Hospitals pressured to end free baby formula

[davsand]

36. Breast is best--no doubt, but if it isn't working do you let that poor little kid starve?

Look, I'm right there in the "boobs for babies" club. My daughter was on breast milk the entire first year, and I pumped sveral times EVERY day of that year to make it happen because there was nobody available at that hospital that was worth a crap as a lactation specialist. They gave her a bottle in the nursery her first night on earth and we NEVER did establish a working latch on. I left the hospital with a baby that I didn't know how to feed except by using a bottle. Literally, it was give her a bottle or watch her starve. My decision was to pump and give her my milk in a bottle, and we made it work. Had I been a parent of other kids already or had I had any less of a supportive partner that probably would not have been possible. We MADE it work and I have never regretted that decision, but I have had a lot of distrust for the medical establishment since that day.

I'm not thrilled at all with the women who just simply don't care to nurse a baby, but the bottom line seems to be that not only do you have to really WANT to do it, but you gotta learn how--just like putting on makeup or driving a car. If our medical establishment was totally serious about improving the numbers of nursed babies we'd be doing a hell of a lot better job educating mothers on how it works and we'd be keeping mom and baby in the hospital until that nursing relationship was well established. Hell, it took time to learn how to even use a breast pump, I can only imagine how easy it would be for any tired mom to just say hell with it and send hubby out for some formula!

If not allowing the formula companies in the door of the hospital is what it takes to bring everybody's attention around to the importance of supporting and actually teaching breastfeeding then I'm good with it.



Laura