Mass. puts hold on ban of "new mom gift bags"

I am one of the many moms who shared my bf'ing story in comments to Stefania's post.

I fully support breastfeeding, but I support a mother's right to choose and her right to avail herself of all her options even more.

We had formula in the house when I was having a difficult time breastfeeding, and knowing that it was there didn't influence my decision. As a recovering alcoholic, I once joked to my husband that it was like leaving a bottle of booze around... that the temptation would prove too much. Granted, it helped that I had no *bottles* in the house. :)

When I made the decision to move to formula, the diaper goodie bag wasn't a factor.

Mothers, especially new ones, should be provided with information (on both proper latching techniques and how to sterilize a bottle, for instance) and support regardless of their choice.

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I am nursing my fifth child. I have never used formula. I donate all the samples to a local women's shelter. I WISH I had a beautiful diaper bag, but I use that plain black hospital bag. It is much better than the pea green ones they used to give (I used those too). I would love to test market nicer diaper bags.

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I BFd both my dds and my first wouldn't take a bottle...ever...not even of breast milk. My 2nd, however, did need to take a bottle and was as happy with breast milk as formula.

As far as the gift bags go, WHY would it be seen as the determining factor in what a woman will choose to do? I gave my samples to friends and used the bag as the one I kept in the car for emergencies.

Silly idea, imho, to keep companies from offering free products to new moms.

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I never thought I'd agree with Mitt Romney on anything but for once I do.

The response to Stephania's post was amazing. So many moms came out of the closet, even me all these years later. Most seemed relieved to finally tell their stories.

The state government (any state) has quite enough to contend with without passing unnecessary laws. We have far too many already.

I don't live in Massachusetts but I bet there are far more advocates for breastfeeding than for formula. A few cans of formula shouldn't be a threat. From what I read yesterday, most of the arm twisting seems to come from the breastfeeding side of the fence.

If someone doesn't want the formula, they can either throw or give it away. Same with the diaper bag which many new mothers wouldn't have if one weren't provided for them. A yucky diaper bag is better than none at all. We're talking about many families at or below poverty level to whom any help is a blessing.

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One of the OB nurses summed it up for me when my son was born: "You might need the formula; you never know. But no one needs this horrible diaper bag!"

Even my toddler doesn't like it as a play purse ;)

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The hospital where I gave birth didn't have the diaper bag give away (instead, it's a WACK of useless papers, coupons, samples, etc) BUT, the amount of "free" formula everywhere was staggering.

I personally hated the fact that strangers wandered into my room to drop this crap off. I much prefer that it's left in a room where a new mom can go get it if she WANTS it. Especially after already having one-I didn't need all that stuff, and I hated the waste.

I would support the ban, but would still like the material to be available to the new moms if they want it. Keep offering it, but IMO, don't be so annoying about it. But that was my experience, and they seem to be a little more subtle around here.

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I have mixed feelings on this. Let's face it: mothers are a large market and we get samples of MANY things and some we use and some we throw out. However, I was shocked at the extreme pressure I received to supplement with formula with my first. She aspirated meconium and was in the NICU and was receiving IV nutrients. I had to come down in a wheelchair (recovering from labor followed by a rough c-section) to a different floor and try to learn to nurse in a room with three other babies. When it didn't seem to be working (big shock) the chorus of "give formula" began. I felt like a failure on day 2 of being a mom. Finally a wonderful nurse advocated for me and said "she just needs her daughter released from the NICU to her room." Once we were all together I was able to learn.

I stuck to my desire to breastfeed because I knew I wanted to and because I had a tremendous amount of family support. For those who don't have the family support, I don't know what they'd do when the hospital seems to be pushing formula by both word (encouragement to do it) and deed (free samples).

None of this is to discount those experiences in the other post. Isn't it sad how mothers are made to feel guilty in some way for everything?

At the hospital I went to, we received both the diaper bag AND a free manual breast pump. Why not just legislate that every mother should receive a free manual breastpump? Then if Enfamil wants to give them a free bag they can do that too, and mom can make her own decision.

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I also shared the other day with my story. I believe that to breastfeed (or not to) should be up to the family, nobody else. I also refuse to believe that a new mom in the hospital is so helpless that she would abandon her desire to bf because of free formula. Keep the can around for an emergancy, donate it, whatever.
And please don't legislate on such non-issues... the women don't have to take the bags, after all.

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While I fully support breastfeeding, I also feel that it is up to each woman to decide what is best for her and for her infant.

I think it is fine to give the freebie bags with formula to new moms. There is no need for the government to block women from receiving these. It's like the Mass. govt. thinks that women are incapable of making their own choices when it comes to breastfeeding.

I've yet to hear of a woman forbidden to leave the hospital unless she took her free formula with her. If you don't want it, don't take it. Or you can donate the bag and the samples to a women's shelter, or to a friend who is formula feeding.

I was glad to get the free samples when I had my daughter. I planned to breastfeed exclusively, but my daughter had other ideas, and we ended up needing that formula to supplement her. Frankly, we had more important things to do than go shopping for formula right when I got out of the hospital.

Breastmilk really is the perfect food, but there are those who, for one reason or another, can't or don't want to breastfeed. Attempting to pressure them to breastfeed will either fail or force guilt on these women. Why not present both sides of the issue and support women on whatever choice they make?

