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Breastfeeding debate in Massachusetts

Stace

Boobie Jubilee
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I was perusing the news articles on Yahoo, and came across this one.....

BOSTON (Reuters) - When it comes to breast-feeding, do mothers really know best?

ADVERTISEMENT

Officials in Massachusetts are debating whether to prohibit

hospitals from handing out free samples of infant formula, provided by formula companies, to new mothers. The state would be the first to ban the free formula.

Republican Gov. Mitt Romney says he believes mothers should decide how to feed their infants and has asked the state's Public Health Council to repeal the ban announced in December.

The council, part of the state's health agency, voted on Tuesday to suspend the ban and study the issue. They will decide in May whether to go ahead with the ban.

The rest of the article is here.

This is something that's kind of near and dear to me right now....as most of you know, I am currently pregnant with my first child. I fully intend on breastfeeding for at least the first six months, but will most likely breastfeed for a full year, possibly longer. I have to side with Governor Romney here, to a certain extent. I don't think they should outright ban the free samples - rather, they should be available to the mothers who request them.

On a related issue, I also disagree with another practice that many hospitals follow, wherein they almost immediately take the newborn infant to the nursery, and often do not bring it back to the mother for many hours. In my research, I have found that it is extremely important to start breastfeeding (if that is what you choose to do) within the first four hours after birth. Nurses will also often give the infants bottles of formula while they are in the nursery, which can severely diminish the infant's responsiveness to breastfeeding, as feeding from a bottle is much easier on the infant. That is why I fully intend to have it clearly written down, and understood by any medical staff that attends me, that my child is to stay in my room with me...I understand that following the birth, they will have to take the infant for a short time for tests and evaluation and all that, but make no mistake, they'd BETTER bring my baby straight back to my room! Those first few days are so critical for bonding, and I don't care how tired I am, my baby will be with me at all times unless it is otherwise NECESSARY.

Sorry for going off on that little tangent there.....

Your thoughts?
 
Stace said:
I was perusing the news articles on Yahoo, and came across this one.....



The rest of the article is here.

This is something that's kind of near and dear to me right now....as most of you know, I am currently pregnant with my first child. I fully intend on breastfeeding for at least the first six months, but will most likely breastfeed for a full year, possibly longer. I have to side with Governor Romney here, to a certain extent. I don't think they should outright ban the free samples - rather, they should be available to the mothers who request them.

On a related issue, I also disagree with another practice that many hospitals follow, wherein they almost immediately take the newborn infant to the nursery, and often do not bring it back to the mother for many hours. In my research, I have found that it is extremely important to start breastfeeding (if that is what you choose to do) within the first four hours after birth. Nurses will also often give the infants bottles of formula while they are in the nursery, which can severely diminish the infant's responsiveness to breastfeeding, as feeding from a bottle is much easier on the infant. That is why I fully intend to have it clearly written down, and understood by any medical staff that attends me, that my child is to stay in my room with me...I understand that following the birth, they will have to take the infant for a short time for tests and evaluation and all that, but make no mistake, they'd BETTER bring my baby straight back to my room! Those first few days are so critical for bonding, and I don't care how tired I am, my baby will be with me at all times unless it is otherwise NECESSARY.

Sorry for going off on that little tangent there.....

Your thoughts?
I agree...

This was a tangent...:2wave:
 
One possibility, you may want to check the policy of different hospitals in your area to see what their policy is regarding this.

I think that your decision to breastfeed is very admirable. Like you, everything that I have read about it points to it being the breast (err...best) for the baby. And, after seeing your pic, I must say that I'm a little envious. ;)
 
Stace said:
On a related issue, I also disagree with another practice that many hospitals follow, wherein they almost immediately take the newborn infant to the nursery, and often do not bring it back to the mother for many hours.
Your thoughts?

1st, congratulations.

