Does "pro-breastfeeding" equal "anti-formula"?

[pumpkinhead]

I don't think it should, but this seems to be a prevalent attitude among some passionate 'lactivists'. I don't think that one should have to equal another.

I hate that formula companies are allowed to market their product in the ways they do, but I don't hate formula. I wouldn't use it unless i needed it in the same way I wouldn't use perscription medication unless I needed it. It doesn't mean I hate perscription medication, but it does mean that I believe it should be used judiciously.

Opinions?

[MamaVolpe]

I dont hate formula or medications but I do hate their advertisement. I get very wound up when I see by prescription only meds being advertised on tv. I have no problem with over the counter med being advertised but why prescription meds??? : It buggs me to no end. I hate the little bouncy depressed cartoon that sells depression meds and the sleepy butterfly that flys arround putting everyone to sleep selling sleeping pills. : Same thing with formula, it more about the advertisment than what they are advertising. It is the attempt to make something that should be used on an "as needed basis" into an everyday convenience item. These are things that should be discussed with your dr when you have serious problems, not "Oohhh Dr I saw this cool butterfly on tv talking about making me sleep better can I get some of that!"

Thats just my 2 cents.

[melikahiwa]

Originally Posted by MamaVolpe

I dont hate formula or medications but I do hate their advertisement. I get very wound up when I see by prescription only meds being advertised on tv. I have no problem with over the counter med being advertised but why prescription meds??? : It buggs me to no end. I hate the little bouncy depressed cartoon that sells depression meds and the sleepy butterfly that flys arround putting everyone to sleep selling sleeping pills. : Same thing with formula, it more about the advertisment than what they are advertising. It is the attempt to make something that should be used on an "as needed basis" into an everyday convenience item. These are things that should be discussed with your dr when you have serious problems, not "Oohhh Dr I saw this cool butterfly on tv talking about making me sleep better can I get some of that!"

Thats just my 2 cents.

:

[Beccah+twins+1]

I agree with pp. What I hate about formula is the normalization of it. That it's completely accepted as NORMAL baby food. That so many people see absolutely nothing wrong with routinely feeding babies formula, as if it's what they are supposed to drink.

Do I think it's evil? No..my daughters were supplemented with formula most of the 5 months that I pumped for them, then had 100% formula from months 5-13. Did I EVER want them to have formula? NO. I absolutely agonized over the fact that it was necessary. I found it very difficult to even buy it. In the checkout line I felt like a fraud. Here I was a lactavist, someone who believes in and supports bf'ing 100%, buying cases of formula. I wanted a t-shirt that said "I wanted desperately to breastfeed!"

But are my daughters healthy? Probably..it appears so. I'll never know what difference having formula makes in their health. Do I believe that as a whole breastfed children are healthier? absolutely. I believe formula has a place, it's just not the FIRST place. It should be a last resort. And I think it should be avoided at all costs, it's not something to be used casually (like prescription medications) because it does have consequences, especially on the guts of very young babies.

My daughters had reflux that my son never had. They don't have any allergies thankfully, but I suppose that is yet to really be determined for all of them. I know they did not receive the same "feeding experience" that he has received, and I did not receive the experience feeding them that I wanted. My son has never and will never get formula, however not just because of the risks but because I knew I wanted to prove something to myself, that I could do it. That I could 100% breastfeed him. I needed to achieve that, given what feels like failure with my daughters.

I am pro-bfing, and to me that means supporting bf'ing moms in any way I can, which will in turn reduce formula use. I am for normalizing breastfeeding. Being anti-formula I think would be misdirected and not very effective.

[leila1213]

I hate formula, its marketing, its history, everything it stands for, and everything it has done to our country, our culture, our children, our world, and our species. That does NOT mean that I hate or am against moms who ff. Totally different and separate issues; although I think that this is where lactivists get a bad rap and why there is a "divide" between bf & ff moms.

[mom2snugbugs]

Originally Posted by leila1213

I hate formula, its marketing, its history, everything it stands for, and everything it has done to our country, our culture, our children, our world, and our species. That does NOT mean that I hate or am against moms who ff. Totally different and separate issues; although I think that this is where lactivists get a bad rap and why there is a "divide" between bf & ff moms.

:

[Beccah+twins+1]

Originally Posted by leila1213

I hate formula, its marketing, its history, everything it stands for, and everything it has done to our country, our culture, our children, our world, and our species. That does NOT mean that I hate or am against moms who ff. Totally different and separate issues; although I think that this is where lactivists get a bad rap and why there is a "divide" between bf & ff moms.

Very well said

[pumpkinhead]

Originally Posted by leila1213

I hate formula, its marketing, its history, everything it stands for, and everything it has done to our country, our culture, our children, our world, and our species. That does NOT mean that I hate or am against moms who ff. Totally different and separate issues; although I think that this is where lactivists get a bad rap and why there is a "divide" between bf & ff moms.

See, I don't hate formula. Formula hasn't done anything to our country but feed children. It has saved many lives. I am GRATEFUL for formula. If you replace the word 'Formula' in your post to "Companies that manufacture, market, advertise formula" then we're on the same page. I can never say that I hate something that is responsible for saving children who otherwise might have died.

[carriebft]

I'd say I'm anti formula in the same way I am anti circumcision. Yeah, sometimes circumcision is needed, but, other than those times, it's unncessary and harmful. The same goes for formula.

[timneh_mom]

I am not anti formula, clearly, there is a need for a breast milk substitute for some babies. What I don't like is the lack of support and good, correct information for women who want to breast feed. It's out there, but it's not enough! I know too many moms who quit nursing because they couldn't make it work for one reason or another. I also know if they'd had good support, maybe a good LLL group, a lactation consultant, a knowledgable mother, or someone who could have given them the information they needed, they would have been able to continue.

