In a message dated 99-11-22 18:02:25 EST, you write:
<< Dear Friends:
This is in response to Cathy Liles question about benefits of bottle
feeding for babies.
If HIV+ mothers do not have donor milk available, formula is necessary
for their babies; at least in the USA. If the baby is the one in 85,000 with
galactosemia, formula is necessary. If the baby has PKU, and can only
partially breastfeed, formula is necessary. If a mother has adopted, and
donor milk is not available, formula is necessary. >>
Nikki, do you know I started to respond with similar info. And then I
remembered a post from a mother of multiples (MOM) on another list I'm on.
She recently reminded us all that bottle-feeding and the use of artificial
infant formula are not necessarily synonymous. Mothers that pump and
breast-milk-feed their babies generally bottle-feed their babies, too.
She asked that we make a distinction of breast-milk-feeding and
formula-feeding vs. bottle feeding. I think she makes a very good point. At
the same time, I think it's important to make a distinction for parents and
other professionals between breastfeeding and breast-milk-feeding.
Re: Phyllis's post--<< Draw out a large chart, two columns wide and three
rows down. Label the columns 'Breastfeeding' and 'Bottle Feeding'. Down the
side, label the rows 'Mom', 'Dad', and 'Baby'. Then ask your audience to tell
you their favorite benefits while you write their answers in the appropriate
squares...
This works well at mom's groups (LLL) but I see no reason why it won't work
for others. >>
I've used a similar exercise for childbirth classes and it always is a real
eye opener for parents. (The version I've used has 4 columns across for
"advantages" and "disadvantages" for both types of feeding.) The space is
always empty under "advantages for baby" when formula/bottle-fed and there
are no "disadvatages" listed for baby under breastfeeding. It's nice in this
setting because expectant daddies usually attend and hear the info, also some
usually are planning to formula-feed. Very effective as a learning tool.
Potential formula-feeders verbal and nonverbal responses often demonstrate
rethinking.
Wendey, I really liked your post. I think some of the bottle-feeding and use
of "plastic nannies" we see now is a result of isolated nuclear families in
our mobile societies. In many cultures, a mother has been able to rely on
help from others in the community, e.g. relatives, older children when she
needs a moment alone or to accomplish some task. In some cultures, grandma is
more in charge of children--even infants (except for nursings) than is
mother, and I think of Kathy D's slide of the African woman. She had helped
her older daughters by wet nursing her grandchildren at times; she felt sorry
for her younger children because her own last child was almost weaned and she
wouldn't have milk to wet nurse anymore.
True, parents are responsible for their children. But never have parents been
so alone in that responsibility as they often are in our Western, so-called
civilized societies. No wonder they look to plastic seats or rockers to be
extra arms--or plastic bottles as wet nursers--or rigid parenting programs to
replace wise village elders.
BTW, did anyone watch the Simpsons the other night when a couple in the town
had octuplets? Rather good satire, I have to admit. At one point the dad was
lying on the floor with a vest strapped on that had teats sticking out in two
rows. The eight babies were swarmed around him like little little piglets.
Karen
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