Bloomberg cares about babies and boobs.

When I first heard about Bloomberg's Latch On NYC, a new initiative to encourage breastfeeding to postpartum women in hospitals, I had the same knee-jerk reaction that I am hearing echoed all over the Internet:
What?!  You can't force women to breastfeed, you jerk.  

But then, I actually read the initiative.  You know what?  It's not a bad thing, everybody.  It's actually a really good thing.  Contrary to what you have heard, Latch On NYC will not be forcing anyone to breastfeed.  Because I think that most people have not read it, I am going to post the main points of it here:

Hospitals joining Latch On NYC have agreed to:

• Enforce the New York State hospital regulation to not supplement breastfeeding infants with formula unless medically indicated and documented on the infant’s
  medical chart
• Limit access to infant formula by hospital staff
• Discontinue the distribution of promotional or free
  infant formula
• Prohibit the display and distribution of infant formula advertising or promotional materials in any hospital location

Additionally, the Health Department is launching a subway and hospital poster campaign highlighting the benefits of breast milk, such as reducing the risk of ear infections, diarrhea and pneumonia.

The biggest function of the initiative, is to stop the peddling of formula goody bags to women who have just delivered.  Similar programs have yielded a 22% increase in exclusive breastfeeding success.  What is wrong with that?  If women want to breastfeed, why shouldn't we help them? 

Many women are derailed in their attempts to breastfeed when they realize what a frustrating endeavor it can be, think they are starving their baby when it doesn't happen right away, and opt to "supplement" with formula early.  90% of women in NYC start out breastfeeding after their child is born.  Only 30% are doing it exclusively after two months.   This tells me two things.  One, we have a problem with lactation education, and two, these goody bags aren't doing women who wish to breastfeed any favors.

Did you know that most babies are born waterlogged, and really don't require much in terms of fluids for the first 24 hours?  I bet you didn't, because everyone panics when a newborn infant isn't feeding like a pro within hours of being born.  It used to be common practice for newborns to receive nothing by mouth for the first 24 hours, because physicians knew that they didn't really need it.   I know several women that gave up really quickly because they thought they just weren't producing milk, and they didn't want to starve their babies.  No one wants to starve their brand new baby.  That is where the formula the hospital sent you home with comes in so handy.  But once you use the formula, you start to rely on it a little bit.  It is way easier than breastfeeding, it comes out of the bottle quickly, and your baby seems more satisfied.

Vicious cycle begins.  More bottle, less breast milk.  Less sucking, less producing of breast milk. Mom gives up, feeling like she is just one of those women who couldn't do it.  That sucks, no pun intended.  If you don't have any desire to breastfeed - fine.  Your choice.  Ask for the formula and they will give it to you.  But if you do want to breastfeed, doesn't it feel better to know that there will be resources to help you?

The language people are using around the issue is really disturbing, because it is spreading misinformation.  They are going to hide the formula!  They are keeping it under lock and key!  Um, what?  No they aren't.  They are just going to administer it in the same way that they administer everything else in a hospital.  You have to ask for it.  Nowhere does it say that they will be denying formula to women who express a desire to have it.  Nowhere.

Are we so brain-washed by big business that we are doing their work for them?  Maybe.  Globally, it's a $7.9 billion industry.  Don't you think they have some amazing marketing strategy behind all of that money? 

***

My personal experience leads me to believe formula is shamelessly peddled in hospitals in NYC.  When I turned down my breastfeeding goody bag, there was no alternative bag, with Lansinoh and a list of references for lactation consultants.  Why not?  Women need more help and resources to encourage breastfeeding.  I wanted to breastfeed and had to fight tooth and nail to make it so.  Here's a little story about my own experience in an NYC hospital, and what happened in regard to breastfeeding.

After delivering in an emergency C section, the nurse in the recovery ward checked Lucien's blood sugar, determined it to be low, and tried to march him off to the nursery for a bottle.  At which point, I freaked.  I was already mourning the loss of my natural birth, there was no way I wasn't going to breastfeed this child.  This little exchange ensued:
You are not taking him to a nursery.  He is breastfeeding.
Sorry ma'am.  God I hate it when people call me ma'am.  You don't have a choice.  His blood sugar is low, we are taking him to the nursery.
NO, YOU ARE NOT.  I AM BREASTFEEDING THIS BABY.  SOMETHING IS GOING MY WAY, DO YOU HEAR ME?
At which point, my midwife intervened, and offered to check his blood sugar again.  It was fine.  


Fast forward to  the second night in the hospital.  I am exhausted, visibly.  Nurse comes in to take Lucien for his bath and changing, and offers to keep him longer so I can sleep.  We can give him a bottle if you want.  God, at that moment, it was so tempting.  It really was.  I was exhausted.  I wanted to sleep.  Alas, I am the most stubborn person on the planet, and nothing was going to divert me from my quest to breastfeed.  No, thanks.

Check out day finally comes, and we visit the nurse's station so I can be discharged.  She hands me a giant gift-looking bag, and a backpack.  Ooooh, what's this?  Diapers?  Diaper cream?  Breast pads?  Chocolate?  No, no, no, and no.  It's all formula.  All of it.  I reiterate that I am breastfeeding, and she takes back the gift bag, empties everything out of the backpack and hands me it's hollow shell.  
Do you want this?
Um, I guess so.  I grab it and see the Enfamil tag on the side, and had it to my husband.
You want it?

***

I realize that everyone has different experiences.  I also realize that more money and effort should be spent on providing lactation consultants, breast pumps, and a variety of other resources to help women who want to breastfeed.  But ladies - don't listen to all of the soundbites.  Read the initiative and decide for yourself.  Yes, Bloomberg can be a huge jerk - but not in this case.  This is actually really good for women and babies.

* In no way am I implying that women HAVE to breastfeed.  I understand that many don't even want to try.  Please don't freak out and attack me if you are one of those women.  I am pro-choice about all of this stuff.