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Vent: Formula pushers at the OB/GYN office

914 views 7 replies 7 participants last post by  linnea 
#1 ·
This morning I went to my OB/GYN's office for my yearly exam. There in the lobby was a guy with a huge stack of Similac cases. He was trying to get the receptionist to take some boxes, but she kept telling him that they had enough already. So he waited a while, went over to another part of the counter, and talked some other poor staff person into taking FOUR CASES of the stuff! All the while, my DH, DD and I were sitting in the lobby, waiting to be called in, and I was just seething. It took every ounce of self-control to not go over to that guy and
the living daylights outta him. My DH suggested that I should sit right across from him and nurse our DD, but she had just tanked up before we left and wasn't interested in nursing.
Instead we stood in the lobby and talked LOUDLY about how healthy our breastfed baby was, and how we wished the office would display breastfeeding information as prominently as they display formula, but that they would never do it because it might endanger Nestle's huge profits. My DH shook his head and loudly exclaimed, "Nature makes the best formula." This is a man who was bottle-fed!!!


I intended to complain to my OB/GYN, but I never got to see her. The office was running so behind schedule (at 8:45 in the morning?) that we actually waited in the little room for almost an hour before we gave up, I got dressed and we left. Grrr!

I'm still really irate about this. I hate seeing the pharma company pushers in the doctor's offices, handing out free samples. I hate seeing all the drug-name branded stuff - the pens, clipboards, notepads. And seeing a formula pusher at work, in a lobby full of pregnant ladies, just sent me over the top. What can I do? How can I fight this?
 
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#3 ·
At an OB's office. They have to get to you before your baby is even born. Do they ever rest? I finally got my hands on a copy of that 20/20 segment and watched it last night - one of the formula reps shown at a pharmaceutical fair or something was pregnant, and you KNOW she was so excited to get free formula. That's what makes me the maddest, I think - when mothers who still have a choice, mothers who could choose the best for their babies and change the whole course of things, are caught at such an impressionable time and given sabotaging sample, "just in case" - and then no support when the time comes to decide whether or not to use it. And they do it with absolute impunity. It just boggles the mind.
 
#4 ·
I know what you mean. when I went in, I was about 4 weeks pregnant with Vincent, and the first thing they asked me was "are you breastfeeding?" ofcourse, snarky me, couldn't hold it back and replied "is there another option that I don't know of? ofcourse I'm breastfeeding"
then ofcourse the nurses proceeded to read the whole questionaire, and she jumped when I told her I was not circumcising, and said "you ARE aware he will be different than all the little boys in his locker room".

I looked at her in such a way, that I didn't really have to say anything, but needless to say I switched to midwives, I can't believe the ignorance in a person that supposedly has education on this! awful, awful, awful!
 
#5 ·
A family friend recently got a job as a formula seller/rep. whatever they are called. She is a single mother trying to make ends meet for her and her 1 1/2 yo dd, apparently the $ was good enough for her to take the job. She bf for a long time, too, all over the place! I don't think she fed formula once! I just don't understand how she could do it. The formula company made her go to two 2 week long training courses. I thought, is that how long it takes to indoctrinate them to the benefits of formula? We just saw her recently. Her job that day was to buy lunch for a doctors office. I can't judge her. I have never had to worry about supporting my child on my own, looking for a good paying job without a college diploma but still... I don't think I could support trying to sell formula to everyone. Mom's need the support if they wish to bf.
 
#8 ·
What a great idea. I should have approached him, but I wasn't in the right frame of mind to say anything civil. Besides, I was afraid some of his slime would ooze off on me.

If there ever is a next time, I will remember that. Thank you for the good advice!
 
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