a family is the brand/type the family will continue to use. Most of the time, this is the most expensive formula the company sells. All formulae have the same basic ingredients as regulated by the FDA, and the store brand is just as nutritionally sound as the more expensive name brand. The companies that manufacture formula don't donate the gift bags out of the goodness of their hearts, they do it because it is very good for their bottom line. Additionally, the "free" bags end up costing families and the government BIG dollars because the price of the product is extremely inflated in part because of all the "freebies" and advertising.

The reality is that formula gift bags do not support families. They support a multi-billion dollar business.

I totally agree that families that choose to formula feed should be supported just the same as those who choose to breastfeed. I don't think a family that breastfeeds should get a gift bag and a family that formula feeds shouldn't (I've read that concern shared here a couple of times, so I assume that must be happening some places). I DO think if a hospital wants to give freebies, they should give the same gift to ALL families and avoid formula gifts completely (This would not exclude giving a family who needs formula for the first few days home enough to make it to their WIC appointment of next paycheck. :)). Families who complain about the lack of formula gifts could be reminded that every major formula manufacturer has "clubs" that give away coupons along with samples and they can sign up online, via magazine inserts, or through the 1-800 number on the can.

Here are some great resources:

Breastfeeding-Related Maternity Practices at Hospitals and Birth Centers --- United States, 2007

What's wrong with those cute formula "gift" bags?

Fact Sheet on the Proposed Ban on Formula Marketing in Hospitals

Ban the Bags: Blog

No Free Lunch: Influence on behavior, beliefs, and attitudes

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Specializes in LDRP and Nursery.

We give the "freebie" advertising diaper bag and contents. We have bags from Enfamil, Similac, and Nestle (which is currently the contracted WIC choice). If the mom is not using WIC, we ask which brand they would like (whether they are breast or bottle). They like getting the bags even if they are not planning on using the formula that is in them. We give out the magazine packs which have a sample of something in them (usually lotion) and 2 nursing pads. Unfortunately, we don't give anything else. I guess I could make it a project to go to local businesses and solicit for freebies? I can't imagine the red tape I'll have to go through to get approval for that! It is nice that some hospitals give the moms something.

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How is giving formula to a mom who has decided to bottlefeed unethical and brainwashing? What I find unethical is withholding support from a mother because she didn't choose to breastfeed. We can encourage and educate, but in the end, the mom is the one who gets to decide. And we should be offering support no matter which road they go down. I can see having different freebie bags for breast and bottle feeders. But to "reward" some for making what we think is the better choice and snub the others--that just isn't right.

Unethical because we should be promoting health, not handing out "free" formula. Yes, it is the choice of the mother and if a mother chooses to formula feed then she should pay for it herself. I'm not saying stop giving out little things to those formula feeding moms....all moms should get the little hats, a gift cert. to a local restaurant etc etc. I just think giving formula out is wrong.

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Also giving out formula is a good reason for a mom to give up breastfeeding. The first few weeks are rough and with a can of formula sitting on the counter that a new breastfeeding mom just brought home....that formula is starting to look really good at 3am when the mom is having a hard time getting a 3 day old baby latched on.

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Also giving out formula is a good reason for a mom to give up breastfeeding. The first few weeks are rough and with a can of formula sitting on the counter that a new breastfeeding mom just brought home....that formula is starting to look really good at 3am when the mom is having a hard time getting a 3 day old baby latched on.

How is giving formula to a mom who has decided to bottlefeed unethical and brainwashing?

I never advocated giving formula to a breastfeeding mom.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

i just checked with our next door neighbor who had a baby six weeks ago. she's breastfeeding btw. she received a diaper bag that looks a lot like my barrel shaped gym bag and it had the hospital's name engraved. inside the bag were: 4 breast pads, milk storage bags, a manual pump, onesie with the hospital name, onesie celebrating an historic event that took place here this year, a cap, a spoon, hand knit (by a volunteer)

booties, diaper rash cream, baby care sample-sized tubes (lotion, baby bath, oil, etc.),

pizza coupon, written instructions as a backup to what they learned in prenatal classes on how to do infant cpr, baby magazine, nipple cream, a baby nail clipper, baby hair brush, and suction bulb (is that what you call the thingie you suction a baby's nose out with?) the hospital auxillary provided the bags.

