New York, NY – First they moved against smoking, and then trans fats. Now, city health officials are taking on the bottle — as in a baby's bottle.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Today they announced a new campaign to promote mom's milk instead of using formula, they want infants to eat at Mom's instead.
"We're producing it. Why not give it to the baby," Mashia Nelson said. You won't see any posters or promotional materials for formula in hospitals anymore. They've been banned at this hospital and 10 other New York City hospitals.
"Even though some formulas use nutrients found in breast milk, city doctors say research proves the natural way is best."Decrease in infections, upper respiratory, ear," said Dr. David Garry of Jacobi Medical Center. "Some benefit when it comes to IQ scores.
"Doctors also said breastfeeding helps mom's health too and burns 500 calories a day.
About a quarter of women who deliver at city hospitals choose to breastfeed. City officials want that number to triple by 2010. [wcbstv]
This is ridiculous. I made myself crazy to try breastfeeding for my baby I.e herbal treatment, diet, supplemental nursing systmes- You name it! But Hashem had other plans and the milk never came. Now what would my baby eat if not formula?
To the poster who complained about the women who claim they breastfeed when they actually use formula: Those checks come from the formula companies, not the goevernment. The companies send more and larger checks to women who breastfeed because they make the most money from women who switch from breastfeeding to formula feeding. Since this marketing strategy works for them, I doubt Ross, Mead-Johnson, et al will “run out” of money to spend on it.
I agree that breastfeeding is best for most mothers and babies, but women who don’t breastfeed are not necessarily selfish or lazy, but are choosing what’s best for them and their families. Some may not care to share medical reasons they have for not nursing and give other reasons as an excuse.
One way to encourage breastfeeding more in the frum community would be to stop discouraging frum women from nursing in public. Although babies may not mind nursing anywhere, a bathroom is usually not a hygienic or pleasant place to feed a baby, especially if the mother has other children who need to be supervised. Some people seem to be offended if they can tell that a woman is nursing, even if there is no skin visible. If they are offended, maybe they shouldn’t look so closely.
ok no more posters or promotional materials for formula.
are they putting up posters or promotional materials for breastfeeding?
when will thay start rulling on what clothing we can have
What is with all of you? Breastfeeding is what is best for the baby and the mother. The health benefits for both are incredible. It doesn’t sound like they are going the way of La Leche with a “breastfeed or else” campaign, just starting to encourage it.
In the frum commmunity, most women breastfeed so you may not realize how few in the rest of the country do. This has little to do with the cost of formula and more to do with the health of the mother and baby. Do you really think that formula is better than the natural food Hashem has provided for babies?
Certainly there are women who cannot breastfeed, and I hope that this does not push them to feel bad about it, but realistically most women don’t because they are too lazy or “want to keep their figure”. If you have a baby, you have a responsibility to give it the best that you can. This program will only encourage breastfeeding, not deny formula to those who need it.
BTW–maybe if people would stop lying about formula feeding when they are really breastfeeding so they can “cash in” their coupons at the grocery there would be more money to go around for those who really need it.
right!
its again this crazy liberlism gov. agenda (same as ‘banning’ trans-fat)has arisen – now they R telling (i mean forcing) mothers how to feed !!!
I know someone who tried very hard to nurse her babies and even hired someone to help her and she still wasn’t able to. If she would not have given her children bottles, they would have starved. I think all women who can , and most women can, should nurse their babies, but there are exeptions. Women should be encouraged to nurse and those who find it “distasteful” or feel it ties them down, are selfish. And then there are mothers who must go to work and can’t leave their children without bottles, so they can’t nurse either. Most women though do not work for the first 6 weeks after childbirth, so they should at least nurse their babies for that period of time.
Wic program cost them to much!
THe governemnt can’t even afford the milk prices. If you look at your checks you will notice that the monies allocated in your check does NOT cover your actual cost of getting the products on the check!
This is the same thing with seatbelts. The reason for the enforcement is that it will save the states major money in the long haul because if lives are saved and motorist were to drive safely then –LESS ACCIDENTS and less people going to hopspitals which cost the tx payers big time especially the medicaid system.
Forgive me for being cynical. It seems like breastfeeding is one topic whose proponents push at us with religous fanatacism. If a mother can breastfeed kol hakavod. Some women would really like to nurse but have difficulty doing so. However, to start regulating hospitals from providing formula is prepostrous.
I think the city is just doing this to save money. The WIC program is costing them too much.
It”s about time!