TRAGIC: Baby Found Dead In Strawberry Field
Brooke Mueller Avoids Jail Time
Mass. puts hold on ban of "new mom gift bags"
Filed under: Your Pregnancy, Work Life, Nutrition: Health
I posted a story back in December about hospitals
in Massachusetts banning the distribution of "new mom" gift/diaper bags in an effort to encourage
breastfeeding. The prohibition of the bags was slated to begin in July, but it seems the tide has shifted. State
Governor Mitt Romney requested that the Public Health Council - who first approved the ban - repeal the prohibition.
Gov. Romney said, "I think that the mother should have the right to decide whether she is going to use infant
formula or breastfeed...allowing her to make that decision is best by letting her have the formula and if she wants to
use it, fine."Boston Globe reporter Stephen Smith reports that the Council unanimously approved to suspend the earlier ban but breastfeeding advocates who support it are gearing up for a battle with Romney and the formula-makers who underwrite the gift bags. As Smith points out in his story, such a prohibition would be the first in the country. One council member who supports the ban said, "The marketing of infant formula undermines the initiative to nurse. I don't think there's any place in a hospital for corporate America trying to influence a vulnerable population."
Stefania Butler shared her story yesterday about why she supplemented with baby formula. Readers have responded with many kind words of thanks for being so honest about her decision - and for not making the use of formula seem evil. Stefania's story also seemed to open a door to let moms share their stories as well...and not feel guilty about their decisions.
In my earlier post I jokingly said I supported the ban simply to be rid of those awful diaper bags. Yes, I'm a breastfeeding advocate. But I also used formula with my older son when he was a baby. I'm currently nursing my nine-month-old son and the only reason he was never supplemented with formula is because he flatly refused a bottle. Giving me a little bag with formula samples had absolutely nothing to do with my decision. I also take issue with someone saying that new moms are a "vulnerable population." It makes it sound as if the moment we give birth we've lost our scruples and any ability to think for ourselves.
In my opinion Massachusetts Gov. Romney was spot on when he said: "I guess I'm not enthusiastic about the heavy arm of government coming in and saying: We think we know better than the mothers and we are going to decide for you...Let's let the moms decide."
Let the floodgates open.
[Thanks to Carissa for the tip!]
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
2-23-2006 @ 1:52AM
Sara said...Lots of great comments here!
The problem I had with the infamous bag is more with the directions that come with the formula. I think, with good lactation support, a mother could make an informed decision about what she wants to do. The problem is that the formula companies make it seem like it's "easy" use both nursing and formula in the beginning when the mom's milk supply needs to be established. When new moms are frustrated and sore, supplementing can be destructive to their supply and, thus, the baby will end up needing supplementation.
That being said, though, I remember having the realization that I was extremely fortunate to be able to have a 12 week maternity leave. My job (and life) was such that I was able to pump at work; not all women have this "luxury". I worked outside the home only 3 days a week, so this helped my situation. The materials that come with the formula/diaper bag did seem to want to support women who don't have the option of not supplementing.
In hindsight, I think that some of the extreme breastfeeding proponents miss a large group of women, women who may want to nurse full-time, but cannot. I think, as a whole, we need to be more supportive of choice. Perhaps by donating electric breastpumps to women who can't afford them? Better education in the hospital?
We had a nurse who told me that we needed to supplement our daughter in the first day of her life; we complied, and then learned that it wasn't necessary at all. I had another (non-lactation) nurse question the size of my breasts -- she wondered if they were too small to do the job -- again, the lactation nurse helped to correct that misconception.
I don't thinking banning the bags is the way to go. We need to be directing our political energies towards other arenas!
Reply
2-23-2006 @ 7:23AM
anon said...I think health care systems giving out the free formula bags is terrible. They are basically letting formula companies market to a very vulnerable population, with the hospital's blessing. Saying that banning automatic distribution of the bags inhibits women's choice is a total straw man. A mother is still free to choose however she wants to feed her baby. If she wants to feed formula, she can still request the bags; the ban is just talking about not automatically giving them to all new mothers. This practice has been shown by plenty of research to decrease breastfeeding, even when mothers want to breastfeed. Talk about restricting choice.
Not all mothers are aware that even one bottle can reduce their milk supply and make their baby too sleepy/full to want to nurse. The bags are also basically commercials that convey the idea that breastfeeding is hard, immodest, and only for tiny newborns. Advertising works.
I am all for mothers' choice. I just think it is unconscionable for a health care system to be pressuring moms to give formula when they don't want to. I tried to refuse the bag by the way, and I got a lot of pressure from the nurse. I got the feeling that she was required to make me take the bag. No other department in the hospital gives away free products that compete with the healthiest choice. If formula companies want to do this, fine, let them stand outside of Buy Buy Baby and give the bags away. The hospital should not have to do their marketing for them. The nurses have better things to do.
Reply
2-23-2006 @ 10:23AM
momma2mingbu said...Anon posted .....and I got a lot of pressure from the nurse. I got the feeling that she was required to make me take the bag......
Actually, many times the formula companies run contests for the nurses to see who can give away the most of their products. I have heard of them doing this where the nurses turn in the caps from the little bottles of formula. It's possible they could do something similar with the bags sometimes too. She may have been trying to win something if she was being so pushy. (Just TRY to tell me that's not pushing formula on new mothers!)
Reply
2-23-2006 @ 1:16PM
Jennifer said...I think formula companies' marketing techniques are pretty gross, but I'm not sure the long arm of the law should step in. I would think well of a hospital that didn't allow them, but I don't think it's appropriate for the state to ban them. My baby's exclusively breastfed (7 mos so far!) and somehow I managed to make my own decision about that despite getting formula samples from at least 5-6 different sources, including my hospital.
Reply