New Government sponsored commericals regarding feeding babies

[Lisa loves Pooh]

After 12 months the bottle fed children almost immediately caught up to, and sometimes exceeded their breastfed peers in EVERY SINGLE ASPECT.

"sometimes"

There are probably other factors aside from the FF and I'm sure if the percentage were significant another word aside from "sometimes" would be used.

But capitalizing "every single aspect" makes it appear as though all FF exceed. (I had one response typed and then reread your post and caught this--my eyes were drawn to the all caps).

 

[JVL1018]

Oh please. I breastfed my two children for a combined total of about 8 weeks. And they were always supplemented with formula. They are two of the healthiest children I know. I stopped breastfeeding because I didn't like it. Formula was easier for me. I don't feel guilty about it. And as I said before they both turned out just fine.

I could say almost the exact same thing, except I nursed DD for 3 1/2 months and DS for 5 weeks.
I have zero guilt and don't think my kids are any worse off because they had formula.

 

[ducklite]

"sometimes"

There are probably other factors aside from the FF and I'm sure if the percentage were significant another word aside from "sometimes" would be used.

But capitalizing "every single aspect" makes it appear as though all FF exceed. (I had one response typed and then reread your post and caught this--my eyes were drawn to the all caps).

It wasn't a large percentage by any means. Bottom line, after 12 months, it doens't matter if the kid was breast or bottle (formula) fed, they were the same in both cognitive and physiological aspects.

There was pretty good control on the study subjects. The parents were all within a certain age range, of the same "ethnic" background, the same socio-economic group, etc. In fact the lead researcher continues to follow the group who are now around 12 years old, and the original conclusions continue to stand. He's gotten a ton more useful research out of it as well.

I should also mention that the research team also looked at the TYPE of forumla, and fortified soy forumla's had the same results as any other formula.

Didn't mean to mislead with my earlier post, hope this clarified it..

Anne

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

thanks ducklite--I first read it and had one response---so it would have made no sense. LOL! (could have been on that formula I had to drink while my mom was on nearly on her deathbed after having me (she did recover and went on to have 2 more children))

 

[stm61]

Very well said, but I bet the real (hidden agenda) is that they hope to save big money on formula for those who get wick or other government programs.

IMHO you should do whats best for you and it should be a ........CHOICE....not a guilt trip.

I totally agree!

 

[bevtoy]

The actual percentage of those who really can't BF is very small. Nothing wrong with putting out the truth that BF is possible--even if you pump it into a bottle, it would be better than formula.

No need to get your panties in a bunch over the promotion of BF. And to say that it is to discourage money spent by WIC. Are you serious? I hadn't realized that the only ones who formula-fed were those on social assistance programs. Talk about a generalized statement!

What next--the promotion of healthy eating is to discourage food stamp purchases of Cheetos?

A high percentage of those who bottle feed are on government assistance and it is expensive. Not a generalized statement. I personally paid cash for the formula I need, when I investigated into the reason formula was so high I was told by several sources that the government is spending a lot of money to subsidize formula to the impoverished. This causes the price of formula to be higher for the general public. I made my choice of bottle feeding as I did and still do believe that its whats best for my child and myself in our situation. My panties are exactly where they belong, and I really hate fanny floss, thongs and g-strings.

 

[Quinn222]

All this would be fine if the Govt actually made it possible for most mothers to BF. But even those who want to often cannot because they cannot get a paid maternity leave or time off during the day to pump milk for their babies. In some ways it's like living in the third world here. Oh, excpet third world mothers can breast feed their babies.

 

[JennyMominRI]

I did not breast feed,I formula fed,so this is in no way a bash to people who choose fomula ,and is not at all meant for those of you who cannort breast feed... My youngest son was horrible sick at 5 months and spent weeks in the hospital as a direct result of being formula fed.. I just ask that people read this wth an open mind
Part one
http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/24/formula_influence.htm

Part 2
http://www.mercola.com/2003/dec/27/formula_influence.htm

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

I too am quite upset about these commercials!

I breastfed my first DD for about a week and just could not get my head around it (and I am a nurse). I never really wanted to BF but was more or less pushed into it. I almost needed sedatives to be able to do it, crazy I know, but I just couldn't get myself to do it. Does that make me a bad Mom ???????? Certainly not!

Mother's, especially first time Mom's have enough to deal with, never mind someone making them feel like they aren't doing what they should be doing for their child.

