This is Absurd

I recently read an article that made me very angry.

Recently the Federal Office on Women's Health developed a campaign to educate women about the importance of breastfeeding. The campaign included ads that warned mothers about the risks of formula feeding.

In comes the formula companies. Through pressure and lobbying, they were able to "tone down" the ads to the point where the message of the risks of formula is lost completely. From the article:

The campaign included hard-hitting ads, such as one featuring an asthma puffers that looked like a bottle of formula, warning, "babies who aren't breastfed are up to 250% more likely to suffer respiratory diseases."The formula industry fought the ads, bringing in powerful lobbyists, such as Clayton Yeutter, who served as agriculture secretary during the administration of George H.W. Bush.
Carmona was removed from the campaign and political appointees were brought in to drop the ads in favor of toned down messages. "Babies are born to be breastfed," one ad states simply.
In 2004 letters obtained by the Post, Yeutter and other lobbyists thanked then-HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson for his staff's action to eliminate "the most egregious distortions" aimed at "scaring expectant mothers into breast-feeding."
Meanwhile, breastfeeding rates have actually decreased.
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating the allegations of political meddling in public health concerns.

Yes, the ads were blunt. But, I think the bluntness of these ads is good. I would never, ever tiptoe around the truth in order to keep someone from feeling guilty, especially when I believe that no one can make you feel guilty except for yourself. If you knew a family member who was extremely obese to the point where they were in danger of serious health complications or death, would you tiptoe around the facts in order to spare their feelings? I would hope not. I would hope that you would do your best to present the facts and educate them so that they can make their own informed decision. The same goes with breastfeeding.

With that in mind:

Fact: Formula feeding comes with risks to the baby and mother.

People, this has been shown over and over again in thousands of studies. There is no disputing this information, this is a fact. I am not saying this to "make" formula feeding moms feel guilty. I am simply stating a fact. What you do with this information is your choice, but I would hope you would use it to you and your baby's advantage.

Fact: Breastfeeding is not "beneficial", it is normal and essential for baby's health.

You've heard it before. Babies were born to be breastfed. Have you stopped and thought about it? They are meant to have breastmilk from their mother. Nature intended for babies to be held close to their mother and nurse from their breasts. This, again, has been shown in countless studies. How is this not an obvious thing to most people? Did you know a newborn's eyesight is designed to focus at a certain distance, which allows the baby to focus on it's mother's face as he or she nurses? Did you know that a baby's immune system is not fully developed when he or she is born, and that breastmilk contains all the essential elements needed to complete that development? Did you know that if a baby is born through a natural, drug free birth and is then placed on the mother's stomach, he or she will crawl to the mother's breast out of instinct? Did you know that only less than 2% of mother's cannot physically breastfeed? That means that 98% can physically breastfeed. And yet many choose not to.

Now, please understand, I am not trying to bash formula feeding moms. I sincerely believe that it is not the mothers who are the "problem" here, it is the attitude that exists in this country around breastfeeding. The system itself needs to change. Doctors are only giving minutes of "training" on breastfeeding, and then it is followed by a long discussion of the different types of formulas. Family members criticize the new mother for breastfeeding, telling her to give the baby a bottle, that the baby isn't gaining enough weight, that the baby is too old to nurse, etc. No wonder so many women choose not to breastfeed, and of those who do, many wean their child before the recommended minimum of one year. This absolutely must change if we want the breastfeeding rates in this country to rise. Doctors must be given more training on the importance of breastfeeding, and they must not be continually faced with promotions from formula companies. Lactation Consultants need to be on call at all pediatric offices, or at least available to the doctor's patients in some way. Women need to support each other with breastfeeding, especially in the first few weeks. Partners need to support each other. Women must be educated and supported. Again, women must be educated and supported.

Women must be educated and supported.

There are cases where formula is appropriate. For example, I know a few women who are on medication where nursing would not be safe. I just disagree with the overuse of formula in this country and the misconception that it is just as good as breastmilk that is passed along for the sake of putting even more money in the pocket of the formula companies. I disagree with the fact that you can buy formula over the counter yet need a prescription to get breastmilk from a bank. I disagree with the fact that women who wish to breastfeed are given erroneous information that leads them to formula feed, such as their milk not being "good enough" or that their milk "won't come in" and such.

However, since we live in a society in which breastfeeding is not accepted and embraced as it should be, it is now up to us moms to change that. Breastfeed your children. Don't give up just because someone tells you that your milk isn't enough, or that the baby isn't getting enough, etc. I was told that repeatedly. I went and researched what the doctor said on my own, and guess what? He was wrong. Get support. If you can't get it from your family and friends, get it somewhere else. Go to a La Leche League meeting. Get the numbers of local lactation consultants to have on hand in case problems arise. Read books, do research, and educate yourself. Changes are not going to come from the government, or from the medical field. They have to come from us.

This is Absurd