A HOT TOPIC

PSYC
Growth and Development 1

My Psychology course had this discussion this week:
Health Canada, the Canadian Paediatric Society, and the Dietitians of Canada recommend that children be exclusively breast-fed for the first four months of life. Based on these recommendations some hospitals in Canada have stopped providing formula to newborns and mothers are “forced” to breastfeed unless they provide their own formula. (Formula would be provided for babies with certain medical problems). This is not only better for the babies’ health, but it saves the hospital thousands of dollars each year. Do you agree or disagree with this policy? Why or why not? Focus your responses on the question, not on your own personal breastfeeding experiences.

Here’s MY opinion do you have any???


I believe we have just been handed a hot topic! Growth and Development goes political!
I believe as in every aspect in life, there is always exceptions to a rule. Do I feel breast feeding is the best choice? In most cases, yes. Do I feel it should be an imposed choice, no, not really. I believe that there is lots of Mom’s that would do great with breast feeding while others I wouldn’t want breast feeding my children if it were possible.

Let’s look at the negative, if a Mother was an addict, drunk or unhealthy do to poor eating habits then they shouldn’t be forced to breast feed. Now concerning the bring your own formula rule for the ladies previously mentioned it wouldn’t work. If they are spending all their money on drugs or alcohol they are not going to be overly concerned with purchasing formula before the big day! As well, single Mom’s on welfare that don’t have a budget for extra’s let alone formula are not going to be able to bring their own to the hospital. Yet their financially unhealthy eating choices does not leave them the best breast feeding candidates. There is tons of teenage Mom’s every year who want to go back to school after they have their baby. Should they be told sorry no formula for you, learn to breast feed, pump and wear some breast pads to school.
What about Mom’s that plan to breast feed and have a very big baby who needs more then Mom’s breast milk right off the bat. Mom never brought formula to the hospital because she didn’t realize her breasts were not going to be enough first time around. Does big baby just go hungry till Mom’s milk comes in?
I realize that there are medical exceptions for babies that are born with problems but there is more to it then baby medical problems.

Now on a positive note, yes indeed it would save a truck load of money for hospitals to stop supplying newborns formula. However do you really think that will show up in the tax payers pocket or improve an already impoverished Health Care System. Not likely! I can’t think of any cut backs that actually helped the average Joe recently. I really believe breast feeding it’s a good thing but enforcing it seems unrealistic in 2008! I don’t believe people should be controlled that way. Is it the best for babies, yes, in ideal situations. I don’t think it would be fair to impose breast feeding on a person because I truly believe that babies will suffer from imposing breast feeding.

Yes in a perfect world there would be only breast milk. There would be no need for formula and thus no fear of contaminated formula. However, sad but true we don’t live in a perfect world. And as I previously mentioned there is always exceptions to every rule so we shouldn’t be unrealistic with our rules!

Oh, and while I’m ranting, here is a little after thought…now that we as a country are making breast feeding "Politically Correct" and formula feeding "Politically Incorrect" what is that doing to the average Mom’s guilt factor if she for some reason can’t breast feed?
Be it physical, like inverted nipples, be it mental she just finds it too hard to do, or be it environmental, her husband or boyfriend doesn’t want her breastfeeding because he doesn’t want to share her. What kind of added pressure of perfection are we putting on new Moms???