I did not BF my second or third child at all and basically told my physician that I understood what he was saying, but that it was my choice and I would not discuss it any further. He accepted that and it was never a problem, but when someone else heard that I wasn't going to BF, wow, some of the looks

To this day I do not feel that I harmed any of my children, and they are healthy and happy and I enjoyed every minute with them when they were young without having the anxiety of being pushed into BF.

Well said! I strongly object to the person who said that people CHOOSE (notice the word!) to bottlefeed are clueless! Like laura001 I am a nurse but I'm afraid the thought of breastfeeding makes me shudder! I know all the facts and figures about how it's 'better' and that I'm in someway not a good mother becasue of the choice I made. However my DD is now 6 - she was formula fed from the start - actually her Daddy gave her her first feed! - and she has had NO health problems. She's tall, active, healthy and beautiful! do I regret for even a heartbeat NOT breast feeding......under no circumstances. Has it affected my 'bonding' - no way!

Why don't the medical profession and the Govt let people make their own choices!

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Why don't the medical profession and the Govt let people make their own choices!

I haven't seen the ad, but as far as I know, they are still letting us make our own choices, just trying to educate us on those choices. Personally, I'd rather have all the facts and make an informed decision, rather than just hear a doctor say "whatever you choose is fine, no big deal".

Not having seen them, I can't say whether the ads go too far. I don't think any woman should feel guilty about her choice to formula-feed or her inability to breastfeed, whatever the case may be. But this is subjective, too. Some women are going to react more strongly to even the most benign mention of breast-feeding, others can listen to the most vile portrayals of formula-feeders and take it in stride. As long as advertising stresses the benefits of breastfeeding, and doesn't paint formula-feeders as evil-doers, it's no different from any other public-service announcment.

Not to mention that increased education can also help women who might be having trouble breastfeeding. In cultures where breastfeeding is the norm, it is only a tiny percentage of women who can't. Here, the percentage is much higher. Probably because in those other cultures, women have the support of doctors, family and friends who encourage them to continue, give them practical advice and share stories about how it gets easier over time. Here, it seems the common response is "why not just bottle-feed?" If it wasn't so easy and accepted to switch to the bottle, not as many women would do it.

Please note, I'm not trying to negate the experiences of those who truly tried and couldn't (heck, I'm one of them), and I'm not talking about anyone on this board.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Okay, I was unable to nurse #1, nursed #2 and #3 exclusively, and then #4 I'm currently nursing with supplementation on doctor's orders because he simply would not gain weight--similar to #1's problem, but I continued with #4 since I knew I could produce milk. Every nursing couple is different, even if one of you is experienced! Plus, #2 and #3 have had more medical issues overall--statistics are meaningless.

I suspect this is part of the next obesity push--I read recently (probably Wall Street Journal) that since bottle fed babies tend to be heavier, that the government was going to increase the push for nursing. Personally, I think it's up to the parents whether nursing is the right choice. And I can't help but wonder if there are other factors that might be contributing more to childhood obesity--whether its poorer diet--lower income people tend to have less healthy diets--yes, I know not all formula users are low income, but the statistics are skewed due to WIC and all. And working mom who formula feeds might be more inclined to serve fast food dinners. Again, I'm not saying all of them.

My biggest beef with formula is the price. Not having purchased it for 10 years, I nearly had a heart attack! I encourage all moms to try nursing for that one reason. I also find nursing much more convenient--just unbutton, nothing to wash or remember to bring. But, having watched my youngest finally get onto the weight chart he fell off of, because we started supplementing, is worth all the money and hassle in the world to me.

 

[va32h]

I think most people who bottle feed are just clueless. They don't know what they're doing, because nobody told them. There might be a few who know and choose to do bottles anyway, but I think most just don't know.

Clueless? Wow, what an incredibly patronizing and insulting thing to say.

 

[PaulaSue]

Yes we know what the studies say, but some women are unable to bf and many who just choose to bottlefeed.

Some truely can't after weeks of trying or because of medicines they must take. BUT MOST say they can't because they don't read / study before hand and ask others for support or say my milk didn't come in (usually takes a few days) before they even left the hospital.

I hate hearing all the excuses as much as you hated to hear the ads today.

 

[WDWfor5]

Some truely can't after weeks of trying or because of medicines they must take. BUT MOST say they can't because they don't read / study before hand and ask others for support or say my milk didn't come in (usually takes a few days) before they even left the hospital.

I hate hearing all the excuses as much as you hated to hear the ads today.

