Letters to the Editor
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The opposition
What they're working against (in addition to the advertising budgets of formula companies) are attitudes that say that breastfeeding is "disgusting" or "barbaric" -- both things that were said to me when my boys were of nursing age. The campaign does sound a little rude, but maybe it has to be to get through.
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Y'know, it wouldn't hurt to
keep in mind that these articles and admonishments are often trickling *up* to middle- and upper-class women; the breastfeeding rate is alarmingly low among lower income groups, and that seems to hold true for students and stay at home moms as well as workers. And, of course, this means that the kids who most need breastmilk-- the preemies, the ones with asthma or constant colds, the ones who live with smokers & are more likely to die of SIDS-- are precisely the ones who aren't getting optimum nutrition, not to mention the fact that formula's ridiculously expensive. I visited a mom with three kids under four just yesterday & met the two-week-old, who is being formula fed even though the mom doesn't work, both parents smoke, and their budget is very tight... it's possible that she can't nurse, but that really is pretty rare, and I imagine it just never occurred to her to try with any of her brood. Heck, in my hometown of 40K, the most popular OB (as of a few years ago; haven't been there lately) actively discourages breastfeeding because he thinks breasts are more important to husbands than to infants. I doubt it makes that much difference to most individual children, but it's not really good policy either.
In any case, I just don't see why people should be so indignant about this; if anything, it should be used to push for more lactation friendly policies in workplaces. It's not like we don't know that there is some qualitative differences between breastmilk & formula, although formula is certainly nutritionally adequate. If these little lifestyle nags don't apply to you for whatever reason, for heaven's sake just ignore them. I don't have much patience with a lot of hang-ups, but the fact is that it's not really my business or anyone else's how other people's babies are fed as long as they're not malnourished.
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Breast IS best
I was raised around nursing mothers, I was nursed and I am currently nursing my 6 month old babe. I know of have a good friend who had an emergency c-section, wasn't able to nurse her baby for 3 days (aspirated meconium) and she has managed to successfully nurse her baby for 7 months. I have a good friend whose husband stays home with their twins and she brings home the bread. She manages to pump for both twins while at work and then nurses them at night. They have not had any formula since they left the hospital (they were 6 weeks early and she manages to make enough milk for them). The twins are 15 months old and still nursing. I also have a nephew who refused the breast after his mother went back to work. He was three months old at the time and she decided that it was more important to pump for him. He has only had breast milk in his bottles. He will be a year next week. Why do I mention all of this? Because these moms felt that it was so important for their babies to have breast milk that they did what they had to do. That is what mothers do. Often what is best for our babies isn't the easiest thing (or even a pleasant thing-all of you pumpers know what I mean), but that is what we do.
I whole heartedly agree that the government should work harder to make nursing a priority by supporting better family leave policies. Absolutely. However,there are still many women who would not breastfeed or stick with it regardless. Many formula moms will even tell you(despite all evidence indicating otherwise) that formula is equal to or even better than breastmilk. I have heard this at playgroups from stay-at-home moms who formula feed. I guess a job doesn't get in their way.
There are also many women who won't solely breastfeed or stick with it because of family and society pressure. They feel that it takes away from their husbands, or they feel weird nursing in public or their families' discomfort discourages them from nusring as long as possible. Maybe these women will feel more secure if society starts to except nursing. As a nursing mom, I have had people give me dirty looks and make rude comments when I nurse in public. Maybe a public awareness program will educate the public and nursing will become more acceptable.
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It's not the information, it's the presentation
The offensive thing about the ad campaign (and the NY Times article) is not the reminder that "breast is best"--it's the accompanying suggestion that feeding a child formula is only slightly superior to, say, feeding him battery acid. Some women can't breastfeed and they can't pump enough breast milk. For those people, formula is a wondrous thing. To compare formula feeding to smoking (or bull-riding) while pregnant is ignorant, counter-productive and totally insensitive.
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I don't think you're the target, Lori
These ads are so not aimed at worried moms trying their best to nurse in difficult circumstances. They're aimed at moms who are told not to try because bottle feeding's "easier" (debatable for moms who nurse easily--formula involves a lot of equipment and expense), or who quit in the face of families that think it's weird or insufficient, workplaces that don't support it, daycare givers that don't know how to manage breastmilk but can handle formula, etc. Outside of liberal urban areas, it can be really really tough and backing in the form of "no, it's really best for my kid" can't hurt.
Ideally the campaigns should be directed at those forces as well, I agree, but I don't have a problem with getting pretty explicit about the fact that it's better. Society should think of formula as a backup--it's a fine one, no question--rather than just another option. Then, whether individuals need that backup is up to them.
(And yes, I nursed, was lucky enough to have a 6-month maternity leave and my own office where I pumped until 13 months. Just weaned at 2 years--great experience for us, but I have NEVER been nasty to a bottle feeding mom. Way too many friends needing the backup for one reason or another!)