2nd, Taiwan's government actively promotes breastfeeding. The hospital where both of my girls were born allows the baby in the room all day. At night, the mother can go to the nursing room adjacent to the nursery. This goes on for thee full days before mother and baby (and usually father as the father is permitted to stay in the hospital in the same room as the mother) return home (unless the baby shows signs of jaundice - where the baby remains in the hospital for another day.)

The government takes care of most of the basic expenses (we paid extra for a private room) as part of the national health care plan.

Good luck. My prayers are with you and your unborn child.
 
Stace said:
I was perusing the news articles on Yahoo, and came across this one.....

The rest of the article is here.

I have to side with Governor Romney here, to a certain extent. I don't think they should outright ban the free samples - rather, they should be available to the mothers who request them.

Oh....and as far as keeping the baby in the room with you in the hospital that shouldn't be too much of a problem. My kids are currently 5 and 6. When I delivered them the nurses took them for a few minutes to clean them up and check them out. After that they were given back to me and I kept them in my room till check out.

I breastfed both my kids for a year each. In fact I was still breastfeeding my first while pregnant with my second.

I got tons of free diaper bags filled with formula with both my pregnancies. My kids never had formula, not once. Breastfeeding is something you have to commit to. I don't think whether or not you got free formula samples will affect your success at breast feeding. However I will say I never once opened a can of formula.....

My sister on the other hand was having trouble with breastfeeding, got frustrated, and opened a can of formula with the intent to just use the formula sometimes. Her breastfeeding lasted less than three weeks. But, I believe even had she not had the free formula around she would have went out and bought some anyway. One of her biggest problems was that she didn't like feeling like she could never have a break from the baby. So she tried pumping breastmilk so her husband could feed the baby and I don't know it was just all very frustrating for her. I never pumped much and just dealt with the fact that the kids were literally going to be attached to me for a year or so.

I personally believe one of the greatest ways to succeed at breastfeeding is to share a bed with your baby until they are sleeping through the night. Many disagree with the bed sharing but it worked great for my family.

Either way if the government wants more people to be breastfeed they aren't going to accomplish that by banning the free formula. What they have to do is really STRESS the scientific data behind breastfeeding. They say kids who are breastfed are healthier and smarter. My kids didn't get sick for the first year of their life. They never had ear infections like most of the other kids we know. My son is currently in the gifted class at his school and my daughter's Kindergarten teacher is recommending that she be tested for next year.

Now I can't say for sure that my kids are healthy and smart 'cause they breastfed, but I do know there are many studies that would support that suggestion. Making the public more aware of the pros of breastfeeding is the only thing that will push more moms to do it. Unfortunately while there is a big breastfeeding campaign going on it tends to be wishy washy because everyone wants to be careful that they don't hurt the feelings of formula feeding moms.

The other thing is that for a couple of generations breastfeeding hasn't been so popular so there isn't as much support for people who do it. My son walked by 7 months and by 9 months he was running around. Plus he talked really well for his age and so people assumed he was way older than he actually was. Some would make rude comments. Most just gave rude looks.

When I breastfed my daughter I also had problems in public because she refused to eat under a blanket or shirt. If anything covered her face she would go nuts so it was hard to feed her in public and be discrete. Again, lots of looks and comments. Basically you just have to get to a point where you don't give a rat's aasss about what others think.

On an unrelated note if you can get a midwife vs a dr. you'll have a better experience. My first labor was with a dr. who didn't see me till it was time to push. The second one was a midwife who hung out with me the whole time, much better!
 
Last edited:
talloulou said:
I breastfed both my kids for a year each. In fact I was still breastfeeding my first while pregnant with my second.

I got tons of free diaper bags filled with formula with both my pregnancies. My kids never had formula, not once. Breastfeeding is something you have to commit to. I don't think whether or not you got free formula samples will affect your success at breast feeding. However I will say I never once opened a can of formula.....

My sister on the other hand was having trouble with breastfeeding, got frustrated, and opened a can of formula with the intent to just use the formula sometimes. Her breastfeeding lasted less than three weeks. But, I believe even had she not had the free formula around she would have went out and bought some anyway.

