Study: Lack of breastfeeding costs lives, billions of dollars

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I have. It's abysmal.

I spent some time earlier this year with a cousin in India who had a newborn a few days before I flew in. Ended up listening to some spirited conversation on this topic. Unlike here, people in India aren't too "shy" when it comes to talking about this. Well at least my cousins and their spouses aren't. Consensus seems to be that they like our malls and our MTV and even our KFC but no way in heck are they going to listen to Nestle on this. How effective is Big Pharma really being in the Third World?

[Jenn! 918]

Big Pharma's propaganda machine has been well in place here in the US for many generations.

Indeed. My grandmother tells me stories of how hard they were discouraged from breastfeeding...how formula was prefectly formulated for a baby, more "sanitary", etc. And how easily pediatricians were swayed. Many "old-school" pediatricians today still push formula.

[Peikko 1,575]

14% exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months is unbelievably low. Shifting attitudes takes a while. The article is correct that new moms often don't get the support they need. One big factor IMO tends to be grandmothers who sometimes (subconsciously?) sabotage breastfeeding efforts by taking their daughter's choice to breastfeed as an attack against their own choices as a mother. "Well, you were formula-fed and you turned out just fine.", etc.

I am sure there are a lot of factors and you may well be right, although I did not encounter that one. Another is this constant fear that breast milk isn't 'enough' for a baby - that they can't get enough nutrition and will not thrive and the biggest factor I heard when I was breast feeding was the breast fed babies need to be fed 'too often in the night' . Unless the mother has a medical problem with milk production or breast feeding it is largely self regulating, it's virtually impossible to feed them too much or indeed to little. With a bottle, over feeding is systemic.

Edited April 5, 2010 by Madame Cleo

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Also, the companies marketted products without actually even making the product tasty for the "end-customer" (of course, this is no surprise given Complan and PediaLyte)--which REALLY demonstrates their arrogance on the matter. I've seen more than one baby make a fuss about taking formula (and they are not exactly fussy about trying to eat many other objects such as keys, watches, ..., or "regular" food).

[Jenn! 918]

I am sure there are a lot of factors and you may well be right, although I did not encounter that one. Another is this constant fear that breast milk isn't 'enough' for a baby - that they can't get enough nutrition and will not thrive and the biggest factor I heard when I was breast feeding was the breast fed babies need to be fed 'too often in the night' . Unless the mother has a medical problem with milk production or breast feeding it is largely self regulating, it's virtually impossible to feed them too much or indeed to little. With a bottle, over feeding is systemic.

I am lucky to not have encountered it either, but I know other women who have. Their mothers are offended by the fact that they breastfeed, let alone want to do it for so long. SO many women give up breastfeeding because they think they're not producing enough. A coworker of mine just had a baby and he was telling me how at their one week pediatrician appointment they were told that they should supplement with formula at bed time since formula is not as easily digested and the baby will sleep for longer stretches. I just bit my tongue because I know that people don't want advice on their babies' eating and sleeping.

Breastfeeding is hard work, if one considers it hard work to have to feed one's baby. I don't see why one would, but I've become somewhat of a breastfeeding "nazi" though over the past several months.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Breastfeeding Nazi LOL. No breast for you!

[Calypso 464]

I spent some time earlier this year with a cousin in India who had a newborn a few days before I flew in. Ended up listening to some spirited conversation on this topic. Unlike here, people in India aren't too "shy" when it comes to talking about this. Well at least my cousins and their spouses aren't. Consensus seems to be that they like our malls and our MTV and even our KFC but no way in heck are they going to listen to Nestle on this. How effective is Big Pharma really being in the Third World?

In the Third World country where I come from, our elders advise and encourage us to practice breastfeeding. When I was younger, I saw the days when my mother, aunts, and neighbors had just given birth. I don't know if the present generation still does this but somebody would have to cook tinolang manok (our version of chicken soup but a mile different from the American chicken soup) with green papaya and chili leaves. They'd use our native chicken. It's very small but very delicious. Our old folks said that a woman with a newborn baby must have tinola because it aids in the production of breast milk.

According to my co-teachers before, they would breastfeed their babies when they were at home and ask the babysitters to use infant formula during school days. It's mixed feeding.

tinolang manok

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

That looks way too green for my taste.

[Calypso 464]

That looks way too green for my taste.

No need to fret. You are not breastfeeding anyway.

[Nina~ 431]

No need to fret. You are not breastfeeding anyway.

Are you sure about that??

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I know. But seeing all that green makes me gag.

[Peikko 1,575]

I am guessing that you are not keen on running your body like a well oiled machine A.J? I think it looks refreshing, but I am unfamiliar with the flavour of green papaya.

[PhiLandShiR 18]

My wife is breast feeding our little daughter and is not having any problems at all.

Case in point, the hospital says that a new born will lose some weight the first days after birth and it was expected that this would be recovered in 2 weeks.

Well, at the 2 week mark, our dear little angel had gained 14oz OVER her birth weight!!

Not only did she regain her loss at birth but proceeded to put on almost a pound!!

The doctors were very impressed!

Breast feeding is indeed, the best way.

-P

[Calypso 464]

Are you sure about that??

AJ is a she?

I know. But seeing all that green makes me gag.

I can cook some for you and you may eat it with your blindfold on.

[Peikko 1,575]

My wife is breast feeding our little daughter and is not having any problems at all.

Case in point, the hospital says that a new born will lose some weight the first days after birth and it was expected that this would be recovered in 2 weeks.

Well, at the 2 week mark, our dear little angel had gained 14oz OVER her birth weight!!

Not only did she regain her loss at birth but proceeded to put on almost a pound!!

The doctors were very impressed!

Breast feeding is indeed, the best way.

-P

I never bothered with all the weighing malarky. It's fairly easy to see if your baby is thriving, assuming that they have no other medical complications.

However, I am glad your baby is doing so well