blog comments powered by Disqus

Amen! My good friend chose not to breastfeed for personal reasons, and she was berated and made to feel like a bad mum at the hospital. Her baby was premature and needed to be tube-fed formula, and then they kicked her when she was down and made her feel like crap for not choosing to breastfeed later on. I don't know if anyone even asked if she COULD, they just assumed. What if she hadn't been able to produce milk? Should she be made to feel inferior? Formula may be second best, but so is white bread and many people choose to feed that to their children instead of whole grains. It's a personal choice, and like religion, should not be forced.

Dinah, Lower Mainland, BC
mizdinah.blogspot.com

Great article Rach on the lactavists. Oh so true. By the way way Brett at Sobeys and can't wait to see NSM. See you on Hillsdale. From your Hilldale nieghbour (157) and fellow Manor Rd Nursery School alumnus.
Janet Cann, Toronto, Ontario

It seems that every time I turn around someone is accusing lactivists or breastfeeding mums of being judgemental or going "too far". While I'm sure that there were some who did go too far to catergorize all lactivists as having to have things "either their way or their way" is also "unfair and untrue".

Objecting to formula companies sponsoring an event is NOT "coming down" on women who don't breastfeed. Once again, another blog post pitting breastfeeding and formula feeding mothers against one another; also another opportunity to jump all over breastfeeding mums.

Finally, this is nothing more than a distraction from the real issue (which this post claims to be about) of Nestle sponsoring a conference.

FamilyNature, Toronto, Ontario
http://www.familynature.wordpress.com

Racheal: You are right that it is not the formula company's fault that the medical education system is failing to ensure proper breastfeeding training and certainly my ire is towards that system; however, the formula companies are not helping to right or correct that wrong by sponsoring a health care conference. It might not be their place to do so but they sure are taking advantage of this problem by swooping in with their business agenda.
Melodie , Duncan, BC
http://www.breastfeedingmomsunite.com

This article is a bummer! The Who Code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes is quite clear on the ethics of marketing formula. Accepting marketing dollars from formula companies undermines the WHO Code. The issue many breastfeeding advocates have is with that- business ethics- not with the WOMEN who formula feed their babies. And by the way your article is also upsetting because it clearly tries to gear women into two sides of a battle. I thought Yummy Mummys were smart, strong women who were above that kind of thing? Boo to this article. I'd like to read more about women coming together despite our choices.
Sandra Brown, Duncan, BC

Melodie: I read your blog and found it interesting. What I want to clarify here is that you've said the medical industry is grossly under educated when it comes to breastfeeding. Again, this is not the formula companies fault, but rather a failing in our medical system. Perhaps that should be the focus for the lactivists energies (and anger).
Racheal, Energizer Mummy, Toronto, Ontario
www.EnergizerMummy.com

Sharon, I was compelled to do my own post in response to this one. If you go to my website you'll be able to read it. I don't want to provide the url here in case this goes to the spam inbox like some of my reader's comments do when they leave a url. There is a link within one of my links to a news article that talks about this issue. As well I know and have spoken to a few nurses in BC and in the USA about this subject and have relied on their information to make my statement. I do not have stats or an article to support some of what I said here but getting info right from the horse's mouth so to speak can be much more powerful than reading a study that may have not used a large enough population for their results or only relied on people who wanted to take part in the study. I hope you will read my post and some of the comments that have been left by readers. Thanks.
Melodie, Duncan, BC
http://www.breastfeedingmomsunite.com

Amen to that. I had issues with breastfeeding both my kids that resulted in my only doing it for about 5 weeks each. The breastfeeding Mafia made me feel absolutely horrible and ashamed about it and you are right..that is SO not what a hormonal sleep deprived new mom (or anyone for that matter) needs.
Kathy, Toronto, ON
lifewithtwointo.blogspot.com

Hi Melodie, Just so you know where I'm coming from...I myself am "Pro Moms" and am more about supporting a new mom in her breastfeeding/forumla decision than about being for one side or the other (I have my own feeding experience just like all moms out there) 

But I'm always quite interested in researching and learning other viewpoints. Two of your comments caught my attention and I was wondering if it would be possible to direct where you got your information/stats on (1) "health care professionals, most of whom never took a breastfeeding course when they were being trained to become a nurse or doctor in the first place" and (2) "nurses are being taught that giving a bottle of Nestle formula is just as good"

Specifically, are you referring to health care professionals in Canada or the U.S. or both?  And is this lack of training when they are in school to become a nurse or a doctor in every teaching establishment?  With the second statement, obviously, if Nestle is purposefully teaching nurses that formula is "just as good", then there is a problem.  Is this through a course they are providing?  And are they specifically stating that formula is "just as good" as breastfeeding in their literature?  THanks for your time.  I'm very interested in reading where you got your information and am hoping this isn't a case of making wide spread generalizations.