I don't hate formula and I don't hate moms who use it... even moms who think breast feeding is gross or whatever are a product of our society. In another time, it would have been as normal as breathing. Moms do the best they can at the time, maybe this makes me a bad lactivist but I don't think hating formula is the answer, I think support and education are a big part of it.
I think the trend toward breastfeeding is getting better but has a long way to go. It saddens me that formula feeding is seen as the same as breast feeding and we all know how it got that way. Companies do a lot of unethical things all the time and this is one of them, no matter what it is they are trying to sell to make a buck.

[bellymama]

i don't hate formula, i just hate that it is pushed on mama's who don't need it at all, sometimes to the point that start to believe that they do need it for some "health" reason or another. i don't judge women who use it (or at least i try so hard not to) because i can't walk in their shoes and i know that being a mom is hard, and different for everyone.
sometimes i think that it would be nice if formula was like a prescription drug, you had to be prescribed it by your doctor if 1. you were unable to produce milk 2. you were unable to produce enough milk...otherwise i kind of feel like, why the heck would you give your baby formula?
i do hate formula companies because of what they have done to other countries by making them think it is superior to milk, and then babies die because of poor water quality.

[Hopesmommy]

Originally Posted by Beccah+twins+1

I agree with pp. What I hate about formula is the normalization of it. That it's completely accepted as NORMAL baby food. That so many people see absolutely nothing wrong with routinely feeding babies formula, as if it's what they are supposed to drink.

Do I think it's evil? No..my daughters were supplemented with formula most of the 5 months that I pumped for them, then had 100% formula from months 5-13. Did I EVER want them to have formula? NO. I absolutely agonized over the fact that it was necessary. I found it very difficult to even buy it. In the checkout line I felt like a fraud. Here I was a lactavist, someone who believes in and supports bf'ing 100%, buying cases of formula. I wanted a t-shirt that said "I wanted desperately to breastfeed!"

But are my daughters healthy? Probably..it appears so. I'll never know what difference having formula makes in their health. Do I believe that as a whole breastfed children are healthier? absolutely. I believe formula has a place, it's just not the FIRST place. It should be a last resort. And I think it should be avoided at all costs, it's not something to be used casually (like prescription medications) because it does have consequences, especially on the guts of very young babies.

My daughters had reflux that my son never had. They don't have any allergies thankfully, but I suppose that is yet to really be determined for all of them. I know they did not receive the same "feeding experience" that he has received, and I did not receive the experience feeding them that I wanted. My son has never and will never get formula, however not just because of the risks but because I knew I wanted to prove something to myself, that I could do it. That I could 100% breastfeed him. I needed to achieve that, given what feels like failure with my daughters.

I am pro-bfing, and to me that means supporting bf'ing moms in any way I can, which will in turn reduce formula use. I am for normalizing breastfeeding. Being anti-formula I think would be misdirected and not very effective.

ITA. I could've written this post (except that I don't have twins). I have a feeling that this thread will be pulled, though, since it's talking about formula as not being "evil". Apparently, yes, if you're a lactivist then formula is "poison" for your child.

I wish that the majority of people bfed, but there are a few who can't or need to suppliment.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by Hopesmommy

ITA. I could've written this post (except that I don't have twins). I have a feeling that this thread will be pulled, though, since it's talking about formula as not being "evil". Apparently, yes, if you're a lactivist then formula is "poison" for your child.

You may want to read MDC's Lactivism forum statement of purpose, which makes it very clear that this is not the place to villify mothers who formula feed. The purpose of this forum is to promote breastfeeding, not to denounce formula as poison.

The Lactivism forum is not intended to be a place where MDCers to bash mothers who are formula feeding. It is understandable that lactivists become frustrated over the mainstream formula feeding culture. Criticizing ideas, campaigns, and actions that negatively impact breastfeeding are all acceptable forms of lactivism. Name calling, criticizing individuals, or attacking women who choose to formula feed as a group are not.

[carriebft]

nevermind, the issue was addressed.

[annettemarie]

Actually, as a moderator, I'm going to ask that any further posts that denounce lactivists as being rabid formula haters please be taken off board. If someone has an issue with someone's posting habits, it needs to be reported and not discussed on a thread, as per the user agreement. Thanks!

[carriebft]

Is it ok to discuss the idea that there exist people who use the idea of formula= poison as a tool against lactivism? I can't quite word that right, but it's soemthing I have been thinking about.

[annettemarie]

That's a great topic, I think, as long as we're not discussing member behavior.

nak

[carriebft]

I just have this feeling that sometimes we as lactivists let others define the terms.

For example, to most lactivists I know, "anti formula" does not mean "I don't think formula should be available to moms who medically need it or adoptive moms, etc". Yet, this is exactly what some people on the other side of the movement want to be believed. They want to define the terms.

I've never been great at explainging my thoughts, so if I figure out a better way to talk about this I will post it!

[rmzbm]

Originally Posted by leila1213

I hate formula, its marketing, its history, everything it stands for, and everything it has done to our country, our culture, our children, our world, and our species. That does NOT mean that I hate or am against moms who ff. Totally different and separate issues; although I think that this is where lactivists get a bad rap and why there is a "divide" between bf & ff moms.

:

[carriebft]

another thing (and maybe this is a new thread) is that it seems like we sometimes get caught in the "formula = poison" mud that the other side sets out for us. It's like spinning your wheels to engage in conversation about formula = poison...I feel like it kind of like a trap set by those who want to stall lactivism. We get sidetracked by it.