Mime-Version: |
1.0 |
Sender: |
|
Subject: |
|
From: |
|
Date: |
Thu, 2 Jul 2009 22:21:15 -0400 |
Content-Type: |
text/plain; charset="windows-1252" |
Content-Transfer-Encoding: |
quoted-printable |
Reply-To: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
I realize that my perspective may be slightly skewed because of the
population that I work with, but I don't feel that our efforts need to be
focused on coming up with a new name for formula. I work in a major New
York City Hospital where close to 80% of our women leave the hospital
breastfeeding and fully planning to breastfeed. They KNOW that breastfeeding
is superior to feeding formula, whatever name you give it. And the name
formula is not what makes their attempts to breastfeed fail when they do.
More likely factors are mishandling of early breastfeeding challenges, lack of
support for breastfeeding in the workplace and the incredibly broken health
care system that totally ignores preventative care like breastfeeding support.
In private practice I have worked with several women having their second
baby who had to use formula for their first babies, due to medical issues like
PCOS, and they described the shame they felt when they pulled out a bottle
of formula in front of their breastfeeding friends or in front of strangers in a
playground. They know that breast is best, but couldn't make it happen and it
has nothing to do with what the substance they were forced to use is called.
We do have to continue to educate women that breastfeeding should be the
norm and that if one is going to deviate from the norm there needs to be a
very good reason for that, because no matter how hard we try we will never
be able to duplicate the amazing substance that is human milk. As long as we
keep emphasizing that, does it matter what the name is? Formula to me just
means that they have created a recipe to come as close as they can, which
is actually the truth. They will just never be able to come up with the formula
that is equivalent...
Until we have milk banks where any woman who is unable to breastfeed her
baby is able to supply her baby with human milk, the only option we have
when we need a substitute is formula. So I believe that we need to fully
support and educate all women in their efforts to breastfeed and they will be
able to arrive at the logical conclusion that formula is a substitute but not an
equivalent...whether we call it nectar or sludge.
Kathy Lilleskov RN IBCLC (Feeling very protective of her mommies who are
trying very hard to breastfeed)
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
|
|