I couldn't agree more Paula Sue. In my experience, the moms who really couldn't don't feel guilty - they know they gave it their all. It's the ones who say they tried, even say they called LLL but that didn't help, but never really made the commitment to making it work that feel guilty. I can't tell you the number of times mothers have made excuses to me as I was nursing one of my babies as to why they couldn't do it Why are you telling me - I don't care what you do with your baby. I don't understand though, as I wouldn't even consider not nursing mine because the health benefits are enormous and the majority of studies document health benefits last MUCH longer than the 12 months someone stated. And before you think I had it easy, I nursed all 3 of my children past a year and my 1st was through 2 hospitalizations, my 2nd was 12 weeks early and stayed in the NICU for all of those 12 weeks and my youngest who has an oral motor planning disorder and needed a lot of help.

I'm thrilled with the ad's - breastfeeding is the natural and expected way for babies to be fed. If you choose not to, you take risks with your baby. Do you have that right? Sure, but it's no different than your right to smoke cigarettes around them. Doctors are healthcare professionals - it's their job to tell you how you should do it. They can't make us not feed our kids junk food either, but they certainly should tell us it's a bad idea.

And for the moms who say they just didn't want to - as long as you understand that doing so comes with serious risks, than that's your choice. But to suggest that no one should remind you that you are taking risks, is ridiculous.

If you made an informed choice, live with the consequences that you knowingly chose to do less than the best for your baby. If you couldn't breastfeed, than know that you did nothing wrong. And if you were uninformed or misinformed, than that's the purpose of these ad's and be glad another family will be spared from the lack of information.

The thing is I'm not a "breastfeeding nazi", do what you want with your children and leave me and mine alone. I'm just tired of the martyr complex from women who didn't want to breastfeed and then complain that other people stating the proven fact that breastmilk is the healthiest choice for human babies is offending them. You'd happily attack a mother who didn't put her child in a carseat, smoked pregnant, etc. To me, and to the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, it's all the same thing - taking unnesary risk with your baby.

 

[ducklite]

I don't understand though, as I wouldn't even consider not nursing mine because the health benefits are enormous and the majority of studies document health benefits last MUCH longer than the 12 months someone stated.

Could you explain this further and provide proof?

Here are four references to support my assertation:

Willatts, P., & Forsyth, J.S. (1998). Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, infant formula, and breastfeeding. Lancet, 352, 1703.

Willatts, P., Forsyth, J.S., DiModugno, M.K., Varma, S., & Colvin, M. (1998). Influence of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Infant Cognitive Function. Lipids, 33, 973-980.

Willatts, P., Forsyth, J.S., DiModugno, M.K., Varma, S., & Colvin, M. (1998). Effect of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in infant formula on problem solving at 10 months of age. Lancet, 352, 688-691.

Forsyth, J.S., Willatts, P., DiModugno, M.K., Varma, S., & Colvin, M. (1998). Do long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids influence infant cognitive behaviour? Biochemical Society Transactions, 26, 252-257.

There are plenty more by other researchers as well.

Anne

 

[Cool-Beans]

Clueless? Wow, what an incredibly patronizing and insulting thing to say.

Hey, sorry. Didn't mean "clueless" like "stupid," meant "clueless" like "uninformed." I'm sorry if it came across the other way, which it obviously did. And, of course, I included myself in that group.

Lot of people are uninformed, or clueless, about the benefits of breast milk. I was! Nobody told me, not even my doctor, and I asked! I thought it was just about "bonding" and "complete nutrition." I didn't realize the long-term effects of allergies/asthma, illness, weight, etc.

I think doctors SHOULD tell women what their children will not get if they give them formula. Parents ought to be told what is best for the health of the baby - that is part of the doctor's job, IMHO.

If a parent gets all the info about how much better breast milk is and decides to go with formula, MHO is that it is their business. It is their kid, they can do what they want.

But I think a lot of parents don't do what is best for the baby's health because they don't know that it IS best for the baby. That's what I meant by "clueless."

 

[MAKmom]

I guess I don't see the problem. What is wrong with trying to convince women to do what is best for their baby? The facts are there. I would never question a woman about why she chose to bottle feed, but I would encourage her before the baby was born to nurse.

I agree. It is best to breast feed, bottle feeding is 2nd best. There is nothing wrong with educating the public to what is best for a baby.

