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| NO MORE FORMULA FREEBIES: Moms in Massachusetts will no longer be handed formula in hospitals |
All 49 birth facilities statewide voluntarily decided to eliminate infant formula giveaways. This is great news for the breastfeeding community because it's reducing the push for formula and giving moms a balance in the information they receive about infant feeding.
By promoting and pushing formula through giveaways, there is an implied endorsement that lets moms believe that it is the better way to feed their baby. In reality, what moms need to get is more breastfeeding education and support.
For example, studies show that women who receive formula packs in hospitals are more likely to exclusively breastfeed for fewer than 10 weeks over moms who do not receive formula. Instead of a normal goodie bag which contains formula, a good alternative could be a Healthy Baby Bag. A Healthy Baby Bag offers breastfeeding swag and moms can still walk away from the hospital with new items.
As I've mentioned before, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that moms exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of their child's life and continue on as long as mutually desired by mom and baby. I realize that not all moms choose to breastfeed and there are cases when a mom cannot breastfeed for medical reasons, but I do believe that moms should be able to make their own choice when deciding how to feed their baby. The messages they get from healthcare providers and hospitals should not be so confusing.
By handing new moms formula in the hospital without giving them a choice, it can impact their breastfeeding decision. I am happy to see that more states are looking at their hospital policies and taking actions to support breastfeeding. Hopefully, within the next few years, more states will follow suit and stop handing out formula in hospitals.
Congratulations to Massachusetts! I can't wait to see which state is next in this movement.
2 comments:
I know some people can't breastfeed for medical reasons, but I think most moms make the decision to stop or not at all to breastfeed to hastily without giving it the proper time. Breastfeeding is like a new pair of leather shoes. You have to suffer through breaking them in before they're the most comfortable shoes.
Breastfeeding in my experience (one normal nipple high producing breast, one flat nipple low producing breast) is HELL for the first few weeks. It was only after month 3 that it felt as if a switch was flipped and it was so easy. I breastfed until our son was 1 year and it was easier than feeding him baby food without having to pay for or pack food around, the mess, the time, and the clean up!
What about babies in the NICU? I gave birth to my son 2 months early. It came as a real surprise. I planned to breastfeed, so I had not bought any formula. I was very sick, and not able to pump or breastfeed. Babies born that premature cannot be fed by bottle or breastfeeding. They have to be fed through a tube. While I was in the hospital, I eventually could pump breastmilk for him, but the doctors said they had to add formula to fortify because he was so little, and needed all the calories he could get. Some Moms who have preemies cannot produce any milk. Will this be available? I live in PA. I think it should still be available for certain situations like my own.
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