Signing up for formula at midwife/OB appointments?

I got asked by the nurse at my OB office (so I could get my labs and U/S) and when I turned her down she got mad at me! You will get a free bag she said...Me: I don't want one! Her: They will send you literature. Me: I've read their literature and I find it inaccurate, biased and unsupportive of breastfeeding. She just rolled her eyes and left the room.

My midwife doesn't do any promotions and it's pretty much expected that you'll breastfeed. She was a low supply mama who only nursed her babes until they were 4 mo. old but she is so supportive of tandem nursing and extended breastfeeding. I find it odd that a midwifery practice would promote formula...

i never got asked by my mw. infact, she asks all her clients in the first appointment/interview if they will be breastfeeding. if they say no and it is not a medical reason why, she will not take them on.

It says in the packet my last midwife gave out early in pregnancy that if you have a homebirth, you are expected to breastfeed. This was a midwife I used w/ my 2nd child.

The midwives I used for my first birth, I don't remember whether they asked me how I would feed or not but I know it was in my birth plan. Last time I was there about 2 years ago, there was no formula crap anywhere to be seen. Unfortunately, for hospital births, they are more like medwives in many other respects.

It seems counterintuitive to have midwives hooked up w/ formula manufacturers. Unless it were my only option, that would be a good reason for me not to go with them. Just my $0.02.

Sus

I was never asked to sign up for anything, but I'm not surprised that OB offices do this. And I could see midwives in larger ob practices asking - they might be required to. But if a midwife in private practice, especially a homebirth midwife, asked me that I would find someone else.

This is so surprising to me. I've always thought that midwives and formula were two things that couldn't possibly be mentioned in the same sentence. I must be living in my own little dream world. My midwife donates office space for the local chapter of LLL - and I only have her as an example. I have had 2 home births with her and doubt that she would attend the birth of a non-bf mom. I also doubt that any soon-to-be mom could, after 9 months in this woman's care, bottle feed. I kind of gathered that it was the midwife's job to make sure of these things - I know mine does.

No, neither midwife clinic I've been to had any kind of fomrula promotion.

I wasn't asked to sign up for anything at my OB's office, but the nurse did give me that gift bag at my first appointment. I opened it up right there, rummaged around, pulled out the formula and gave it back to her. She kind of looked at me funny so I said, "I don't need this stuff. I'm breastfeeding." She said, "Good for you." Then she suggested I wean my toddler, but that's a different story.

My OB hasn't mentioned breastfeeding at all, probably because she knows I'm already doing it with my toddler and plan to tandem (we talked about it and she is supportive). I don't know what the deal is with other mamas, but I would hope that breastfeeding is mentioned by the OB.

Nope, I never encountered the question with my midwife. I did, however, receive a lot of great BF info from her, including LLL info! I agree that Midwives and formula seem to be an oxymoron.