Why oh why does ban the bags=no freedom of choice to some people?

[lacysmommy]

On a blog of friends from growing up, there are many political discussions going on. Someone posted a huge post about how Romney is super swell, but there are a couple of us who disagree. In reality, my only big beef with him is the whole ban-the-bags thing that went down in Massachusetts. I responded with my disgust for him doing this. I wrote,

But Mitt Romney overturned the ban, caving to big business. Romney claims that corporations should be able to distribute whatever they want in hospitals, and that women should be free to choose how they feed their babies, and not be forced to breastfeed.

I completely agree with Romeny's statements there! However, the Ban the Bags initiative does not take away choice. It simply takes away aggressive formula advertising from vulnerable women. They weren't taking formula out of hospitals. Nor were they banning formula samples altogether (which I personally think would be a good idea for a myriad of reasons, but that's another topic for another day!). They're simply saying that hospitals cannot give out the freebie bags. That's it!?

One friend of mine responded saying (I'm paraphrasing here) you don't think women should have the right to choose which way to feed their children? While I personally chose to breastfeed, it's not my right to determine how other women should feed their children. Women have the right to choose!

People seriously need to learn some critical reading skills! I really have no idea how support for the ban-the-bags initiative can be translated when some people read it to you-have-to-breastfeed-or-else!

[folkgirl]

I think people feel that way because 1) they're oversensitive based on the way they ended up feeding their own children, whether they failed at breastfeeding, supplemented, or just chose formula from the get-go. 2) They are dismissive of the role that marketing plays in our culture. They think, "Oh, if someone is really determined to breastfeed then a bag is not going to stop her! The research (and even a cursory understanding of how marketing works) suggests otherwise.

On another board I belong to, there was a discussion about banning formula ads (umm... following the WHO code which is currently ignored, actually) and the majority (mostly people who had failed at BF or combo fed) said that formula companies had the right to advertise like anyone else - again ignoring the research that suggests this is harmful and overlooking the fact that formula advertising techniques are often far from honest. And that breastfeeding is a public health issue and it is in the best interest of the greater good that more people breastfeed. Anyway, several people said that FFers needed the ads to choose what brand of formula to use. And that if they didn't have formula ads, some people would not know formula existed and they would give cow's milk instead. : Yeah, I don't get it either.

[sapphire_chan]

Most accurate answer: people are (mild UA Violation) and have the reasoning skills of small dry-roasted peanuts. Unfortunately, even people who do brilliant deductions as part of their work can be deliberately (seemingly) obtuse when it comes to stuff we find obvious.

[Claire and Boys]

Anyway, several people said that FFers needed the ads to choose what brand of formula to use. And that if they didn't have formula ads, some people would not know formula existed and they would give cow's milk instead.

lmao...No, that doesn't happen, here in the UK formula ads are not allowed for babies under six months (although they can advertise follow on milks) Yet still the vast majority of women choose to formula feed.

I have noticed this as well and it has been supported by the formula companies themselves..What was that website set up by the International Formula Council - think it was called Moms Feeding Freedom or something. Arguing that Ban the Bags was about forcing women to breastfeed, don't understand what that has to do with formula bags.
Hospitals don't give out formula bags over here at all. I wonder what these people would think to the policy instated by the hospital I birthed in - No formula given out at all, if you want to FF by choice, you have to bring your own. It's a cost cutting exercise more than anything I think, but honestly I don't really see why the NHS should pay for formula (apart from a small store for when it is medically necessary)

[rabbitmum]

Originally Posted by folkgirl

They are dismissive of the role that marketing plays in our culture.

I think this is true. The American notion of "freedom" never stops baffling me. : Norway follows the WHO recommendations and they work! The people who need formula still find it.

[justJen]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Most accurate answer: people are (mild UA Violation) and have the reasoning skills of small dry-roasted peanuts.

: Oh, that's hysterical! I have tears in my eyes. <still chuckling>

[sonrisaa29]

Personally I think hospitals could solve the "freedom of choice" issue by handing out bf bags to all women and have formula bags for moms who cannot medically breastfeed.

[jessjgh1]

Originally Posted by sonrisaa29

Personally I think hospitals could solve the "freedom of choice" issue by handing out bf bags to all women and have formula bags for moms who cannot medically breastfeed.

Actually, the ban provided for this.

