When a mother has her new child, she faces a tough decision: breastfeed or formula feed? Perhaps a combination of both? Many mothers have reservations about breastfeeding because of the time commitment and concerns over producing enough milk, but also fear that formula feeding could impact their baby's health. Are these fears warranted, or is formula feeding a safe and effective alternative to the natural method?
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Breast or Bottle is Primarily a Social Decision
- From Joan B Wolf PhD
By Joan B. Wolf, PhD - Texas A&M University
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Social decision or uninformed decision?
Bottle feeding is like taking your newborn to McDonald's everyday. They get the same nasty tasting stuff day after day with little to no positive effects. Yes, they can grow and develop with formula. Yes, formula feeding continues to be better accepted by the public (we can watch a murder and be fine but god forbid we see a child at breast!). We have to work to change that.
Most, if not all, states require workplaces to provide a place to pump that is not the employee's bathroom. These places are not always utilized because these same places do not provide the time needed to pump. Thus, we get the feeling that society still does not feel breastfeeding is a valued experience. Who is making these decisions in society? Men that have no idea what breastfeeding entails? Men that don't understand the bonding or immunologic points to breastfeeding? Or is it the formula companies telling us that yes, formula is safe and almost like breast milk?
Yes, how you feed is a choice but if women are making the decision out of convenience, how can they be making an informed decision? How can they truly understand the benefits of breastfeeding if they don't hear them? WIC is doing better with the breastfeeding promotion but they still have a long way to go. Breastmilk is free, formula costs anywhere from $2000 on up per year.
To me, something that is labeled as "formula" belongs in the high school chemistry classroom and not in our precious newborns.
- missinu3400
October 1, 2008 1:46PM
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Side: Yes
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