"Breastfeeding" Formula Bags

[Da WIC Lady]

When we were leaving the hospital, the nurse asked me if I wanted a "goody bag". I asked what was in it, and she said she would be sure to bring me the one for breastfeeding moms. When I asked her to take the formula out of it she was surprised and said she didn't know there was formula in them. When she returned, she told me she took the formula out and was surprised they put the stuff in there for breastfeeding moms. I said something about how it's marketing, and the breastfeeding advise in the books set moms up for failure and then they conveniently have formula there instead of seeking help with the breastfeeding.

So to my point, I guess. If the nurses don't realize exactly what is in the diaper bags they're handing out, doesn't that make it all the worse? Has anyone else run into this? Anyone have any ideas on what to do on a local level to at least educate HCPs on the insidious nature of these bags without alienating them?

The funny thing is, the bag itself hasn't even made it in the house yet and DD2 is a month old. I'm probably going to take it with me on the plane trip this week, but that's because it's just the right size for travel on a plane and two of them will fit in the basket of my stroller. I just wish I could rip the Similac logo off the front without damaging the bag.

Anna

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

There are ways to take the logo off the bag. Those "breastfeeding support bags" are not meant for support at all! They are strategically designed to sabatoge breastfeeding when a bf mama is at a low point. They contain a bottle of ready to feed formula, and a package of powder, and tons of literature on breastfeeding that is not factual, that says things like, if you feel like your baby needs more milk than you can provide right now, <insert brand> is the next best thing. Its disgusting, and I actually have heard that its part of the contract for the nurses to not tamper with the bags, there is a seal you have to cut to get the zipper to open so that people can't remove the formula from the bf bags. Formula company's are evil. They are not at all about the health of babies or supporting bf mamas.

[Da WIC Lady]

I'm well aware that they are not for support, but for sabotage. I hate seeing them in my waiting rooms. What I'm asking is how can we as mothers educate HCPs about the realities of what these bags do and the danger they put babies in without alienating them?

Anna

[mamadelbosque]

I think this really varias from one place to another... I got a similac-brand diaper bag... with a *good* breastfeeding book, milk storage bottles, ice packs, pads, lanisoh, etc... it was very nice. I was very impressed

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

I think this really varias from one place to another... I got a similac-brand diaper bag... with a *good* breastfeeding book, milk storage bottles, ice packs, pads, lanisoh, etc... it was very nice. I was very impressed

Was there a seal preventing your zipper from opening? If not, I would bet that the nurses opened up the bag and repacked it with things that would better benefit a bf mom.

[annettemarie]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

I think this really varias from one place to another... I got a similac-brand diaper bag... with a *good* breastfeeding book, milk storage bottles, ice packs, pads, lanisoh, etc... it was very nice. I was very impressed

And some formula samples and coupons, I'm sure. And every time you take it in public, you're providing Similac with free advertising. Formula companies have zero interest in promoting breastfeeding.

[Da WIC Lady]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

And some formula samples and coupons, I'm sure. And every time you take it in public, you're providing Similac with free advertising. Formula companies have zero interest in promoting breastfeeding.

Goes to show what I remember about the hospital, I brought in the bag and it was Enfamil. I was able to pry the metal medallion off the front so I'm not advertising for them. Now it looks like a regular messenger bag. I guess I have Similac on the brain from work since they are our contract formula. Yikes this is getting kinda scary.

Still, anyone, any ideas on how to educate the HCPs on the damage to breastfeeding these bags cause?

Anna

[annettemarie]

I was actually quoting another poster above (although I bet even without the medallion people will recognize it as a formula bag)

I don't think HCP have a lot of say on these things, to be honest. As long as the formula companies have deep pockets and lots of reps, the HCP will do what they're told. It's going to take legislative change to make things different, and that's proven to be a rocky path.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

And every time you take it in public, you're providing Similac with free advertising. Formula companies have zero interest in promoting breastfeeding.

:

[Breastfeeding Insomniac]

Originally Posted by Da WIC Lady

Still, anyone, any ideas on how to educate the HCPs on the damage to breastfeeding these bags cause?

This is a good place to start:
http://banthebags.org/

This is something helpful to print out and bring to your hospital, OB, or Ped:
http://banthebags.org/bb-pdf/BanDiaperBagsPost.pdf

Just an FYI, I can not really go into detail here, but my most recent dealings with the formula company regarding the hospital becoming baby-friendly proved to me that the formula company truly is evil.

[hollytheteacher]

Originally Posted by Breastfeeding Insomniac

There are ways to take the logo off the bag. Those "breastfeeding support bags" are not meant for support at all! They are strategically designed to sabatoge breastfeeding when a bf mama is at a low point. They contain a bottle of ready to feed formula, and a package of powder, and tons of literature on breastfeeding that is not factual, that says things like, if you feel like your baby needs more milk than you can provide right now, <insert brand> is the next best thing. Its disgusting, and I actually have heard that its part of the contract for the nurses to not tamper with the bags, there is a seal you have to cut to get the zipper to open so that people can't remove the formula from the bf bags. Formula company's are evil. They are not at all about the health of babies or supporting bf mamas.