:offtopic:

tippy toeing from the topic a bit,please please please don't form a knee jerk opinion about all formula feeding mamas. i absolutely must take several meds that you can't breast feed and take. other meds are not possible for 3 of them. ten years ago, when

our last baby was born quite early, and he was struggling in the nicu, one nurse who was a staunch advocate of breast feeding at all costs, made me feel terrible. she refused to acknowledge that there was a documented medical reason that i would hurt the baby if i were to nurse him and kept telling me that i could have if i had wanted to.

sorry to hijack but i had to comment!

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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I never advocated giving formula to a breastfeeding mom.

That's great! But it does happen. The hospital where I had my 2nd child gave me the lovely enfamil diaper bag, with formula, a crap load of formula coupons and "information". But since I was breastfeeding, they also stuck in a breastpump. @@

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i just checked with our next door neighbor who had a baby six weeks ago. she's breastfeeding btw. she received a diaper bag that looks a lot like my barrel shaped gym bag and it had the hospital's name engraved. inside the bag were: 4 breast pads, milk storage bags, a manual pump, onesie with the hospital name, onesie celebrating an historic event that took place here this year, a cap, a spoon, hand knit (by a volunteer)

booties, diaper rash cream, baby care sample-sized tubes (lotion, baby bath, oil, etc.),

pizza coupon, written instructions as a backup to what they learned in prenatal classes on how to do infant cpr, baby magazine, nipple cream, a baby nail clipper, baby hair brush, and suction bulb (is that what you call the thingie you suction a baby's nose out with?) the hospital auxillary provided the bags.

:offtopic:

tippy toeing from the topic a bit,please please please don't form a knee jerk opinion about all formula feeding mamas. i absolutely must take several meds that you can't breast feed and take. other meds are not possible for 3 of them. ten years ago, when

our last baby was born quite early, and he was struggling in the nicu, one nurse who was a staunch advocate of breast feeding at all costs, made me feel terrible. she refused to acknowledge that there was a documented medical reason that i would hurt the baby if i were to nurse him and kept telling me that i could have if i had wanted to.

sorry to hijack but i had to comment!

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

kathy....please don't think i'm downing all formula feeding moms. :D you have a medical reason....you obviously can't breastfeed due to meds and donor milk is expensive so i can understand why most moms don't go that route. i'm talking about the average mom that chooses to formula feed for selfish reasons. however....this topic isn't really about breastfeeding vs formula feeding, that's a whole other discussion, lol. my beef is with formula companies shoving formula in the face of a new mom starting as soon as the kid pops out....and hospitals just go along with it by giving out the bags. it's sad and no wonder why we have such a pitiful breastfeeding rate in this country.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
kathy....please don't think i'm downing all formula feeding moms. :D you have a medical reason....you obviously can't breastfeed due to meds and donor milk is expensive so i can understand why most moms don't go that route. i'm talking about the average mom that chooses to formula feed for selfish reasons. however....this topic isn't really about breastfeeding vs formula feeding, that's a whole other discussion, lol. my beef is with formula companies shoving formula in the face of a new mom starting as soon as the kid pops out....and hospitals just go along with it by giving out the bags. it's sad and no wonder why we have such a pitiful breastfeeding rate in this country.

crunchy mama,

absolutely no offense taken and i wouldn't have posted just my off topic comment on this particular thread without the diaper bag contents list. my off topic remark was intended to be a gentle reminder to all ob nurses to listen carefully to their patients when they tell you something.

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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Sorry to stray away from the breast/bottle feeding discussion, but a sort-of OB freebie that the hospital that I worked in offered was a free massage from a licensed massage therapist to all of our postpartum moms before discharge.

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