Yeah, some women just can't breastfeed, or just don't want to, for whatever reason. And that is completely their choice, which is why I suggested just making the free formula available to those who WANT it. Hey, less formula would go to waste that way, right? I'm sure the hospitals could work out some other kind of goodie bag for the mommies who want to breastfeed exclusively.

I personally believe one of the greatest ways to succeed at breastfeeding is to share a bed with your baby until they are sleeping through the night. Many disagree with the bed sharing but it worked great for my family.

If that's what worked for you, that's all that matters!! Personally, baby won't be sharing our bed, hubby and I move around a lot throughout the night and we're both scared that we'd roll over the baby....but he or she will be sleeping in our room for at least the first six months (maybe longer, there's some other factors involved in that that I won't get into now), so they'll be within easy reach of me.

Either way if the government wants more people to be breastfeed they aren't going to accomplish that by banning the free formula. What they have to do is really STRESS the scientific data behind breastfeeding. They say kids who are breastfed are healthier and smarter. My kids didn't get sick for the first year of their life. They never had ear infections like most of the other kids we know. My son is currently in the gifted class as his school and my daughter's Kindergarten teacher is recommended that she be tested for next year.

I agree, more information about the benefits of breastfeeding being more widely available is the key. I also don't think they should ban the formula outright, but it does seem to me that by giving it to EVERY new mother, the formula companies are subtly saying that breastfeeding isn't worth it....of course, they're in it for the money, but some new mothers feel pressured by little things like that.

Now I can't say for sure that my kids are healthy and smart 'cause they breastfed, but I don't know there are many studies that would support that suggestion. Making the public more aware of the pros of breastfeeding is the only thing that will push more moms to do it. Unfortunately while there is a big breastfeeding campaign going on it tends to be wishy washy because everyone wants to be careful that they don't hurt the feelings of formula feeding moms.

Agreed.

The other thing is that for a couple of generations breastfeeding hasn't been so popular so there isn't as much support for people who do it. My son walked by 7 months and by 9 months he was running around. Plus he talked really well for his age and so people assumed he was way older than he actually was. Some would make rude comments. Most just gave rude looks.

How.....well, rude.

When I breastfed my daughter I also had problems in public because she refused to eat under a blanket or shirt. If anything covered her face she would go nuts so it was hard to feed her in public and be discrete. Again, lots of looks and comments. Basically you just have to get to a point where you don't give a rat's aasss about what others think.

How true. I think that situations like that are why nursing rooms are becoming quite popular in shopping malls and such.

On an unrelated note if you can get a midwife vs a dr. you'll have a better experience. My first labor was with a dr. who didn't see me till it was time to push. The second one was a midwife who hung out with me the whole time, much better!

:smile: I haven't decided what I'm going to do regarding that yet....a lot of that depends on what our insurance will cover. Sadly, I haven't even been to a doctor yet because our insurance hasn't quite kicked in yet, and here I am, just a couple of weeks shy of being done with the first trimester!! Thankfully, I haven't had any problems or any real concerns yet, though if I had, you'd better believe I'd go pay a doctor out of pocket if I had to!!! Then again, a lot of doctors won't even see pregnant women until around this time anyway unless they are having complications, which is why I haven't been stressing over it too much.
 
cnredd said:
I agree...

This was a tangent...:2wave:

But, your thoughts on the article, m'dear?

P.S. There are new pictures in the member pics thread that you requested. ;)
 
MrFungus420 said:
One possibility, you may want to check the policy of different hospitals in your area to see what their policy is regarding this.

