I\'m Summer, a mouthy, sarcastic bitch. I\'m passionate about natural birth, long term breastfeeding, and living naturally. I curse too much, love tattoos, and will some day be crushed to death by my book collection. I homeschool, dream of gardening, and swing to the left. 
Formula Fed America – The Documentary
My thoughts coming later, I just wanted to get this up now. Go ahead and start the discussion in the comments.
And I’m putting this out here now, anti-breastfeeding trolls will be deleted. Don’t like it, suck it.
This should be interesting!
One small beef, which I keep planning on blogging about if I ever get the energy – I feel like any position loses credibility if they hedge their stats. This trailer mentions that Sweden has a 99% breastfeeding rate in the hospital, which is indeed phenomenal and something we should strive for. However, a quick Google told me that @ 6m Sweden’s BFing rate is 36%. So it bothers me that they use Sweden as an example of what we should strive for when their BFing continuation rate is so low. Clearly Sweden has a hospital program that forces women to BF, then they too haven’t figured out how to support women so that they continue to BF as long as they could or should.
I’m a huge supporter of BFing – I BFed #1 until he was 4.5, #2 to 4 and am now BFing #3 while pregnant with #4. I feel like only total honesty will further BFing in this country and that sensationalizing things or overemphasizing partial truths only serves to hurt the BFing cause. I’ll be interested to see this to see if it comes across as meaningful or as more propaganda.
That huge formula industry is exactly why so many new Moms aren’t breastfeeding… even as a fully breastfeeding mama, I was given “BreastFeeding Support” diaper bags at the hospital which including formula samples and coupons… I received countless samples and coupons in the mail. Once again, big money is making decisions for us.
I’m excited for this documentary! We need to figure out why Moms aren’t breastfeeding and how to increase real support (not bottle feeding back up support) for new Moms.
Being the stubborn person I am… those in my family who gave me grief about breastfeeding helped reinforce my dedication to it! I wasn’t about to give up when they were expecting me (and pushing me) to!
For those of us who’ve experienced the joys and pleasures (and sometimes pain/problems) of the breastfeeding relationship there is nothing that compares to that period of time… I miss the days of holding my babies close… of nourishing their little bodies… and knowing that I was strong and could provide everything this little one needed. A bottle just can’t do that!
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NicoleLJ- was that exclusively nursing or nursing at all? I hear what you are saying, and it’s a valid complaint. But 36% breastfeeding (exclusive or at all really) is better than our stats in the US, and although it could be better, it’s nothing to sneeze at either. Consider that included in those numbers are women who need medication that isn’t safe while nursing, women who work outside the home, young moms who are still in school, it would even include roughly 4% of women who truly can not nurse (since 99% are trying in the hospital- that number must include most of the 5% that is for a few rare reasons unable to nurse).
I am looking forward to seeing this documentary when it is finished. Although I am Canadian, it’s not much better here. We still have a long way to go if we want a truly breastfeeding-friendly culture. And that’s not going to happen if doctors are handing out free formula samples, you know?
Amber´s last blog ..Beautiful Thusnelda
I grew up in a home where extended breastfeeding was the norm. I watched my mom nurse both my little brothers for years, and all the animals on the farm nursed as well. To me, there was never a question that I’d breastfeed my baby. Since becoming pregnant, I’m actually learning how many people formula feed and how many people say breastfeeding is difficult. I truly had no idea! I wasn’t planning to take a breastfeeding class, but now I’m thinking I might after learning about all the problems people face. I really just thought it was normal! So that’s what your children probably believe, too, which is really wonderful!
Abbie´s last blog ..Huge Disappointment
My kids are both in college now and I breast-fed both of them. Two of my most disappointing parenting moments came when I had to stop nursing. With my daughter, I had to go on an unaccompanied deployment for 10 weeks when she was 5 1/2-months old (I was in the USMC at the time). I was devastated.
When my son was born I determined to nurse as long as possible. At 3 months, I went back on BC pills and my milk totally stopped. The doctor had told me I “might” notice about a 20 percent reduction in milk production but it just quit. I tried so hard to get it back but it wouldn’t and I was so disappointed. And no one really knew what to do to help (medical personnel).
Gratefully my kids turned out healthy but I missed out on the bonding experience that we’d enjoyed those first few months.
I remember being encouraged to BF while in the hospital — Tripler AMC in Honolulu but neither of my two step-daughters nursed their kids. Out of five grands, two have severe food allergies & one is autistic. The whole formula thing has me wondering about that . . .
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My mom breastfed my sister and I. I breast fed my twins until they were 2 years old. I was bound and determined to do this. My mom would take me to LLL meetings and I had great support from family and friends. I do remember getting container after container of formula in the mail and thinking what am I going to do with this. My kids are 6 now and my son asks me is there still milk in there. I say no you drank it all up, he still likes me to hold him close to the breast. It’s a comfort for him and me. My sister is due to have her first baby next month and I’m going to do everything I can to help make her breast feeding with her baby a success. I’m looking forward to seeing how this documentary plays out.
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It makes me think of those futuristic movies/cartoons where a whole meal is contained in a pill: you have your Salisbury steak pill, your mashed potatoes pill, and your apple pie pill. Seems pretty unappetizing. Why would I pop a pill when I could have the real thing? That’s the way I feel about breastfeeding and formula.