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I have six or so cans of unused formula around my house, all of which we got free when Tom was born. I use the ugly free diaper bag on a daily basis. I have never given formula. Looks like bribe on the part of the formula compay was real effective, doesn'it.

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jenny - i love your idea about offering the manual breast pump to new moms if they are trying to encourage breastfeeding. so simple...but instead it's legislation to ban something.

charlene

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We might lose a lot in the hospital (privacy, diginity when seen spread eagle pooping on a table, nurses asking if we have pooped yet in order to be released, etc), but brain power isn't one of those things missing.

It is just so sad that in addition to restricting the availability of birth control and rght to choose on pregnancy issues, now they want to regulate my choices in feeding.

If we are all so mind-numbingly stupid, why do they let us have kids anymore?

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I agree give out a free breast pump (Heck tell the formula company they have to pay for it if they want to sponsor the hospital bag, or maybe a baby bottle maunfacturer)

Give out a booklet with info on how to breastfeed, how to store breastmilk, how to prepare and store formula, how to sterilize bottles, and all the other things new moms need to know. (Like the signs of jaundice, how to change a diaper, etc, etc. Oh and the difference between how often breastfed vs formula babies feed, and the difference in their poo)

Make sure mom's have a list of the local resources available to her, lactaction consultants, LLL and other groups(church groups even), parent drop in centres, poison control number, distress centre numbers, etc.

Also hospitals clearly need to be trained in the use of other nursing systems, formula and expressed breast milk do not need to be given through a bottle. And while other nursing systems are more expensive and difficult to use but for a baby that is only going to need a few sessions it can make a world of difference. Obviously rule 1 is feed the baby. Low blood sugar and starving baby make it far more difficult to breastfeed. And some babies figure out pretty quick that milk comes out of a bottle much easier (especially before mom's milk has come in)

But above all else make sure there are enough free, qualified lactation consultants for those who want to see them. No one would go without doctor care for a sick baby, even if you had to go to the ER or a free clinic, they would not and could not turn you away. Lactation consultants should not be able to do so either.

Giving women the support and information they need, when they need it is far more important then free formula. (Because we all know you get offers for free formula even out of the hospital, even before the baby is born)

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Are any of us so naive as to believe that the discharge goodie bag from the formula company is really "free?" Look at the insane price of a can of formula. If you choose to purchase a can of formula for your child, then you are paying for those "free" goodie bags.

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I had our daughter at home with midwives, but somehow the formula companies still found out about us. Sneaky devils...we just gave all the "free" formula to the local food shelter. Not every woman can or wants to breastfeed, it should be up to the woman to decide. I do think that giving women "free" formula is a sneaky way of getting women to bottle feed instead of trying to breastfeed though.

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i used the free formula when i wasn't producing enough milk for my baby. i cut it with breast milk for a couple of days until i could pump enough for her to have only breastmilk. At six weeks she is in the 75 percentile for weight and feeds only from my breast.

i think the formula is fine. i was glad it was there.

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I LOVE the idea of free breast pumps too! That would make so much more sense! Maybe if the bags had less of the formula to put the pump in the whole thing would even out. Of course, like Charlene said, leave it to the gov't to ban something instead of thinking of another solution.

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I guess when I am pregnant with my next child I should avoid all grocery stores, Targets, Walmarts (like that one will be hard), warehouse stores and Lifetime, Discovery and Discovery health channels because all of the above either sell formula or advertise formula. Give me a break. Just because you are given something doesn't mean you have to use it. We were offered a lot of stuff at the hospital and we just turned down what we didn't want.

If you get the ugly bag o'formula, coupons and samples; either turn it down or donate it to a women and children's shelter. But to introduce a law banning the gift bags infers that women are easily manipulated and can't be trusted to make a decision for ourselves and our families. I find that highly offensive and just another government intrusion into our personal lives.

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My hospital gave us a diaper bag, and a nursing kit. The nursing kit had the manual pump, and the connecting tubes to the hospital grade pumps. The only complaint I had was that they forced the diaper bags on me in the NICU, along with 20 nurser bottles of formula. After hearing "he'll probably be able to go home in a couple of days" every day for close to three weeks, I was afraid if I didn't walk out of there with the bottles, they'd change their minds about letting me take him home.

The bag and nursers didn't change my mind. It was spending over 12 hours every day involved in pumping activities and only getting teaspoons for the last month and a half that did me in. The diaper bag is still sitting in the bottom of the closet under all the newborn clothes that were too little to wear by the time the NICU let us dress him.

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Generally, anyone who is giving birth is an adult, capable of making their own decisions. Providing free formula samples is not taking away their rights to choose the best way for them to feed their babies. By legislating what advertisers can give them, the state of Massachusetts is treating these adults like children, incapable of resisting a suggestive sell.


I got those free diaper bags with both my kids. I liked them fine, as they were easy to clean vinyl and didn't get stained like the beautiful bag I got at my baby shower.

With my first, it was a blue and yellow "Breastfeeding Success" bag. It was full of formula samples (both powdered and liquid). Why a "Breastfeeding Success" bag would have formula samples, I'll never know. I think if you need the samples, you're not having Breastfeeding Success.

It also contained a few ice packs along with a small insulated bag for storing bottles of expressed milk. I guess this is where the breastfeeding claims come from.

I assume there was a different version for women choosing to formula feed.

As for those samples, I kept them until they expired. They were my backup just in case expressed milk wasn't available. I never used them.

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