Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-feed

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

Daktoria said:

It's common sense. If this ISN'T common sense for you, then I would worry about how you see society.

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So I, as a man with common sense, should just know all of the emotions involved with a child locking on to my nipple and sucking milk out? It doesn't take me experiencing it?

Daktoria said:

I'm not just talking about breast-feeding. I'm talking about household management in general. Time, energy, and attention gets substituted between one activity and the next.

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Explain further please.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

So I, as a man with common sense, should just know all of the emotions involved with a child locking on to my nipple and sucking milk out? It doesn't take me experiencing it?

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As a person, you should know that emotional frustration coincides with social negligence.

Out of curiosity, are you one of those guys who constantly nags women about, "How can I help?" or "What did I do wrong?"

Explain further please.

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If a mother is exhausted with other chores, that means she won't feel as comfortable breast feeding.

It's a big picture.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

Every time I come back to this thread I do a *facepalm*.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

Daktoria said:

As a person, you should know that emotional frustration coincides with social negligence.
Out of curiosity, are you one of those guys who constantly nags women about, "How can I help?" or "What did I do wrong?"

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Nah, I just do things as I see they need to be done. Plus, the only woman I deal with is my wife. I don't care what any other woman thinks of me. Here's what I do know. I will never know what it feels like to have a baby depend upon me for its food. Only a woman that is breastfeeding can know that. There are only a few basic needs that a baby demands. Food, sleep, and cleanliness. I can put my child to bed, I can give her a bath or change her diaper, but I can never know what it feels like to breast feed her. If you have a kid, you know which one they scream for the hardest.

Daktoria said:

If a mother is exhausted with other chores, that means she won't feel as comfortable breast feeding.

It's a big picture.

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Aaannnddd, your point is...........

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

Nah, I just do things as I see they need to be done. Plus, the only woman I deal with is my wife. I don't care what any other woman thinks of me. Here's what I do know. I will never know what it feels like to have a baby depend upon me for its food. Only a woman that is breastfeeding can know that. There are only a few basic needs that a baby demands. Food, sleep, and cleanliness. I can put my child to bed, I can give her a bath or change her diaper, but I can never know what it feels like to breast feed her. If you have a kid, you know which one they scream for the hardest.


Aaannnddd, your point is...........

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My point is you don't need to feel pain to know that someone's in need of assistance.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

To me this is just another instance of government trying to control what women can and cannot do with their own bodies. Breastfeeding a newborn is a huge commitment of time... and contrary to popular believe, babies are not born knowing how to latch on and properly suckle. Frankly, there's a lot for a new mom to learn about breastfeeding, from how to introduce the nipple to the baby, understanding when the baby is nursing properly so milk is flowing and when the baby is just sucking wildly on the tip of the nipple, getting no nourishment. When that happens, the hungry infant becomes frantic and will frequently reject the nipple because its hunger is not being appeased. First-time moms are already nervous about properly caring for this tiny life. They don't need the added pressure of being treated like a junkie if they want to bottle-feed their babies.

During breastfeeding, breasts swell and become painful. Nursing, too, is frequently painful. Nipples can become cracked and raw, making nursing incredibly painful. Women who have to work have to pump milk regularly to assure that there is enough for the caregiver to feed the baby, and will further have to pump milk throughout their work day so they don't have blouses soaked with sticky liquid when the breasts leak. Breastfeeding is a serious long-term commitment, and it's simply not for everyone.

I seriously resent women being discouraged from making their own choice, lectured... scolded, really... and shamed into something that they may be unable or unprepared to do. I breastfed my children because I wanted to, not because the government basically told me I'd be a bad mom if I didn't. This is really outrageous.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

Ah, New York.... what a Brave New World.




Petty tyrant.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

I don't really do agree with this. I do agree with parts of what NYC is doing. I like banning hospitals from giving away free merchandise with formula company logos on it. And I do think that doctors should discuss with the mother the pros and cons of breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, but that's as far as it goes. If the mom decides to make an informed decision to bottle feed, then that's her decision and the doctor/hospital should respect it. The way I see it a doctor's mission should be to inform the patient, and make a professional recommendation, not make decisions for them.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

molten_dragon said:

I don't really do agree with this. I do agree with parts of what NYC is doing. I like banning hospitals from giving away free merchandise with formula company logos on it. And I do think that doctors should discuss with the mother the pros and cons of breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, but that's as far as it goes. If the mom decides to make an informed decision to bottle feed, then that's her decision and the doctor/hospital should respect it. The way I see it a doctor's mission should be to inform the patient, and make a professional recommendation, not make decisions for them.

