"Haven't women throughout history stopped breastfeeding even when no
formula
was available then used wet nurses or animal milk? Still happens today
doesn't it? So would stopping WIC formula handouts really make a large
difference? Don't you think a lot of women would buy formula and water
it
down?"

So if it DOESN'T make a big difference, then why are we spending all
this money, energy, etc., giving away a known-to-be-harmful product?
I understand the point you are trying to make, but it seems to me your
comment above can also be read the other way.

If there's a certain percentage of women who, for whatever reason, are
going to feed unacceptable (to us) substitutes to formula, then why
are we pushing formula onto women who might OTHERWISE be
breastfeeding??  In other words, say out of ten women on WIC now,3
will breastfeed, 5 will feed formula, and 2 will feed cows' milk
anyhow.  Without the formula handouts & that money going to
breastfeeding education (for mothers AND mothers-to-be AND communities
AND employers-- think of all you could do with the millions going to
purchase ABM!!), maybe 8 will breastfeed and those same 2 will feed
cows' milk.  That seems like a MUCH better deal to me.

Having been a WIC mom myself, I think the very fact that they're
giving away formula is a loud & clear message that FORMULA is what to
feed a baby, that it's the preferred method.  A few carrots and some
tuna fish every month isn't going to make me breastfeed if I don't
want to.

And isn't the amount of formula given out by WIC actually *less than*
the amount needed by a typical baby in a typical month?  Isn't this an
egregious violation of the WHO code?

Teresa G. in NC

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