Yep this is true, but the funny thing is , at my obgyn when the nurse gave me a bag she said (be sure to throw out the formula as soon as you get home!) hehe and i did! I really didn't keep much out of the bag...i think there was a free prepartion H packet and butt paste (for diaper rash) that i kept lol and threw away most of it.

[oskie]

In addition to the formula sample (y'know, "just in case" , I had a sample razor set in my goody bag.

Just because I can finally reach my ankles, doesn't mean I'm racing to shave my legs anytime soon.

I took the icepack inner bag and pitched the rest of that crap.

[2lilsweetfoxes]

I think I just took the formula out of the bag and set it on the bedside table when I left and then went through the samples and threw out over 2/3 of them, keeping only the ones I would use--like the sample diaper and clothes detergent. But, it has been several years, so I do not remember exactly what I kept...

[Cullens_Girl]

the hospital I birthed at was baby-friendly and I didn't get a bag with my first. However we were transferred to a NICU in another hospital with my second and I went home with two Similac bags... these were for preemies and had Neosure in them.

Besides the regular packets inside... what I did find very helpful in them was the pamplet on "breastfeeding your preemie" or something of the sort. It was better than the total lack of breastfeeding support I got in the hospital NICU. (the LC they did send me upstairs however was great)

I donated the formula and kept both bags for emergencies (one for each car)

On a side note I'm exclusively pumping at the moment and really I wish formula companies would donate their extra money to help support breastfeeding education rather than stinkin diaper bags. :

[phreedom]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

Formula companies have zero interest in promoting breastfeeding.

Yep. We have 2 different formula bags. One for breastfeeding moms and one for FF moms. Both contain formula samples. The BFing one also contains some ice packs and a breastfeeding book. The book was okay, but nothing revolutionary.

Our BFing council decided that we were to remove the formula samples from the bags of BFing mothers. This did not go over to well with them. There were many complaints. They felt their bags were tampered with when they saw the broken seal and would often demand a new one, even when we put BFing goodies in there instead (nursing pads, lansinoh, water bottle). There were too many complaints so now we have to ask. Most of the time they want it.

It has been suggested that we just give the bags to FF moms only. But many people feel this is unfair to BFing moms.

I wish we would just get rid of the stupid bags.

[Susuhound]

The nurse knew what was in the bag, she just didn't want you to know she did. Probably she has gone through this before with other mothers and didn't have the time/patience/inclination to bother.

I don't accept 'free' samples in any setting, but especially this setting. "Somebody' paid for your handy bag.

[phreedom]

Our enfamil/similac bags say right on the outside label that it contains a "free" formula sample. It's sickening, but certainly not surprising.

I honestly don't bother taking it out anymore either. I always ask the BFing moms if they would like me to remove the formula and explain the rationale for it. But when you are with looks of disbelief and a huffy "YES, I want my free formula, why are you even asking" attitude then you tend not to argue. I have no desire to push formula and it saddens me to think they have been led to believe that they need it "just in case", but I'm not going to sit there and argue with them either.

It's probably because an overwhelming percentage of people want the formula, maybe she just assumed you would too. I don't think she was deliberately trying to set you up for failure.

[Romana]

I love the BF bag I got from the hospital. No formula samples in the bag. And I was never going to be tricked, guilted, or weakened into giving my baby a bottle of formula just because I got a BF bag. I cried like a river when I gave dd expressed breastmilk in a bottle at 3.5 wks (b/c BF was established and I was going back to work at 8 wks pp and didn't want it to be a problem). I'm actually kind of sad that the marketing works, because I really liked getting the bag.

IIRC, the BF bag contained:

The most relevant and helpful excerpts from The Nursing Mother's Companion in a ~25 page booklet (GREAT for mamas new to BF and needing good advice)

Freezer packs with Similac (or some other formula company name) written on them , which I took delight in using to keep my expressed breastmilk cool for my EBF baby

Small sample pack of Lansinoh breastfeeding pads

Diaper coupons

That was it - no formula coupons and no formula. No bottles. I remember that specifically because I was looking for BF-sabotage items. I don't remember the bag having a big logo on it or anything . . . that would have irritated me. It was just a black bag. I don't think we've used it for baby-related stuff, either - we had already bought a diaper bag. But it's been handy for other things and that Nursing Mother's Companion booklet really helped me during the first days when the LCs were rather non-existent and/or unhelpful in the hospital and I was feeling clueless at home (dh went out and bought the complete book for me when dd was about a week old).

I think every new mother should get a free copy of the Nursing Mother's Companion.

[nausicaamom]

I have to say I'm, really looking forward to just leaving the bag on the bed if I'm offered one this time 'round. Besides, if I have to supplement with ABM for any reason the husband will be trekking to the store to get some ready-to-feed because it's sterile and much more appropriate for a newborn although *knock on wood* I'm confident that this time it won't be necessary since I'll be much better informed. I'm actually a little dissapointed I haven't gotten any samples in the mail that I could write the big "RETURN TO SENDER" on like I've been planning.

[IdahoMom]

Originally Posted by Da WIC Lady

the breastfeeding advise in the books set moms up for failure

Explain?