 

[disykat]

I couldn't agree more Paula Sue. In my experience, the moms who really couldn't don't feel guilty - they know they gave it their all. It's the ones who say they tried, even say they called LLL but that didn't help, but never really made the commitment to making it work that feel guilty. I can't tell you the number of times mothers have made excuses to me as I was nursing one of my babies as to why they couldn't do it Why are you telling me - I don't care what you do with your baby. I don't understand though, as I wouldn't even consider not nursing mine because the health benefits are enormous and the majority of studies document health benefits last MUCH longer than the 12 months someone stated. And before you think I had it easy, I nursed all 3 of my children past a year and my 1st was through 2 hospitalizations, my 2nd was 12 weeks early and stayed in the NICU for all of those 12 weeks and my youngest who has an oral motor planning disorder and needed a lot of help.

I'm thrilled with the ad's - breastfeeding is the natural and expected way for babies to be fed. If you choose not to, you take risks with your baby. Do you have that right? Sure, but it's no different than your right to smoke cigarettes around them. Doctors are healthcare professionals - it's their job to tell you how you should do it. They can't make us not feed our kids junk food either, but they certainly should tell us it's a bad idea.

And for the moms who say they just didn't want to - as long as you understand that doing so comes with serious risks, than that's your choice. But to suggest that no one should remind you that you are taking risks, is ridiculous.

If you made an informed choice, live with the consequences that you knowingly chose to do less than the best for your baby. If you couldn't breastfeed, than know that you did nothing wrong. And if you were uninformed or misinformed, than that's the purpose of these ad's and be glad another family will be spared from the lack of information.

The thing is I'm not a "breastfeeding nazi", do what you want with your children and leave me and mine alone. I'm just tired of the martyr complex from women who didn't want to breastfeed and then complain that other people stating the proven fact that breastmilk is the healthiest choice for human babies is offending them. You'd happily attack a mother who didn't put her child in a carseat, smoked pregnant, etc. To me, and to the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, it's all the same thing - taking unnesary risk with your baby.

HAHA - not a breastfeeding nazi - that's the funniest thing I've read all day.

 

[WDWfor5]

HAHA - not a breastfeeding nazi - that's the funniest thing I've read all day.

I can't imagine why it's funny To me, a "breastfeeding nazi" tries to make other women breastfeed - I do not, never have and don't care to. I believe in education so that all women can make an educated choice. If medical science has proven breastfeeding is best, than not educating the public to that fact is akin to malpractice.

You are then free as an adult in a free country to do whatever you want to do with that information.

 

[tiggersmom2]

I couldn't agree more Paula Sue. In my experience, the moms who really couldn't don't feel guilty - they know they gave it their all. It's the ones who say they tried, even say they called LLL but that didn't help, but never really made the commitment to making it work that feel guilty. I can't tell you the number of times mothers have made excuses to me as I was nursing one of my babies as to why they couldn't do it Why are you telling me - I don't care what you do with your baby. I don't understand though, as I wouldn't even consider not nursing mine because the health benefits are enormous and the majority of studies document health benefits last MUCH longer than the 12 months someone stated. And before you think I had it easy, I nursed all 3 of my children past a year and my 1st was through 2 hospitalizations, my 2nd was 12 weeks early and stayed in the NICU for all of those 12 weeks and my youngest who has an oral motor planning disorder and needed a lot of help.

I'm thrilled with the ad's - breastfeeding is the natural and expected way for babies to be fed. If you choose not to, you take risks with your baby. Do you have that right? Sure, but it's no different than your right to smoke cigarettes around them. Doctors are healthcare professionals - it's their job to tell you how you should do it. They can't make us not feed our kids junk food either, but they certainly should tell us it's a bad idea.

And for the moms who say they just didn't want to - as long as you understand that doing so comes with serious risks, than that's your choice. But to suggest that no one should remind you that you are taking risks, is ridiculous.

If you made an informed choice, live with the consequences that you knowingly chose to do less than the best for your baby. If you couldn't breastfeed, than know that you did nothing wrong. And if you were uninformed or misinformed, than that's the purpose of these ad's and be glad another family will be spared from the lack of information.

The thing is I'm not a "breastfeeding nazi", do what you want with your children and leave me and mine alone. I'm just tired of the martyr complex from women who didn't want to breastfeed and then complain that other people stating the proven fact that breastmilk is the healthiest choice for human babies is offending them. You'd happily attack a mother who didn't put her child in a carseat, smoked pregnant, etc. To me, and to the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, it's all the same thing - taking unnesary risk with your baby.

You lost all credibility when you compared formula feeding to not putting a child in a carseat and smoking during pregnancy....

I will never understand why some women feel the need to criticize....just be glad your kid is doing ok and don't worry about the parenting choices of others.

Not a breastfeeding Nazi....LMAO