Massachusetts Bans "Gift Bags" for New Moms at Hospitals
Sunday December 25, 2005
According to EarthTimes.org, the state of Massachusetts, in an effort to increase breastfeeding rates, has banned the free gift bags traditionally given out to new moms after childbirth.
No surprise, formula makers aren't too happy about the decision, and a Mead Johnson rep was quoted as saying:
"I don't think they're respecting the decisions of women and the decisions of health care professionals. I think it's not respectful of their privacy."
I've blogged my feelings and my personal story concerning this issue, and I invite you to share your opinion and experience in our poll or by leaving a comment here.
Comments
Breastfeeding is a decision that is so personal to women and they have every right to decide what the right choice is for them. However, why are hospitals promoting formula feeding anyway? Breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for mothers and babies. Shouldn’t a hospital give more attention to this choice than to endorse formula feeding? I think most women know how to find formula if that is the choice they make. Every effort should go into advocating what our bodies were made to do and what is best for our babies. Not to make Mead Johnson money. I hope other hospitals follow suit!
I think that is so dumb. I wanted to breastfeed and it just didn’t work for me. If the hospital hadn’t given me the gift bag I don’t know what I would have done. Plus the gift bag is usually a diaper bag and I still carry that around. I am looking forward to getting that at the hospital this time. Its time for a new one and plain black ones that are big enough are hard to find…
I breast fed my daughter for a year and am a major supporter of BF in general, but for goodness sakes the most important thing is to FEED the baby. Whatever works for the family in question. My daughter was a preemie and came home with fairly serious jaundice. We (eek gads) supplemented her with formula (mixed with breastmilk) because we were told by our MD that it bonded better to the biliruben. My daughter took almost 2 weeks to really latch and my milk was slow (I pumped like crazy and put her to the breast at every feeding). In our case formula helped breastfeeding be sucessful. If your life decisions are made by free samples, I am worried about parenting! Also isn’t giving away some high quality formula helpful for mothers (formula is $$$). I agree with Kathy, free diaper bags are great….
I breastfed my daughter for 14 months and am pregnant and plan to breastfeed again. I liked the samples from the hospital for two reasons – one, the diaper bag they came in was very handy, and two, I enjoyed donating the formula samples to my local food bank which desperately needs them. Unfortunately, it’s too bad more women who use food banks aren’t educated on breastfeeding – it’s obviously the best (and cheapest) food there is for babies. I think most people who have educated themselves enough to breastfeed their child won’t be swayed by a few containers of formula sitting in the pantry. Plus, some moms end up combining breastfeeding and formula (working moms who can’t/don’t pump, etc.).
And, at my hospital, they asked me if I was nursing or not, and I got a different bag with ice packs in it to carry pumped milk. (it still contained formula, too).
For Pete’s sake, how is a woman’s privacy invaded when she is NOT given something for free?! Can’t she go out and BUY formula for goodness sakes if she wants to use it? Research shows that women who want to breastfeed are undermined by hospitals who pass out these free samples, implying that breastfeeding is hard, difficult and only for “special” or gifted women. Poppycock! If Mom wants to nurse and is having difficulties, she can call a La Leche League leader, Lactation Consultant or experienced friend. But if she has formula, she’s likely to use it, unaware of the fact that giving just one bottle can cause more harm than good.
Living in Massachusetts, I’m glad then my son was born when he was! I wanted desparately to breastfeed, and the hospital was very supportive - they provided a BF class, reams of guides and documentation, and a lactation consultant visited us multiple times per day. I also received the dreaded diaper bag w/ formula samples, ice packs and MORE breastfeeding literature extolling the virtues and benefits of BF. Unfortunately BF did not work so well, I did it for as long as I could, and when at 2am on a Saturday night I was in tears, I was thankful to have an option that provided healthful nutrition. I can’t imagine calling LaLeche at that hour! My now-almost-3yr old son is as healthy as a horse. I’m glad I gave BF a shot, would do it again, but was thankful to have good, safe alternatives on hand that gave us all some time to think straight and make a decision.