Dealing with the formula shortage

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this. I breastfed my three kids for 12 months. It was a choice that I made. If a mom wants to formula feed, why does she need to provide ANY justification at all? She shouldn't have to explain anything to anyone. If baby is fed, no one should be concerned.

I don't understand why this isn't a national emergency. How can babies who are dependent on formula now get fed????

It literally is. Biden invoked the Defense Authorization Act.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop sexualizing breasts! They're for feeding BABIES!

Stop telling me to feed my baby with my breasts! I don't care about biology I only care about my autonomy!

Y'all are crazy.

Note: If you can't feed your baby because your baby won't latch or you didn't make milk, this post is not referring to you. YOU should have formula; too bad all of the moms who didn't really need it decided to use it instead.

Who is sexualizing breasts here? Seems like you have a problem yourself with sexualizing breasts otherwise why bring it up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m guessing you wrote that incompletely OP. There were hopefully more variables being considered than what you expressed. That is in part why many including myself are having a reaction that might not be the discourse you expected.

We don’t have good systems in place for new parents period. Time for newborn/early infant care PLUS recovery for the many birthing parents that need it is sorely under supported in the US.

Yes thank you! I am the PP who wrote about attempting to breastfeed my three kids. We just don't have adequate support systems for new parents and parents of young children. Heck we don't have adequate support systems in general. This goes beyond the breastfeeding/formula debate. That being said even with adequate support systems in place (I certainly was privileged to have an adequate support system) many women will not end up breastfeeding for one reason or another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not every mother can breastfeed (supply, pain, everlasting latch issues, prescriptions that contraindicate, etc.). Not every mother enjoys breastfeeding.

I think maximizing options and supporting mothers in the choices that are best for them and their family are best. Not assuming one choice is best for all.

No, not every mother, but the VAST majority. The lack of support and information are the biggest barrier. Do you "enjoy" giving your child a bottle? I don't understand that reason.

The vast majority? Do you have statistics? Trust me there is a lot of information on breastfeeding out there. Have you ever heard of "Breast is Best?" I agree that there isn't adequate support but that would require developing a safety net for new parents and parents in general. Parents aren't supported in this country period. Resolving that would require major changes to this country and given the political climate, and how BOTH parties have performed regarding these issues, I don't see it happening. You are aware that WIC has a breastfeeding support system in place right and the amount of food a mother gets depends on whether she breastfeeds?

[Anonymous]

I always thought of BF as greatly preferable but not a life and death issue.

Apparently I was wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always thought of BF as greatly preferable but not a life and death issue.

Apparently I was wrong.

We were just privileged in the US (until now). I can’t find the article but I read this heart wrenching story of a woman who went to a developing south East Asian country and found a woman with twin babies trying to breastfeed them with no milk. Since there wasn’t enough milk and it was a boy and a girl she starved the girl. The lady came back a week later with a can of formula and found both babies dead. I’ve always remembered that story.

[Anonymous]

I had to laugh at the PP who wants to bring back wet nurses. Throughout history we have had wet nurses but these wet nurses never came from the upper class. Saying you want to bring back wet nurses is not a good look OP. What I also think is hilarious in Middle Eastern countries (where I am from), we have the concept of milk siblings where women breastfeed each others children (helps with supply). The mother who then breastfeeds another person's child becomes their milk mother and children who are breastfed from the same women are milk siblings. Women in the Middle East do this for various reasons but these reasons are mostly practical - for example they need a break from their baby for one reason or another. The practice is far less common now because of the existence of formula but it still exists. Now La Leche League discourages this. Why is that? It's because basically La Leche League is an ideological organization who seems to want to make breastfeeding as difficult as possible on women. Thank goodness they are becoming less and less popular. I breastfed my kids because I could. I worked hard on producing milk with my first and had to combo feed but with my second and third I only combo fed in the beginning. That being said I find organizations like La Leche League absolutely disgusting and racist (if they weren't racist they wouldn't be criticizing practices that are normal in other countries) and are not harmful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had to laugh at the PP who wants to bring back wet nurses. Throughout history we have had wet nurses but these wet nurses never came from the upper class. Saying you want to bring back wet nurses is not a good look OP. What I also think is hilarious in Middle Eastern countries (where I am from), we have the concept of milk siblings where women breastfeed each others children (helps with supply). The mother who then breastfeeds another person's child becomes their milk mother and children who are breastfed from the same women are milk siblings. Women in the Middle East do this for various reasons but these reasons are mostly practical - for example they need a break from their baby for one reason or another. The practice is far less common now because of the existence of formula but it still exists. Now La Leche League discourages this. Why is that? It's because basically La Leche League is an ideological organization who seems to want to make breastfeeding as difficult as possible on women. Thank goodness they are becoming less and less popular. I breastfed my kids because I could. I worked hard on producing milk with my first and had to combo feed but with my second and third I only combo fed in the beginning. That being said I find organizations like La Leche League absolutely disgusting and racist (if they weren't racist they wouldn't be criticizing practices that are normal in other countries) and are not harmful.

Sorry I meant to say "not a good look PP." OP never mentioned wet nurses. Sorry OP didn't mean you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m guessing you wrote that incompletely OP. There were hopefully more variables being considered than what you expressed. That is in part why many including myself are having a reaction that might not be the discourse you expected.

We don’t have good systems in place for new parents period. Time for newborn/early infant care PLUS recovery for the many birthing parents that need it is sorely under supported in the US.

