I talk about a spectrum of risk:

The risk of the lack of breastfeeding (at the breast, oral facial
development, bonding, skin to skin)

The risk of the lack of human milk (There are women who EP and go
through hell to do it, and they need to hear what a wonder they are
achieving, even if they never got to full-on breastfeeding).

The risk of formula use - which includes the need for sterile UHT
formula for the first 8 weeks (adjusted) but also includes the risks of
the modified cow's milk in the gut itself.

I deal with the issue of how to present this info to parents, as not
focussing on formula, but the lack of donor human milk.   I talk about
the point that no baby in the world needs formula, and formula could
disappear overnight if formula companies went bankrupt. because the real
issue isn't what there are Mums who won't, and can't, and so formula
must be there.  The real issue there is that there is no human milk to
give the babies of these women.  So I position it as against
profiteering, and against reducing mother's choices - they have no
choice but high risk, high price formula, if their breastfeeding does
not go to plan, or they have chosen to refuse their breast.

So the issue is not 'choosing' formula, with the much higher risks.  The
issue is being 'stuck' with formula, as formula marketeers prevent safe,
cheap and universal human milk sharing from being established.

And everytime someone says "formula saves lives" I point out that daily,
formula kills more babies that it 'saves'.  3 500 babies a day every
day, and we do these babies no service, by not honouring them by
mentioning them.  So the "My baby was in NICU and needed formula"
becomes "Your baby was in NICU and needed human milk, and formula
prevented that from happening."  You are not commiserating with a Mum
that she used formula, you're extending sympathy that there was no human
milk for her baby.

I genuinely believe we should set up donor banks to provide donated
human milk to women who choose to refuse.  It's their breasts, their
choice - but let us carry the health of the baby, huh?

More than enough human milk in the world, to go around!  :-)

Morgan Gallagher

(pressing the 'magic' button on her keyboard, to make formula disappear
from the world instantaneously... button appears to be broken.)





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