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On this note: I think that Dr's are disingenuous - they *might* say 'breast is best' but some don't say that and - in my past experience - drs WILL push formula if they think that your milk isn't 'up to standard' and that the baby isn't gaining enough weight.

So some Dr's aren't actually digging in their heels and putting up a solid effort to encourage nursing.

Talking about it openly definitely didn't come up - thinking about it carefully now; I don't recall a single discussion with my obgyn's or pediatricians while I was pregnant about nursing. There's just a lot of quiet assumptions made about it. The two big assumptions seem to be #1: Mom will do it because 'it's natural' and any inhibitions won't be enough to negate the act . . . and #2: If she 'nursed' her kids before of course she'll do it again with extreme ease - no problems. . . . and #3: It's so natural there aren't any problems that get in the way or negate future attempts.

Blind ignorance - maybe it's just the male obgyns and pediatricians? I never dealt with females - maybe they're more involved or concerned?

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

molten_dragon said:

I don't really do agree with this. I do agree with parts of what NYC is doing. I like banning hospitals from giving away free merchandise with formula company logos on it. And I do think that doctors should discuss with the mother the pros and cons of breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, but that's as far as it goes. If the mom decides to make an informed decision to bottle feed, then that's her decision and the doctor/hospital should respect it. The way I see it a doctor's mission should be to inform the patient, and make a professional recommendation, not make decisions for them.

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Thats the problem with gov't. They think they have to tell doctors to do this stuff. I have two children born in different hospitals in different states and both times we had the doctor and a lactation specialist visit us to talk about breastfeeding. Doctors don't need more gov't involvement, they need less. As do all of us. They assume that we, the lowly peon citizens, aren't doing what we are supposed to do according to their agenda so they use their lofty perch to dictate what they think is best for us.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

My wife breast fed two...and could not breast feed the rest....Never noticed any different in the love they all have for her....its a womans choice to breastfeed or not....not freakin bloombergs..

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

It depends on the health and diet of the mother. Some toxins should be screened for as they are concentrated in breast milk. Some members probably got bad milk, a few of y'all ain't right.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

Aunt Spiker said:

Blind ignorance - maybe it's just the male obgyns and pediatricians? I never dealt with females - maybe they're more involved or concerned?

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In my experience, it tends to be post-partum nurses, at the hospital, which address the breast-feeding issue more often than doctors.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

lpast said:

My wife breast fed two...and could not breast feed the rest....Never noticed any different in the love they all have for her....its a womans choice to breastfeed or not....not freakin bloombergs..

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He probably just wants to divert the NY budget to other priorities, rather than supplying infant formula. :2razz:

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

I'm not sure many people realize that this isn't a law or anything. Yeah, Bloomberg is encouraging it, which is a little inappropriate, but this is something the hospitals are doing themselves, for the most part. This is a voluntary program.

I agree that they should not be lecturing mothers about this with every bottle they use, that is stupid. And if this was a law, it would be wrong. But it isn't a law right now. And only those hospitals who wish to participate are involved.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

lizzie said:

He probably just wants to divert the NY budget to other priorities, rather than supplying infant formula. :2razz:

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Sadly, thats probably the most accurate statement on this thread. It ALWAYS boils down to the almighty dollar. Maybe he'll redirect it to an Anti-Big Gulp Taskforce with a mission of finding all perps in possession of a sugary drink over 12oz. I wonder if he'll legislate that formula bottles are a part of the soda ban?

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

This country was so much better when "Leave it to Beaver" was reality.

Thanks to "progress" forced on us by the liberals, those days are gone.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

roguenuke said:

I'm not sure many people realize that this isn't a law or anything. Yeah, Bloomberg is encouraging it, which is a little inappropriate, but this is something the hospitals are doing themselves, for the most part. This is a voluntary program.

I agree that they should not be lecturing mothers about this with every bottle they use, that is stupid. And if this was a law, it would be wrong. But it isn't a law right now. And only those hospitals who wish to participate are involved.

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Yeah but its kinda like his "cops should go on strike" line. Its just something that should not be said and left alone. The guy's an idiot. No two ways about it.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

Sadly, thats probably the most accurate statement on this thread. It ALWAYS boils down to the almighty dollar. Maybe he'll redirect it to an Anti-Big Gulp Taskforce with a mission of finding all perps in possession of a sugary drink over 12oz. I wonder if he'll legislate that formula bottles are a part of the soda ban?

