Another formula bag idea-- for BF moms delivering in hospital

[Synchro246]

When I delivered in the hospital I got the BF bag with the big can of formula. Nothing felt better to me than to leave that can behind (I set it up very obviously on the isolette--they knew I was a loud and proud BFer). I really felt like I was giving my body a vote of confidence by abandoning that free formula.
I wish I had taken a picture of it sitting there on the isolette. I wish I had put a no-thank you note with it.

I think it would be great if anyone here has a hospital birth they do this. Leave the formula and a note, take a picture and send it to me with a note about how it felt to leave that can behind and if there were moments where you may have used it if you had brought it home but you didn't. I'd like to make a montage or a site or something. . .

[MrsRitchie]

My mom is an OB nurse and I'm not sure what she does with the BFing formula bags, but if the mom is particularly whiney or what not and formula feeding, she takes the free samples out of their bags.. Shhhh...don't tell!

[jmcqabigler]

I like that idea but i no longer have my babies in hospital but i would do that if I did. and send you a picture

[annettemarie]

I've told this story before, but when I had my last, they tried to give me the "breastfeeding success" (vomit) bag. I just refused to take it. I was nice, and said, "No thank you, we don't need it." The nurse was just flummoxed. She tried to tell me that she didn't think they could release me without it. I just glared at her at that point, and she left. It was so weird.

[Momtwice]

I refused mine the second time too. The first time I didn't know I could do that. Doing it felt SO GOOD!

If it happened now (unlikely to have more kids) and they refused to listen to no I'd put it in the trash. The whole bag.

[ripcurlgirl26]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

The nurse was just flummoxed. She tried to tell me that she didn't think they could release me without it..

Holy cow! Like the bag is part of the discharge requirements or something. :

I got some sort of bag when I had DS, a Similac BFing bag. It had some plastic freezer bottles of EBM and a bottle cooler. I did have DS at a major BFing-friendly hospital, and I never saw a can of formula once there. Nor did they try giving DS one of those green hospital pacis (not like I would have used it anyway).

I think that's a great idea though. Along with a no thank you, I trust my body note. I'm a web developer, I should make a site!

[jessjgh1]

How about this, someone take a picture of all the boxes or piled formula they end up mailing to you anyways, at your front doorstep. (Stage the shot even). Not really needed, but makes a point and visual images are always nice.

I think there is this image that if you don't get your free bag you can't get one, but that is NOT the case. I got many things mailed directly to me. Big HUGE boxes. Gee, always would get excited that it was a present or somethng till I'd get close enough to see the box.

Print up a nice generic letter with info on WHO and why formulas should NOT give special treatment to formula companies. Include info on the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative (or Baby Friendly one that WHO does, MFCH incorporates that one) http://www.motherfriendly.org/MFCI/steps/
One we have one letter, we can all use it.

Then leave that behind w/ a 'nice' no thanks note and a message that you will be telling all you expecting friends about your experience and won't recommend their hospital till they ban the bag or make steps towards MFCI.

CC the CEO and maternity head on your letters and send that off too.

Gee, can you tell I'm trying to do everything to make hospital birth 'fun' if I can't get a homebirth.

Jessica

[mom2snugbugs]

Originally Posted by ripcurlgirl26

I got some sort of bag when I had DS, a Similac BFing bag. It had some plastic freezer bottles of EBM and a bottle cooler.

This was in my bag. I used the little black freezer bag to carry my ebm when I was working part time with my first dc.

:

[crittersmom]

I used my bag for storing frozen chunks of fruit when we started feeding solids.
I just vented about how I went on our L&D tour and they had the nerve to give out formula samples.This hospital appears to be the most unbaby, unmama friendly one I've been to and this will be my fourth.

[heldt123]

I got two bags with my second child. One at my first OB appointment, and another one when I delivered. I ended up giving it away, but never thought about leaving it there. I enjoy the other stuff in there, like the lasinoh and breast pads.

[St. Margaret]

Great idea, theboysmama! Also for anyone sending back any....

This is why I love that my hospital is Baby Friendly! You have to bring your own formula if you want to use it. They don't even have any on hand "in case" for mamas!