I think that your decision to breastfeed is very admirable. Like you, everything that I have read about it points to it being the breast (err...best) for the baby. And, after seeing your pic, I must say that I'm a little envious. ;)

:smile: Yeah, like I was telling talloulou, I have to see what my insurance covers anyway, and then I'll have to go from there. I think clear written birth plans that cover your entire hospital stay are extremely important. I mean, free stuff is cool, but it's not always needed or very useful to some individuals. If hospitals want to provide some freebies to new moms, that's great, but I think that maybe if they had a variety of goodies for the mommies to choose from, to better suit their needs, everyone would win.
 
ludahai said:
1st, congratulations.

2nd, Taiwan's government actively promotes breastfeeding. The hospital where both of my girls were born allows the baby in the room all day. At night, the mother can go to the nursing room adjacent to the nursery. This goes on for thee full days before mother and baby (and usually father as the father is permitted to stay in the hospital in the same room as the mother) return home (unless the baby shows signs of jaundice - where the baby remains in the hospital for another day.)

The government takes care of most of the basic expenses (we paid extra for a private room) as part of the national health care plan.

Good luck. My prayers are with you and your unborn child.

Thank you!!

Sounds like Taiwan has a very effective national health care plan. Over here, new moms are kicked out of the hospital as soon as possible, since insurance companies don't want to have to pay those bills!!!
 
Stace said:
But, your thoughts on the article, m'dear?

P.S. There are new pictures in the member pics thread that you requested. ;)
I requested them for others...I already have my babe...:cool:
 
cnredd said:
I requested them for others...I already have my babe...:cool:

Sure, sure.....keep telling yourself that...:2razz:
 
Congrats!

Breastfeeding is the best, if you can possibly do it. I worked full time, on the road, pumped on dead end streets and had tons of little frozen bags in my freezer for 16 months. It was not the easy road to take for me, but WELL worth it! It wasn't easy in the beginning, I got very sore....be prepared for that and just grit your teeth and bear it...it will get better! You go girl!!

I don't really see a big problem with the hospitals giving formula samples, I had cases given to me and I never used them, even when I went back to work after 6 weeks. I agree that the key is education.....it was basically drilled into women's heads all of the time that there were many advantages to breastfeeding at that time, so if I hadn't been so committed to it before I became pregnant, I would have been by the time I delivered! There are plenty of women who can't breastfeed, and I think they are made to feel guilty, even though it's not their choice. So, keep the samples and keep educating and encouraging women to breastfeed.

My daughter was born in a birthing center, private room and bathroom for mother and baby, and she NEVER left my room at all, unless I requested that the nurse take her to the nursery (to take a shower, etc.) If you can, look for a birthing center that is attached to a hospital....mine had an OR in the center itself in case of an emergency C-section, so you don't have to be wheeled all over the hospital.

Good luck and enjoy!
 
Stace said:
I was perusing the news articles on Yahoo, and came across this one.....



The rest of the article is here.

This is something that's kind of near and dear to me right now....as most of you know, I am currently pregnant with my first child. I fully intend on breastfeeding for at least the first six months, but will most likely breastfeed for a full year, possibly longer. I have to side with Governor Romney here, to a certain extent. I don't think they should outright ban the free samples - rather, they should be available to the mothers who request them.
I don't think they should ban the samples, either. It's not as if having a few formula samples is going to influence someone's choice on whether or not to breastfeed. But they give you all kinds of other free stuff at the hospital, too!

On a related issue, I also disagree with another practice that many hospitals follow, wherein they almost immediately take the newborn infant to the nursery, and often do not bring it back to the mother for many hours. In my research, I have found that it is extremely important to start breastfeeding (if that is what you choose to do) within the first four hours after birth. Nurses will also often give the infants bottles of formula while they are in the nursery, which can severely diminish the infant's responsiveness to breastfeeding, as feeding from a bottle is much easier on the infant. That is why I fully intend to have it clearly written down, and understood by any medical staff that attends me, that my child is to stay in my room with me...I understand that following the birth, they will have to take the infant for a short time for tests and evaluation and all that, but make no mistake, they'd BETTER bring my baby straight back to my room! Those first few days are so critical for bonding, and I don't care how tired I am, my baby will be with me at all times unless it is otherwise NECESSARY.
I had all three of my daughters in the room with me the WHOLE time I was in the hospital. It shouldn't be a problem, Stace. Most hospitals will let your husband stay overnight with you, too. At least that's how's it's been here.