Sharon , Ontario, Canada

The problem with Nestle sponsoring a health care conference isn't about making moms feel bad for using formula, it's about promoting Nestle to health care professionals, most of whom never took a breastfeeding course when they were being trained to become a nurse or doctor in the first place. The problems most moms have with breastfeeding are easily avoided and fixed with the proper instruction given by a properly-trained health care professional. But when the maternity nurses aren't given the training to start with then the moms aren't going to learn how to latch the baby correctly and they aren't going to learn what to do when a baby seems not to be getting enough milk. And lactation consultants can be hard to find when you are a new mom. Some moms don't even know these services exist! So yes it's a problem that Nestle is sponsoring a health care conference because it's contributing to the problems moms have with breastfeeding in the first place. Instead of being taught real breastfeeding care skills, nurses are being taught that giving a bottle of Nestle formula is just as good. All moms, regardless of their breastfeeding status need to start seeing this problem for what it is.
Melodie , Duncan, BC
http://www.breastfeedingmomsunite.com

I couldn't agree more with you Racheal. I am one of those Moms who tried her hardest to breastfeed. Trying to find help at the hospital clinic, and bringing lactation specialists into my home. The stress of it all finally became so great that the pediatrician told me to put the guilt aside, and give my baby a bottle. Thankfully he reassured me that I tried my best, I just couldn't produce enough milk that my baby needed. The last thing any nervous and guilt ridden Mom needs is for anyone to make her feel like she made the wrong choice. This is a personal choice that a Mom needs to make on her own, the reasons are actually nobody's business.
Rhona, Thornhill, Ontario

Here here! As a mother who was physically unable to breastfeed, I too felt the judegement of others when I pulled out a bottle to feed my newborn, women, nurses at breast feeding clinics coming up to me and telling me how breast milk was the best for my baby, as a holistic nutritionist, I was well aware of the benefits and was devestated by the fact that I couldn't feed my baby myself. Sometimes it's best to say nothing ladies.....
Cat MacFarlane, Milton, ON

Breastfeeding (along with SAH v WOH) is such a touchy subject. If you do, someone will be there to tell you how long, how often, when to stop and where you can do it. If you don't, you'll surely be told that you're somehow lacking, selfish or any number of other things. It goes too far on both ends. Being a mom is tough enough as it is. Who needs guilt and anger thrown on top?
Leigh, Salta, Argentina
http://www.thefutureissred.com

Thanks for this blog entry. So true! The last things new moms need after trying to breastfeed their babies unsuccessfully is GUILT! Please let moms make their own informed choices and then support them. I have a very good friend who could not breastfeed her first child. She tried and tried and tried - and then pumped and bottlefed her daughter for about 6 months. That's DOUBLE the work. And she feels guilty over it! Are you kidding me?! She was able to successfully breastfeed babe #2. It is not a womans' "fault" if breastfeeding is not working for her or her baby. Some try and succeed. Some try (and try and try) and don't. And some make the decision to formula feed right from the beginning. And that's all ok!! Let's just support each other, ok?
JackiYo, Kitchener, ON
www.monkeyngobo.blogspot.com

Seriously, enough about coming down on other women's choices, and this is the reality: sponsors are needed for conferences, and Nestle makes products that nourish babies and kids. I see no disconnect. I nursed AND supplemented with formula. For both kids; and although I fought with my sleep-deprived self about not going to the "dark side" of formula for the first weeks of my first baby's life, fact of the matter was that he wasn't getting enough from me. And so I had no qualms about having to supplement again with the girl; but funnily enough the balance helped increase my milk. I eventually went exclusive nursing. So there. Bravo, great post.
Karen MEG, Richmond Hill, ON
http//www.gliks.blogspot.com

I think there's a big difference between cloth diapering and breastfeeding. There's no objective scientific information that choosing one type of diaper over another impacts anyone's health and well-being. You can't compare the two. And as for Nestle sponsoring the conference, they do it for a reason. It's not just out of the goodness of their hearts. Sponsoring a conference creates goodwill and gets their brand in front of health professionals. Professionals who might later recommend their products. It represents a potential conflict of interest, which we should at least be aware of. And it's completely unfair to lump 'lactivists' all together. I would never try to make a woman who formula feeds feel bad. Thankfully formula exists and babies who don't receive breast milk benefit from that. Saying that Nestle shouldn't sponsor a conference isn't the same thing as saying they shouldn't exist or mothers shouldn't buy what they're selling.
Amber, Vancouver, BC
www.strocel.com