[rmzbm]

I did that last time! She (the sweetest nurse I've EVER had) came with the bag & almost seemed embarassed to offer it. I said "No, thanks, I'm breastfeeding" and told her I felt that they sabotoged BFing relationships. She agreed & offered that she agreed formula should not come in either the BFing bags OR the FFing bags & that mothers should be educated on BFing if they say they want to FF.
This is the same nurse who LITERALLY clapped when I said we declined circ. if our DD happened to be a boy!
Oh - another funny... ...they had a dry erase board in the hosp. rooms where they write the baby's full name, mom's name, date and time of birth, birth stats & method of feeding...she wrote "I'm a lucky BF'd baby - thanks, Mom!" with little hearts on my DD's board!

[jessjgh1]

Originally Posted by rmzbm

...she wrote "I'm a lucky BF'd baby - thanks, Mom!" with little hearts on my DD's board!

That's wonderful!!! I hope her coworkers took notice too!

Jessica

[sunflowers]

I got a BFing Enfamil bag that had samples of lansinoh, some 'sposie breast pads, a bunch of enfamil 90cc disposable bottles (which didn't fit my medela pump) and a full size can of formula. I didn't even look in the bag for several weeks since dd was xfrerred to a children's hospital.

I wanted to mention that the children's hospital also offered a bag- but only for BFing/pumping moms. It was a smallish blue cooler bag (about the size of a lunch bag) that says "Babies were meant to be Breastfed". Nothing inside except a reusable freezer pouch and literature about LLL and the meetings the lcatation consultants ran at the hospital for NICU moms.

Everybody was soooo jealous of my bag That's what I call a bag for BFing moms!

[rmzbm]

Cool...I'd take a bag like that!

[Lisoula]

Originally Posted by rmzbm

Oh - another funny... ...they had a dry erase board in the hosp. rooms where they write the baby's full name, mom's name, date and time of birth, birth stats & method of feeding...she wrote "I'm a lucky BF'd baby - thanks, Mom!" with little hearts on my DD's board!

As an L&D/OB nurse - I just LOVE that idea! I'm going to start doing that with all my BF mommas!!!

Originally Posted by sunflowers

I wanted to mention that the children's hospital also offered a bag- but only for BFing/pumping moms. It was a smallish blue cooler bag (about the size of a lunch bag) that says "Babies were meant to be Breastfed". Nothing inside except a reusable freezer pouch and literature about LLL and the meetings the lcatation consultants ran at the hospital for NICU moms.

I have GOT to talk to the big-wigs at my hospital about getting something similar. I always get sad when I see moms of the little 24-weekers and such bringing in their EBM in the formula company cooler bags.

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by Lisoula

As an L&D/OB nurse - I just LOVE that idea! I'm going to start doing that with all my BF mommas!!![/B]

[~Nikki~]

Am I the only one who didn't receive a formula bag? They don't give them out at our hospital, at all.

[brightonwoman]

I took the diaper bag...
I kept the milk storage bottles (for EBM thank you!)
I kept the little insulated milk storage bag (EBM again...I may need it someday...meanwhile it's great for ds's lunches)
I gave the diaper coupons to my sister, who uses 'sposies.
I sold the formula coupons on ebay. Is that wicked? I'm poor!
I gave the formula samples to a women's shelter.

I dunno. I agree that it's sick and wrong to give formula samples in the "breastfeeding" bag, as though we were expected to fail....on the other hand, I just paid it forward, you know? If I had the resources, I would have tried to get the formula samples to an orphanage in Africa or something. But I had no idea how to go about that, so a local shelter had to be good enough.

[NewMama2007]

I just had DD and was obviously bfdg. I let the nursery know that there would be major issues if they fed my child artificial milk. I had a crib card that I brought that said "I'm a lucky breastfed baby, please no bottles, pacifiers, and let me stay with mommy as much as possible". Despite all that, I got the Similac bag, which had a container of single-serving formula packets (like those little things you pour into water bottles that make yucky "tea" or lemonade?) in it. The stickers all over the outside said "Breastfeeding Support". Bullpoop. No Lansinoh, no information sheets, no breast pads.

On the plus side, my pump for when I return to work fits much nicer in this larger bag than in the bag it came with, and there was a better cooler pack too. I just cut of that creepy teddy bear logo thingie.

Oh, and I left the formula behind on top of all the dirty linens when we were discharged.

I would have loved something like PP was talking about - information sheets, Lansinoh, LLL contact information, etc. I would have been very very impressed.