Curious about this picture...

[~Nikki~]

In a link on another post, I wandered around on the woman's site and found the following area:

(**Warning - Graphic**)

Breastfeeding

The picture at the top supposidly shows a woman with her two babies. The caption with the pictures says: "This mother breastfed one twin and bottle fed the other--I don't have to tell you which is which, do I?"

Does anyone know if this is for real? The picture is pretty grainy, and it's hard to tell if it was "doctored" at all, or maybe it's not twins at all, but a very malnourished child that the woman is taking care of. If it's real, I don't know what to think of it. On one hand, I don't think that anyone, anywhere could look at this picture and continue to think that formula feeding is just as good as breastfeeding. But on the other hand, as a parent, I can't possibly comprehend how a mother could see one of her children suffering and continue to feed it something that the child clearly is not thriving on.

Any thoughts?

[Persephone]

It's real. The woman had a boy and a girl, and was encouraged to save all the breastmilk for the boy. The girl died the day after the picture was taken.

Of course, formula, if used properly, won't do that to a baby. But in impoverished nations, where formula is being pushed, people are tempted to dilute the formula to make it last longer. And that level of malnourishment can happen. It's one reason why what formula companies are doing in third world countries is so despiciable.

[wendy1221]

Oh, that pic is for real and accurate. I used that pic myself as an overhead in a speech I gave in my speech com class in college. I figured it would give the kids in my class something to think about. My prof afterwards told me he was very pro-bfing as well and thought my topic was great and well done. LOL! He was single w/ no kids, ftr. But I think he was gay.

That pic is straight out of "Milk, Money and Madness." That was amy major source of info for my speech. Great book, btw. They had it in the University library, if you can believe it. I miss Penn State! LOL!

The woman is Muslim, obviously, can't remember what country, but she was told moms can't bf twins, so she bf the boy and bottlefed the girl. I told my class that although something as bad as this was rare in our country, it DOES even happen here. Some babies just can't digest formula. THey aren't meant to. Their mother's milk is perfect for them.

[Gidget]

And don't forget the terrible water. If I remember right, that womans mil told her that she would only have enough for one baby and it was more important that the boy was bf'ed.

Another sad and tragic result of formula companies and thier underhanded selling tactics.

[Belle]

She was in Pakistan. Here's more on that photo. http://www.*********/w/baby_milk2.html

[neveryoumindthere]

[Monkeybutt]

thats horrible!!

[RachelGS]

Oh, how incredibly tragic. That's heartbreaking.

[4cornersmamma]

need I say more?

[~Nikki~]

Wow, I was kind of hoping the picture was faked. How sad.

Thanks for the background information on it.

[Still_Snarky]

That's awful.

[thismama]

Omg how terribly sad. And to think she could have breastfed both babes...

[onlyboys]

That is just plain awful.

[DahliaRW]

That makes me want to cry - how awful!

[Jordansmommy]

Oh goodness...

[MamaAllNatural]

You can see the picture more clearly and read about the story in an excellent book Milk, Money, and Madness. It is a wonderful book that I encourage everyone to read.

That picture and story haunted me and broke my heart.

[squirrelletta]

That got me sick...I want to cry.

When I think of intellegent woman in THIS country, using formula, it gets me sick.

[atomicmama]

I'm beyond sad

[Marielena]

Thats terrible. I agree with Nikki I was also hoping it was faked.

[treemom2]

When I first looked at that pic I thought it was fake as well, now I'm just so sad to think that the woman was given such misinformation about being able to bf her children