The National Opinion Survey

[reivi]

I got the survey myself and decided to do a little research on what I was filling out. Which, by the way, you should always do before you go filling out anything asking pesonal information ESPECIALLY when it involves your kids! Anywho, I read most of your comments and I really think you ladies need to calm down. I agree that breast feeding is the absolute BEST choice for babies. And every formula company now states that on just about EVERYTHING they hand out. So I'm not sure about them wanting to undermine mother's who are breast feeding. That being said, you all need to realize that not every woman is able to breast feed. I tried VERY hard and could not produce enough for my baby. Being that I sadly had to rely on formula to nourish my child, I'm glad these companies are doing the research required to produce a safe, healthy and nourishing substitute to breast feeding. As for where they place thier product, I don't really care. It's ultimately up to us mother's to decide what is best for our children. I got Similac from my hospital and have ended up with an Enfimil product. I never liked Enfimil in the past, but this is what has worked best for my baby. AGAIN as a 2nd best choice to breast feeding.

[Fynns Mommy]

Of course I dont know your situation; you're probably one of the few women who actually cant produce enough milk. But not everyone realizes that that doesnt happen very often. Our bodies are MADE to produce enough milk. I thought I wasnt making enough because my son was hungry constantly and never wanted to stop eating. He'd eat til he drained one side then drain the other, then do it again. He was just cluster-feeding luckily.

It is good that there's a relatively safe (ya know, aside from the bug and larvae parts) alternative. But what did mothers do before there was an alternative? Most mammals dont have the option to use a backup. I think that if humans had no backup, more women would find that they actually CAN make enough milk if they dont quit too soon.

I'll add the link for an article I saw here yesterday. It talks about how verbiage makes formula seem like 2nd best, when in reality, it is 4th best. First is breastfeeding. 2nd is your breast milk in a bottle. 3rd is another human's milk. 4th is formula. Breastfed babies arent "healthier" than formula fed babies. They are normal, and formula fed babies tend to be unhealthy (ear infections, allergies, overall well-being).

What truly bothers me is that women I know closely figure that since their formula fed babies "turned out fine" that formula is completely acceptable. My cousin has 3 formula boys and thinks I'm overreacting about not wanting my son to ever have formula. I have to tell her that just because it's "not that bad" that doesnt mean it's good. 

Here's that link: http://www.motherchronicle.com/watchyourlanguage.html 

[Meredith&Alexander]

Then why do they intentionally obscure who the survey is from?