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Yep, that's the reason I thought of it. State budgets are tight right now- huge amounts of money go into feeding moms with kids. If you get moms to breastfeed, less money spent on formula, which is pretty damn expensive these days.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

Yeah but its kinda like his "cops should go on strike" line. Its just something that should not be said and left alone. The guy's an idiot. No two ways about it.

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They should have went on strike right after he said that...and told the media...They mayor told us we should...and after a day or two of criminals gone wild in the apple...bloomberg would be eating his own crap

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

lizzie said:

Yep, that's the reason I thought of it. State budgets are tight right now- huge amounts of money go into feeding moms with kids. If you get moms to breastfeed, less money spent on formula, which is pretty damn expensive these days.

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Formula is friggin ridiculous. Its highway robbery how much these companies charge for it. But, its kinda like oil. They know everyone needs it.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

Yeah but its kinda like his "cops should go on strike" line. Its just something that should not be said and left alone. The guy's an idiot. No two ways about it.

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I agree the guy is an idiot. He shouldn't be involved in this at all and he should leave it up to the Health Dept., who is running the program in the first place.

But I just can't totally disagree with this program. There are still plenty of hospitals that will feed your baby formula without your permission. And not only did they only have formula bags available for me at the hospital I delivered my second child at, despite breastfeeding him exclusively, but they were also only available in Spanish. The military hospital pushes mothers to breastfeed, even providing a pump in the room if needed and your baby stays with you. Civilian hospitals, at least the one I've delivered in, did not seem to support breastfeeding nearly as much as they did bottle feeding. I think there are even some civilian hospitals left that don't leave the baby in your room with you.

Now, I do disagree with the lecture parts. I do hope that the nurses don't do this the way it is being described. It is stupid to continually lecture a person about breastfeeding if they have already decided they don't want to do it. But I don't disagree with putting the formula away. That will encourage particularly young mothers to not give up too easily on breastfeeding if there is a chance. Now, if there isn't a chance, the nurses should go ahead and just encourage feedings as needed.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

roguenuke said:

I agree the guy is an idiot. He shouldn't be involved in this at all and he should leave it up to the Health Dept., who is running the program in the first place.

But I just can't totally disagree with this program. There are still plenty of hospitals that will feed your baby formula without your permission. And not only did they only have formula bags available for me at the hospital I delivered my second child at, despite breastfeeding him exclusively, but they were also only available in Spanish. The military hospital pushes mothers to breastfeed, even providing a pump in the room if needed and your baby stays with you. Civilian hospitals, at least the one I've delivered in, did not seem to support breastfeeding nearly as much as they did bottle feeding. I think there are even some civilian hospitals left that don't leave the baby in your room with you.

Now, I do disagree with the lecture parts. I do hope that the nurses don't do this the way it is being described. It is stupid to continually lecture a person about breastfeeding if they have already decided they don't want to do it. But I don't disagree with putting the formula away. That will encourage particularly young mothers to not give up too easily on breastfeeding if there is a chance. Now, if there isn't a chance, the nurses should go ahead and just encourage feedings as needed.

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Just for the record, neither of my childern were born in military hospitals. Both in civilian hospitals outside of large military towns.
The lecture thing is going to get a nurse beat down is what's going to happen. I asked a friend of mine, who is a nurse, if she would comply with this if our mayor did it and she just laughed.

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

Formula is friggin ridiculous. Its highway robbery how much these companies charge for it. But, its kinda like oil. They know everyone needs it.

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I remember paying 89 cts a can for enfamil if I bought a case on sale...regular price was 1.19 a can ...and saying damn this stuff is insane....I cant even imagine what it costs today for formula...

Re: Bloomberg pushing NY hospitals to hide baby formula so more new moms will breast-

MarineTpartier said:

Just for the record, neither of my childern were born in military hospitals. Both in civilian hospitals outside of large military towns.
The lecture thing is going to get a nurse beat down is what's going to happen. I asked a friend of mine, who is a nurse, if she would comply with this if our mayor did it and she just laughed.

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I had one in Tripler (which was actually awesome, especially considering the reputation that hospital has) and one in Raleigh (which sucked).

I agree with the lecture thing, that is but one reason that I hope those nurses go easy on it and don't actually do it as described. It just would not be good.

I just don't agree with putting this all on Bloomberg. Yeah the guy is an idiot for pushing this, but he isn't the only one in on this push. And it is voluntary. I have to wonder though if they talked to the nursing staff at all or if the hospitals just took it on themselves. There are some good things in this push that started about 5 years ago, including taking away formula promotions. But it definitely has to stay voluntary. Let the hospitals decide which ones will participate in the program, and let the people decide which hospital they will deliver in, including knowledge of participation in this program as part of that decision.