Have you heard about Public Citizen, a consumer advocate group that is demanding hospitals across the country "immediately discontinue the distribution of commercial infant formula manufacturer discharge bags," because they claim it makes women less likely to breastfeed? Are they for real? WTH? People really need to find a better way to use their time…
Listen, I'm all for breastfeeding. I know it's the best thing in the world, but it's not for everyone and it doesn't always work out well for all for a myriad of reasons. As I've stated here before, I breastfed both my children. One successfully, until he was almost a year old, the other not so much.
Even so, I can assure you that regardless of how much I struggled with breastfeeding my first child, getting free formula samples in the swag bag I got before leaving the hospital had ABSOLUTELY nothing to with my decision to start using formula when she was about three months old. To suggest otherwise is totally inane!
Read more in ¿Qué más?: Formula fed babies aren't so bad off after all
Check out what part of the letter that Public Citizen has sent to 2,600 hospitals across the country says:
There is overwhelming consensus among all major health professional organizations regarding the health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and babies and the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. Hospital promotion of infant formula through dissemination of these discharge bags contravenes this consensus, needlessly and inexcusably harming babies and families.
Have the people over at Public Citizen lost their minds? I'm sorry, but this is totally ridiculous. I'm really sick and tired of all the pressure put on moms to breastfeed or to make those who–for whatever reason–opt not to do it feel like they're the scum on the earth!
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Believe me, it takes a lot more than a free sample of formula to convince a mom who wants to give breastfeeding a chance to opt for formula feeding instead. Women are a lot stronger than that, even when faced with something that can be as challenging as breastfeeding. We deserve more credit!
What do you think about this proposal to ban formula samples at hospitals?
Image via petitshoo/flickr
