Helping parents nurture healthy babies

The Healthy Baby Bounty Bag-Give me a Break!

by Kate Kahn - 6 August 2009

You may have read recently about something called the Healthy Baby Bounty Bag.  In an effort to increase breastfeeding rates (admittedly an admirable goal), dozens of hospitals are now replacing the traditional goodie bag moms receive when they leave the hospital with their baby, with something called the Healthy Baby Bounty Bag.  What's the difference?

Traditional goodie bags had all sorts of things in them: diaper packs, pacifiers, literature about breastfeding, a sample of formula and more.  Convinced that the sample of formula influenced a mother's decision on how to feed her baby (read that as convinced a mother to feed her child formula instead of breastfeeding him/her), lactivists went to work.  And some hospitals have been brainwashed.  So now they're providing bags that only support breastfeeding and do not include the formula sample.

Talk about not respecting the rights, not to mention the intelligence of women everywhere!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, most moms decide how they are going to feed their child well before hitting the delivery room!  Give me a break!

In a recent national survey, 55% of women said the samples had no influence on them.  Nearly 30% said the samples were not a major influence.

78% of womens aid they wanted to be informed of both breastfeeding and formula feeding.

Having formula samples in goodie bags at the hospital is not a threat to breastfeeding.  It's simply one more option.   Let's respect what women want.  And let's respect the idea that women make up their own minds on such personal decisions as how to feed their babies.   They are not influenced by a little can in a bag, just as they are not influenced a to what diapers to use based on what comes home in that bag.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the issue.  Take our poll at the bottom of the page.

 

Comments

Kendra

15:54 08/08/2009
I think these new baby bags are great! In fact, my first thought was to look up which hospitals they\'re being given at, so I know how far I\'ll have to travel. (Fortunately--and rather surprisingly--the hospital three minutes away from my house is listed! A big accomplishment for a hospital that a few short years ago insisted I take not only the diaper bag samples, but an additional full week\'s worth as well--all of which hit the parking lot trash can five minutes later anyway.) While I agree that most moms have made up their minds on feeding prior to delivery, I think a lot of moms, particularly first timers, don\'t fully realize what they\'re in for. A new mom can have every intention of breastfeeding, but at 3AM with a screaming baby, and that sample can of formula mocking her from the cupboard makes it much more likely for her to give up. If she really wants to give up, that\'s absolutely her choice, and there are shelves stocked full of formula to help her with that, but hospitals shouldn\'t be the ones doing it. I do believe it comes across as a medical endorsement, of both synthetic infant nutrition itself, as well as the specific brand any given hospital provides. I feel the new bag sends the message that the hospital endorses breastfeeding, as it should. These bags have nothing to do with not respecting what women want--correct me if I\'m wrong, but formula is still available to moms choosing to use it in the hospital, and all major grocery stores are continuing to carry it for afterward, right? I don\'t know of anyone pushing to ban formula (and if they exist, it\'s only a small, ineffective fringe group anyway) so I fail to see what the big deal is about 200 out of thousands of US hospitals ending medical endorsement of formula. Not only that, but I simply don\'t think women have a "right" to free formula. A right to choose formula--absolutely, but I honestly fail to see how this hinders that right. Can you please explain how not being given free samples at discharge infringes on the right to feed formula?

Erin

18:32 18/11/2009
So, you work for the formula company, yes? Oh, yes, that was already established a couple years back on this site. Let\'s compare the diaper sample since you just used it as a comparison... so, a mother is trying really hard to figure out the diapers she has at home - you know, the brand she picked out before she gave birth - and she\'s struggling with it so much, and the baby is just wetting all over her as she cries and cannot figure out what she is doing wrong. So in desperation, she gets the sample diaper from the hospital goodie bag, and she uses it - and it works! The baby is now content and dry. And each day, she uses more and more of this brand until she doesn\'t ever go back to the old brand again. Sounds pretty stupid, huh? Obviously some diaper sample isn\'t going to influence a mom to change brands because of stress and new mom concerns in the early days... but having formula available can do this!! It can undermine a mother\'s confidence in herself, and the more she relies on it, the less she breastfeeds. And the less she breastfeeds... well, supply and demand, you know what happens. It is very wrong of you to use the already-existing "mommy wars" as a way to pretend to support formula-feeders when really you are profiting off the sales of the product. Just sick.

Mary McGuinness

9:29 24/11/2009
Give ME a break! As a perinatal RN and IBCLE with 27 years of experience, I resent the fact I\'m expected to endorse a product (infant formula) that has been proven to undermine breastfeeding success. Our job is to educate and inform new moms of the current recommendation for infant feeding which is: exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, introduction of appropriate solids starting at 6 months combined with continued breastfeeding for the first year of life and beyond. Why should nurses participate in product promotion that conflicts with what we are legally and ethically obligated to do? I object to being used by the formula companies as a"sales rep". I\'ve got other things to do in the roughly 24 hours from labor to discharge than to unpack, store, and distribute formula samples to new mothers who want "freebies". No where else in the hospital setting are nurses expected to do this. If new moms want formula samples, they can go on the web sites of Enfamil and Similac. Don\'t expect your nurse to be excited about peddling inferior products for mega-corporations in exchange for an occasional bag of cheap candy and a Similac ball point pen. We\'ve got more important things to do! Mary McGuinness, RN, IBCLC

Erin

12:47 21/11/2009
Kendra, your comments are right on.

Elaine

13:04 09/12/2009
Personally, I appreciated the free samples. My baby lost too much weight before my milk came in & was retaining too much bilirubin & needed to supplement with formula in order to avoid jaundice light treatments. Using Medela\'s supplementary nursing system (SNS), in which formula is administered thru a tube taped on the breast (which still encourages and supports b-feeding), allowed my daughter to gain weight & avoid jaundice. We only used for maybe a week or so, then successfully solely breastfed and didn\'t touch formula ever again. Free samples from the hospital & pediatritians office allowed me to never have to actually buy any formula at all!!!

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
This Week's Question

At what point do you think women should stop breastfeeding

Past Questions

Sign the Petition

Do moms know best? We believe they do, but the government may not..

Your freedom to choose between breast and bottle-feeding could be in jeopardy.