No I understand your concerns.  I have spent the last two days on another list hearing others voice similar concerns.

The thing is, this has been blown hugely out of proportion, in negative honor of World Breastfeeding Week, as others have mentioned.

The newspaper articles and the CBS piece were obviously written and conducted with the intention of 1. stirring up the Mommy Wars, and 2. confusing the public about the initiative.

If you go to the NYC links to the initiative, here is what you find is REALLY happening.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2012/pr013-12.shtml

>>>By joining this voluntary initiative for NYC maternity hospitals to support mother’s decision to breastfeed participating hospitals have agreed to:

  Enforce the NYS hospital regulation to not supplement breastfeeding infants with formula feeding unless medically indicated and documented on the infant’s medical chart;
  Restrict access to infant formula by hospital staff, tracking infant formula distribution and sharing data on formula distribution with the Health Department;
  Discontinue the distribution of promotional or free infant formula; and
  Prohibit the display and distribution of infant formula promotional materials in any hospital location.

“Latch On NYC” has been formally endorsed by the New York State Department of Health, Greater New York Hospital Association, Academy of Family Physicians, New York County Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics, District II, New York State and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, New York State Chapter. <<<<

I see NO requirement to "lecture" or take away rights, or not trust mothers, or make babies wait to be fed.  But tracking the formula given out and documenting it makes sense from more than one standpoint.  The first is to insure that mothers WANT the formula that is being urged on them.  Another is to track how well a hospital is doing overall with the Baby Friendly steps that we all agree are vital.  Another is to take away the insidious effects of marketing, by making the formula use transparent.

Do you have an issue with any of this?

Sue

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