And let me tell you, that is pretty gratifying. It is nice to know that he is gaining weight.
Why is that? Well, for one thing, I've always thought he's been big. The second thought I had after he came out was that he was huge! How did he fit inside me? (My first thought was, well what do you know, there was someone in there all along.) So when people say "He's getting bigger!" or "He's so big!" I feel like my opinion is validated. (For the record Dad, you've had it backwards. When I was pregnant, you were supposed to say I was tiny and darling [men need to learn this word], not huge. And you're supposed to say that he's big and growing, not "when are you going to start feeding him?")
The other reason is that breastfeeding is surprisingly emotional. It's new and hard and scary and sometimes you're just not sure if you're doing it right in the beginning. So it's nice to know that somehow things have worked out between us two and we've figured it out.
(As a side note, I don't get why people hate on formula so much. It is so much better than it was when formula was the "in" thing to do in the 40s and 50s. Seriously. According to a book I read from the 40s, they recommended supplementing with orange juice so babies got vitamin C since formula was little more than powdered cow's milk and water. Nowadays they make it so that it's almost the same as breastmilk, and I think it's awesome that it's an option for babies who need it. Also, Mayor Bloomberg is a piece of work, and if I ever go to NYC I will feed my baby from a bottle just to be disagreeable.)
But yeah, Joseph is growing well and staying healthy. And adorable.
So you may not remember me. We've met may be once I'm Lindsay's friend.
ReplyDeleteAs a huge breastfeeding advocate and a mother of two (one of which had to be formula fed at six months) I just wanted to help you see what the problem with formula is. I don't intend to offend just educate as I know this is a touchy subject for many.
First it isn't the same as breastmilk. While it may be better than it was in the 40s, it still cannot compare to breastmilk in the least. We are still discovering new components and health benefits everyday. Formula can't compete with that. Just do some research and you will see that formula actually puts your baby at risk for diseases and undermines your babies health. That being said, formula has its place and I am grateful it is there. I can recommend some really great articles if you are interested and some websites that do a great job advocating and supporting breastfeeding.
Also I think Mayor Bloomberg is doing a great thing. Studies have shown how giving out formula seriously complicates a woman's desire and ability to breastfeed. More than 80% of moms want to breastfeed exclusively for three months, yet only 30% are reaching this goal. Formula marketing and freebies do affect these rates. It isn't about taking away a mom's right to breastfeed or formula feed, it's about providing the best support possible to moms. Also there is a difference between bottle feeding breastmilk and actually feeding at the breast. I could also get you studies about that.
We have learned in the Public Health that policies have to be put in place sometimes in order to make changes that are positive to health outcomes. So while in some aspects Mayor Bloomberg looks bad, he really is advocating for better health and America can always use more of that.
Anyways, that is a little from my soap box. Just do some research and may be you will understand better. I spent my 252 hour internship doing research about breastfeeding. It is endless the good that comes from it. It is pretty amazing what our bodies can do and it is every woman's right to know the benefits and risks associated with breastfeeding and formula feeding. It is also every woman's right to have the necessary support to reach their goals whatever they may be.
Aleesha-- I really appreciate your response. I feel like you really touched on a lot of good things.
DeleteI am totally with you on breastmilk. I guess when I was saying that formula was almost as good as breastmilk, I meant that _compared_ to how formula used to be it's much closer to breastmilk. It will never be quite as good no matter how many more proteins they discover to put into formula.
I knew for years that nursing was what I was going to do, and I never considered formula even when I was sore and inexperienced. I'm very happy that it has worked out for me and that I've never needed to use formula.
However, I am so grateful that formula is an option for babies who needed it when their moms can't produce. I think it would be nice if we had a culture where wet nursing was more acceptable in that case, but since we don't, I think it's good that babies have an option. (For that matter, I think it'd be nice to have a culture where I didn't feel so awkward about nursing in public that I sit on the bathroom floor at the mall to do it, but I'm a pretty private person as is.)
I think Mayor Bloomberg has good intentions (and I had no idea since the breastfeeding rates were so low!), but I'm just sick of hearing about all his bans. I know they're meant to keep people healthy, but I don't believe in legislating health too much (but that's just because I don't like being bossed around, even if it's what I was already planning to do).
For what it's worth, I did get those formula samples at the hospital, but I didn't get them until after I had had a very useful session with the lactation specialist, and they gave them as an afterthought (to get rid of them, they implied). So if other people had experiences like mine with the formula, it's strange to me that that would convince them to use formula instead of breastfeeding.
I guess the main reason for my little soapbox was that I know people who have used formula out of necessity and felt stigmatized. I appreciate your comments, though.