Contrary to formula company rumors, the ban would not have affected a mother’s choice. Women who chose to formula feed would still have gotten formula in the hospital. They could have dialed a 1-800 number to enroll in company coupon and sample programs. The formula companies could have shipped the bags to mothers’ homes. The ban simply said hospitals should not give out the bags.

http://www.banthebags.org/
(emphasis mine)

Yeah, hospitals should be promoting and supporting breastfeeding not giving free marketing and implying formula is fine by handing out a bag of it.

Other good info from MA Breastfeeding Coalition:
http://www.massbfc.org/advocacy/makeCase.html
scroll down to ban the bag

The bags advertise only pricey name-brands:

Remind people that the ban hurst ff moms too--

"...the bags encourage all parents to spend more money, an average of $700 more a year above store brands."

The 'free' formula is a more expensive brand... and it is ill-advised for parents to switch forumula on a newborn.

The whole idea that people are prevented from getting a 'free' bag is so annoying to me. Just fill out a stupid form and get one MAILED to you. Then you have it at home and don't have to cart it back from the hospital

Jessica

[mamajake]

If regulation were passed requiring that hospitals give out bags containing accurate information about the benefits of breast milk as well as samples of every single brand of formula (including generic) with full disclosure of contents, risks, and pricing, the International Formula Council would be leading Ban the Bags. True choice is precisely what the IFC does not want.

[LinzluvsGJ]

Originally Posted by mamajake

If regulation were passed requiring that hospitals give out bags containing accurate information about the benefits of breast milk as well as samples of every single brand of formula (including generic) with full disclosure of contents, risks, and pricing, the International Formula Council would be leading Ban the Bags. True choice is precisely what the IFC does not want.

No kidding. The "breastfeeding help" information that similac provided in every bag I got, all 3 kids, was extremely misleading!

[onlyAngil]

Originally Posted by sonrisaa29

Personally I think hospitals could solve the "freedom of choice" issue by handing out bf bags to all women and have formula bags for moms who cannot medically breastfeed.

I do not know about other place, but one of the few things that made me happy was the little bag they gave me. See though, mine was a breastfeeding bag (I sent back the other one telling them I would not be needing it)... its really the same bag just with different things in it. At the time (and to a point now) thing were really hard, and I did not have a baby bag, so this was a blessing. It had Expecta Lipil, the DHA Supplement, a book with brestfeeding tips , and a hand pump but I think that was put in there by the CLC. It was quite nice. I mean I knew they were trying to sell me something, but I am wise to big biz.

[elanorh]

I don't know where it comes from either.

I was discussing this with my mother at Christmas '06 and even though she bf'd all 7 of us (all but me beyond our first year), and even though her mother bf'd 4 of her 5 (all but the preemie) -- even though my mother really believes in breastfeeding, breastmilk, etc. -- she said, "Oh, but mothers NEED those free formula samples." She is convinced that if the free formula weren't given out, mothers would just put 2% milk in their babies' bottles (or orange juice) if they decided that "bf isn't working." :

Maybe that happened with her generation, when more people had been raised on homemade formulas - I just don't think that many people in this generation would do that. I mean, everyone's default seems to be that babies need formula, not breastmilk; why would the new mother jump from "The hospital didn't give me formula" to "Let's give the baby Kool-Aid instead!"

And anyway, the solution there would be for the hospital to educate mothers about safe infant feeding practices (bf and ff) while they're there -- NOT to give free formula which has been documented to decrease bf duration/initiation.

I think many people feel that they're "entitled" to the free formula, whether they end up using it or not. And people like to think that they are above marketing gimmicks.

On my mother's part, she also just can't bring herself to believe that Big Business would knowingly do something to undermine what's right and best, whether that's breastfeeding or child labor. Because she is such a good person, she just can't fathom that the executives might not have such integrity themselves.

[Mama Poot]

If they want to FF so badly they can pay for it with their own money, not mine. Giving out all those samples costs money and adds to the already ridiculous costs of health care. As far as the choice issue is concerned, I just LOVE how no one ever considers the fact that there is another person involved in the feeding decision, THE BABY! Babies have no choice in how they are fed, and ALL babies are born expecting to be breastfed, not given some chemical concoction that will make them sick to their stomachs. Ban the Bag policies encourage people to do what is best for the baby, not what is best for the parents and their perceived notions of "convenience". It isn't like we're not going to sell formula anymore-obviously there are some real needs for it. But for someone who just had a kid who is healthy and has no serious barriers to breastfeeding their baby, no I do not think those people are entitled to handouts from the hospital. Rant over....