Monday Teeny Poll
By Glinda
88% of you were not affected by the Aurora shooting in making your movie-going decisions. Although from the comments, it just might be because you don’t really attend the movies a lot as a general rule. 8% said you were reluctant to attend a movie, and it made 4% of you hesitant to send your older kids. I have to say that my husband and I saw The Dark Knight Rises last Wednesday and I was definitely keeping a closer eye than normal on my fellow audience members. Side note: babysitting is expensive!
Today I am all about the kerfuffle in New York over a supposedly well-meaning health initiative that treats bottles of baby formula like prescription medicine.
July 30th, 2012 at 9:10 am
All mothers should try their very best to breastfeed, and there should be a number of positive incentives in place at hospitals to facilitate encourage breastfeeding. Taking formula away is not a positive incentive and creates an atmosphere of guilt for the mothers who struggle to breastfeed. And no mother needs that mere hours after giving birth!
July 30th, 2012 at 1:04 pm
I don’t think all mothers should even have to try their very best to breast feed. A mom that has dealt with past sexual abuse issues and is triggered by breastfeeding should not be forced to explain why she does not want to even try. Hell I think a mom that does not want to should be able to formula feed with out any explanation whatsoever. We give women the right to terminate a pregnancy on the basis that she has control over her body so why should that right end when the baby is born? Formula is not going to make your baby fat and stupid. The public health impact of a formula fed child in a first world country is minimal at the worst.
I am getting sick and tired of people demonizing formula and not doing a damn thing to actually fix the big problem which is payed maternity leave. If the US had a better payed maternity leave option I bet a lot more women would be willing to give breastfeeding a chance since they would not have to leave their baby so soon after the birth just when breastfeeding is getting established. Bloomberg is a complete hypocrite and what gives him the right to say how I feed my child? If he was truly concerned about breastfeeding rates his programs would be targeted where they could do actual good instead of inflaming the mommy wars.
July 30th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Awesomemom is awesome, she hit the nail on the head. Getting the free case of premixed formula sent home with me and my twins gave my son time to figure out the breast feeding thing. His twin sister had no problems and kept the supply going. It took him about a week to put it all together and they were my 3rd and 4th. Not all kids get it from the beginning and never do.Just like some moms can’t or shouldn’t.
If breast works for both mother and child, fabulous. If not, then formula is the best thing for the both. THERE SHOULD BE NO GUILT.
Sorry about getting all shouty, but it needs to be said.
July 30th, 2012 at 3:28 pm
I’m with Awesomemom. It’s ridiculous!
And this section made me grind my teeth: “With each bottle a mother requests and receives, she’ll also get a talking-to. Staffers will explain why she should offer the breast instead.”
Can you even flipping imagine? Hormonal, exhausted and sore, and they think we need lectures because we’re just too damn stupid to have seen the bazillion ads saying that breast is best? I was BFAR, and despite my best efforts, had to supplement. I felt bad enough about it as it was, but I would have choked someone with a foley catheter if they pulled that crap with me.
If people want to encourage breastfeeding, then make it EASIER to breastfeed (longer paid mat leave, more nursing rooms in public places, public education geared towards those who would shame or stare at nursing mothers); don’t make it HARDER to formula-feed. All that does is freak out the mothers who really do genuinely need formula.
August 1st, 2012 at 10:31 am
“The key to getting more moms to breast-feed is making the formula less accessible.”
Are you kidding me? Do we really think there are all these women out there who are using formula because it’s too easy to get? Yeesh.