Progress towards what, exactly? I don't think this is very good at all, at first blush.
(signed, a dad of 2 kids who are/were breast-fed, and who's very in favor of breastfeeding.)
(PS - i feel like the only comments I ever leave here are disagreeing with you in a challenging way - that is not my attitude towards you, you just bring up some good issues on this blog!)
Progress in that the implicit endorsement of formula by the hospital at the expense of breastfeeding has been ended. The formula companies will, I am certain, continue to purchase lists of new babies and send the families coupons and samples, as is their right.
Progress in that the hospitals will make hospital-grade pumps available to those whose babies can't come home with them. (We had that through our insurance plan when our firstborn was in the NICU for a month, and without it breastfeeding would never have been possible.)
Progress in that lactation coaches will be available in the first few hours after birth. I'm certain that that will increase the success rate among those who are motivated to breastfeed but who have a difficult start.
(PS - I appreciate your comments and the way they force me to clarify what I should have written better in the first place.)
First of all, I clearly did not read the article carefully enough, and I 100% reverse my reaction to your points #2 and #3. These are absolutely "progress" and should be lauded far and wide. more pumps = good, coaches = good, insurance that covers breast pumps and doesn't make it a big pain in the @$$ like Aetna did when we had Cliff = good.
However, re #1 - I understand the rationale behind the decision but really don't agree with it. I can't agree with it because (as much as I feel moms SHOULD breast-feed when possible) it should be every family's choice - and I think removing it does do a disservice to those who have some combination of, in roughly-i'm-guessing-decreasing order of likelihood:
(a) want to or NEED to supplement, (b) may not be able to get formula right then and there (e.g., deliver at 11 PM and need to feed at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning when CVS isn't open, etc. (c) don't want to breast-feed, (d) can't breast-feed, (e) can't afford to buy formula, (f) surrogate moms (g) etc. etc.
I specifically DO buy the economic argument - I don't think you should have to be wealthy or resourceful to be able to formula feed.
I don't think that the hospital allowing a private corporation to give out free samples is an implicit or explicit endorsement of the product. The hospital can recommend breast-feeding, can provide all the resources it wants (and I laud that, and moms need it), and I might even be able to be convinced that they should push it as much as possible -- but I don't see why it should bar distribution of formula stuff to help those families who want it or need it.
I agree with you that for those families where formula makes sense, it should be available. But I don't think the ending of the free sample in the going-home bag will make a substantive change in that availability. The hospitals will continue to have formula available for those who need it while at the hospital. Most people don't get discharged at 2AM. And, as I said above, I am certain that the formula manufacturers will find ways to continue to get free samples into the hands of new mothers. (We still get them in the mail sometimes, and our younger child is about to turn 4.)
I don't think that the hospital allowing a private corporation to give out free samples is an implicit or explicit endorsement of the product.
I hate to sound like an elitist snob, but you're of significantly above-average intelligence. I think for a lot of people who are less well educated, the perception that the hospital "gave" them a bottle of Enfamil (say) will be taken as an endorsement, not only of formula in general, but of Enfamil in particular.
I don't see why it should bar distribution of formula stuff
I don't think they're preventing anyone from standing in the street handing out the stuff, they're just no longer going to accept money from the formula companies to include samples in a bag imprinted with the hospital's and formula's names. They're terminating an advertising relationship.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-31 06:47 pm (UTC)(signed, a dad of 2 kids who are/were breast-fed, and who's very in favor of breastfeeding.)
(PS - i feel like the only comments I ever leave here are disagreeing with you in a challenging way - that is not my attitude towards you, you just bring up some good issues on this blog!)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-31 07:15 pm (UTC)Progress in that the hospitals will make hospital-grade pumps available to those whose babies can't come home with them. (We had that through our insurance plan when our firstborn was in the NICU for a month, and without it breastfeeding would never have been possible.)
Progress in that lactation coaches will be available in the first few hours after birth. I'm certain that that will increase the success rate among those who are motivated to breastfeed but who have a difficult start.
(PS - I appreciate your comments and the way they force me to clarify what I should have written better in the first place.)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-31 07:30 pm (UTC)However, re #1 - I understand the rationale behind the decision but really don't agree with it. I can't agree with it because (as much as I feel moms SHOULD breast-feed when possible) it should be every family's choice - and I think removing it does do a disservice to those who have some combination of, in roughly-i'm-guessing-decreasing order of likelihood:
(a) want to or NEED to supplement,
(b) may not be able to get formula right then and there (e.g., deliver at 11 PM and need to feed at 2 or 3 or 4 in the morning when CVS isn't open, etc.
(c) don't want to breast-feed,
(d) can't breast-feed,
(e) can't afford to buy formula,
(f) surrogate moms
(g) etc. etc.
I specifically DO buy the economic argument - I don't think you should have to be wealthy or resourceful to be able to formula feed.
I don't think that the hospital allowing a private corporation to give out free samples is an implicit or explicit endorsement of the product. The hospital can recommend breast-feeding, can provide all the resources it wants (and I laud that, and moms need it), and I might even be able to be convinced that they should push it as much as possible -- but I don't see why it should bar
distribution of formula stuff to help those families who want it or need it.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-31 07:58 pm (UTC)I don't think that the hospital allowing a private corporation to give out free samples is an implicit or explicit endorsement of the product.
I hate to sound like an elitist snob, but you're of significantly above-average intelligence. I think for a lot of people who are less well educated, the perception that the hospital "gave" them a bottle of Enfamil (say) will be taken as an endorsement, not only of formula in general, but of Enfamil in particular.
I don't see why it should bar distribution of formula stuff
I don't think they're preventing anyone from standing in the street handing out the stuff, they're just no longer going to accept money from the formula companies to include samples in a bag imprinted with the hospital's and formula's names. They're terminating an advertising relationship.