Formula Fed America

Let me start out by saying i am not anti-formula. My son for various reasons of the course of his year life span has and does drink formula. This has been a bittersweet decision for my husband and I. Bitter right now because i’m not ready to wean and yet we are fighting hard to maintain a minimum supply while i’m prego; and “sweet” when he was 5 days old and with no chance to have an adequate pumped supply i had to resort to formula after i had a cat scan and had to pump and dump for 24 hours. But even though I’m not anti-formula I am Pro-breastfeeding. I believe in the health benefits of it, i believe that its complexity can not be replicated in formula and i believe in the emotional value of breastfeeding. I believe its important to breastfeed if you are physically able to breastfeed. The AAP recommends to breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, but to continue at minimum through the first year. I believe this is so important!!! yes there are going to be occasions where fixing a bottle would be easier but thats what pumps are for; so i believe if you are physically able to its important that you give your baby breast milk.

With that said, i want to share with you a website i recently came across… Formula Fed America. It’s a website centered around a movie that i can’t wait to see about Formula Feeding vs. Breastfeeding in the United States. I recommend checking out the site and viewing the trailer for the film. 

The film is based on the lack of education, mis-education and support available to women in this country who choose to breastfeed. Such an important topic!

I read once on a blog that someone felt that nursing mothers get more attention in the hospital than mothers feeding their baby’s formula. This may be true, i dont know i’m a mom who choose to breastfeed. but i do know that once you leave the hospital after your 1-2 day stay, it’s a lot of work to find the support you need to continue the relationship if there are any hiccups. I discovered for myself that while all the hospitals in my area have lactation consultants not all are free to visit after you’ve been discharged. Also not all pediatricians and OBs are made a like some will fully support you in your breastfeeding relationship and help you diagnose your problem but others will actually encourage you going to formula because they have little to no experience or knowledge of breastfeeding. Get a further than first week, like say into your 4th month or 8th month and run across roadblocks such as an infection, growth spurt, or nursing strike and you may get misinformation that you are drying up, or that you should stop due to a risk for your baby; and if you try to see that lactation consultant at your hospital you may get told as i did that once your baby is 6 weeks old they will no longer see you. Given all of this its no wonder that so many moms turn to formula feeding. its accessible in every store, free samples are often available from the makers, and well just about any sales rep can help you pick out a can and bottle. I do see more and more moms breastfeeding, and now that i am around more natural parenting parents i have come across more and more independent lactation consultants but i am excited to see a documentary comparing the two choices and i hope it will help women to make more informed choices.