You will not regret making the choice to breastfeed. It just feels right. It's the way it's supposed to be. Plus you will lose weight faster if you do.

The whole process of carrying a child, watching your body change, feeling him/her move (wait till the later months when you can lay on your back and watch him/her roll around and stretch their arms & legs out inside you - it's a friggin' trip!), then comes that incredible day that will imprint itself vividly on your memory forever when you first hold your child and marvel - you just get this overwhelming sense of wonder and disbelief that this precious creature came from inside of you and now you can hold her and kiss her and FEED HER from your body. The whole thing is just incredibly wondrous and meaningful and it will change your life forever. At least, that's how it was for me. :2razz:

Sorry for going off on that little tangent there.....
pfftt.....;)

Your thoughts?

Breast is best.
 
Stace said:
Sounds like Taiwan has a very effective national health care plan. Over here, new moms are kicked out of the hospital as soon as possible, since insurance companies don't want to have to pay those bills!!!

Well, it isn't perfect. Many people go to the hospital to see doctors when private clinics would suffice, wasting a lot of resources. The system is chronically short on cash, which could be addressed with a modest premium increase, but the opposition is blocking it and politicizing it.

It is a curious mixture of private and public mechanisms. Nothing like Canada's single-payer system or the proposed Hillary-care Stateside.
 
I regularly visit hospitals all over and there isn't one that take the child to a nursery anymore. It has become the trend to keep the child in the room with the mother. I had mine over 21 years ago and at that time all the little ones were lined up in the nursery with a viewing window. They never gave them forumla unless posted on their isolet. I breastfed so they brought mine into me.
Most the day my children were with me, but at night they went to the nursery. AND I SLEPT ALL NIGHT. Mine were not sleepers so my hospital stay was the last good nights sleep I got for months and months. I look back and cherished it.
The nurses waited on the new mothers like we were in a five star spa. Massages and everything. It was nice because every new mom deserves to be pampered.

Breastfeeding is wonderful. I breast fed my son for 9 months and my daughter for 14. Neither one of them had cereal or food until they stopped breast milk. They never had colds or were sick either.

Now towards the end Stace I did feel like a cow. :lol: And I'll be honest it was very painful at first.......ouch I used to cry.......:(

but worth every single minute. You will do fine !!!!!!!!
 
doughgirl said:
I regularly visit hospitals all over and there isn't one that take the child to a nursery anymore. It has become the trend to keep the child in the room with the mother. I had mine over 21 years ago and at that time all the little ones were lined up in the nursery with a viewing window. They never gave them forumla unless posted on their isolet. I breastfed so they brought mine into me.
Most the day my children were with me, but at night they went to the nursery. AND I SLEPT ALL NIGHT. Mine were not sleepers so my hospital stay was the last good nights sleep I got for months and months. I look back and cherished it.
The nurses waited on the new mothers like we were in a five star spa. Massages and everything. It was nice because every new mom deserves to be pampered.

Must be nice!!! I'm not sure yet about the hospitals around here, since we've only lived here for a few months, but when both of my sisters in law gave birth to their sons a couple of years ago, neither one of them got to keep their boys in the room with them very often. Even if the hospital I go to normally keeps the infant with the mother, I still plan on making it very clear that my baby stays with me, just so there's no misunderstandings about it!!

Breastfeeding is wonderful. I breast fed my son for 9 months and my daughter for 14. Neither one of them had cereal or food until they stopped breast milk. They never had colds or were sick either.

Now towards the end Stace I did feel like a cow. :lol: And I'll be honest it was very painful at first.......ouch I used to cry.......:(

but worth every single minute. You will do fine !!!!!!!!

:smile:
 
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