Yes thank you! I am the PP who wrote about attempting to breastfeed my three kids. We just don't have adequate support systems for new parents and parents of young children. Heck we don't have adequate support systems in general. This goes beyond the breastfeeding/formula debate. That being said even with adequate support systems in place (I certainly was privileged to have an adequate support system) many women will not end up breastfeeding for one reason or another.

I agree with you both on your points about new parents needing much more support.

What I absolutely do not agree with is the OP’s opening sentence which implies that only some reasons to formula feed are “valid”. Nope. Nope. Nope. Any and every reason a parent has to feed their baby formula is valid. Her entire premise is terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not every mother can breastfeed (supply, pain, everlasting latch issues, prescriptions that contraindicate, etc.). Not every mother enjoys breastfeeding.

I think maximizing options and supporting mothers in the choices that are best for them and their family are best. Not assuming one choice is best for all.

That's true but that doesn't really address the post, because - saying this without judgment - if a lot more women who can do ultimately breast-feed through empowerment, resources, education, what-have-you - the manufacturing capacity is left for those who need it with no other alternative. (Obviously this is all over a longer-term; you can't flip on breast feeding in someone who is currently using formula and has no supply, etc.)

So in saying that maybe MORE women can breastfeed effectively with more support is not negating the existence or needs of those who can't at all for whatever reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not every mother can breastfeed (supply, pain, everlasting latch issues, prescriptions that contraindicate, etc.). Not every mother enjoys breastfeeding.

I think maximizing options and supporting mothers in the choices that are best for them and their family are best. Not assuming one choice is best for all.

That's true but that doesn't really address the post, because - saying this without judgment - if a lot more women who can do ultimately breast-feed through empowerment, resources, education, what-have-you - the manufacturing capacity is left for those who need it with no other alternative. (Obviously this is all over a longer-term; you can't flip on breast feeding in someone who is currently using formula and has no supply, etc.)

So in saying that maybe MORE women can breastfeed effectively with more support is not negating the existence or needs of those who can't at all for whatever reason.

Thank you. This is clarifying

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not every mother can breastfeed (supply, pain, everlasting latch issues, prescriptions that contraindicate, etc.). Not every mother enjoys breastfeeding.

I think maximizing options and supporting mothers in the choices that are best for them and their family are best. Not assuming one choice is best for all.

No, not every mother, but the VAST majority. The lack of support and information are the biggest barrier. Do you "enjoy" giving your child a bottle? I don't understand that reason.

The vast majority? Do you have statistics? Trust me there is a lot of information on breastfeeding out there. Have you ever heard of "Breast is Best?" I agree that there isn't adequate support but that would require developing a safety net for new parents and parents in general. Parents aren't supported in this country period. Resolving that would require major changes to this country and given the political climate, and how BOTH parties have performed regarding these issues, I don't see it happening. You are aware that WIC has a breastfeeding support system in place right and the amount of food a mother gets depends on whether she breastfeeds?

WIC is income dependent. Not everyone qualifies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not every mother can breastfeed (supply, pain, everlasting latch issues, prescriptions that contraindicate, etc.). Not every mother enjoys breastfeeding.

I think maximizing options and supporting mothers in the choices that are best for them and their family are best. Not assuming one choice is best for all.

That's true but that doesn't really address the post, because - saying this without judgment - if a lot more women who can do ultimately breast-feed through empowerment, resources, education, what-have-you - the manufacturing capacity is left for those who need it with no other alternative. (Obviously this is all over a longer-term; you can't flip on breast feeding in someone who is currently using formula and has no supply, etc.)

So in saying that maybe MORE women can breastfeed effectively with more support is not negating the existence or needs of those who can't at all for whatever reason.

This is sick. Women who choose not to breastfeed are at fault for the shortage? Ever heard of supply and demand? If there were less demand there would be less supply. You people are disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not every mother can breastfeed (supply, pain, everlasting latch issues, prescriptions that contraindicate, etc.). Not every mother enjoys breastfeeding.

I think maximizing options and supporting mothers in the choices that are best for them and their family are best. Not assuming one choice is best for all.

That's true but that doesn't really address the post, because - saying this without judgment - if a lot more women who can do ultimately breast-feed through empowerment, resources, education, what-have-you - the manufacturing capacity is left for those who need it with no other alternative. (Obviously this is all over a longer-term; you can't flip on breast feeding in someone who is currently using formula and has no supply, etc.)

So in saying that maybe MORE women can breastfeed effectively with more support is not negating the existence or needs of those who can't at all for whatever reason.

That is not what would happen, though. Formula producers would make less formula, they wouldn't altruistically have a massive supply of "just in case" formula for a crisis scenario. For-profit companies watch their margins closely and make just as much as they can sell of whatever widget they're pushing.

[Anonymous]

Only read the first couple of pages but, as expected, DCUM is stunningly defensive.

I agree with you OP (and I have a nursing infant myself). IME, the women that are physically able to breastfeed but choose not to are either:

1) Extreme extroverts, don’t like the idea of being “tethered” to baby
2) Stressed out with short maternity leaves, other kids, lack of help

Nobody on earth can help #1. But #2 could easily be helped by giving long maternity and paternity leaves (like say… Canada or UK). And maybe better retirement benefits so that grandparents don’t have to work into their 70s and instead can help during that critical time that breastfeeding has to be established.