Rush Limbaugh and Breastfeeding !!!

Today, I let out a great big happy whoop in my car before I could help it.  Rush Limbaugh had just read from an article on a study done by Notre Dame.  It went something like this:

"A new study that may provoke controversy suggests social practices and cultural beliefs of modern life are preventing healthy brain and emotional development in children.  The hypothesis was recently presented at an interdisciplinary research symposium at the University of Notre Dame.
Life outcomes for American youth are worsening, especially in comparison to 50 years ago,” said Dr. Darcia Narvaez, Notre Dame professor of psychology, who specializes in moral development in children and how early life experiences can influence brain development.  Ill-advised practices and beliefs have become commonplace in our culture, such as the use of infant formula (emphasis mine), the isolation of infants in their own rooms or the belief that responding too quickly to a fussing baby will ‘spoil’ it,” Narvaez said."  (Study Contends Some Child Care Practices Hinder Development By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor).

Rush spent a few minutes discussing the implications of the study.  I got the impression that he was thinking that the close contact of mother and baby which occurs with breastfeeding was the key higher intelligence in the child.  I pulled into the parking lot of Macy's and sent a quick email to the show's email address.  Once I got home, I sent a second email:

Risks of formula feeding include: lower I.Q. scores, higher incidence of asthma, juvenile onset diabetes, ear infections and accompanying surgeries for repeated infections -- with occasional loss of hearing -- certain cancers like leukemia and lymphoma, a weakened immune system, adult onset G.I. disease (Crohns, ulcerative colitis, etc.), atopic disease/allergies, and so on.  And, that's just for those who consume formula.  Women who do not breastfeed have a higher chance of developing breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other issues. 

Each year, 900 babies in the U.S. DIE because they were not breastfed.  Around the world, the number grows to about 1.5 million.  The negative impact to our economy in health care costs, lost productivity, and payment for formula for WIC is measured in billions and billions of dollars EACH year.

I could go on and on.  Instead, I will refer you to Core Curriculum for the Lactation Consultant, third edition, by Jones and Bartlett Learning (Publishers), Chapter 22, written by Marsha Walker RN, IBCLC.

Please consider expanding your comments of today.  The 2012 Position Statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that this is a health care issue, and no longer just a life style choice.  Yet, many, many expectant mothers are never provided with factual information on the risks of formula feeding so they can make an INFORMED choice.  It would be interesting to investigate WHY this is the case.  

I am not going to hold my breath, but I think it would be GREAT if he would spend a little time on this subject.  So, if any LCs or breastfeeding advocates happen to see this post and are so inclined, you can sent a short note encouraging him to delve into this topic.  His email address is elrushbo@eibnet.com. 

Now, as believers, we know that moral development of our children goes WAY beyond how they are fed or how much human contact they receive as infants.  I believe that the God-designed method of nourishing and nurturing our children through breastfeeding and "direct" mothering goes a long way in promoting optimal physical and emotional development of our little ones. 

However, once the bond has been established, and the baby has grown so he or she can begin to absorb instruction (and this, I think, is quite early, so teach away!), there is much training to be done.

When children are taught via language or actions that there is no God, or that He is irrelevant in their lives, they grow to believe there is no point in behaving in ways which require self control.  After all, there is no one to whom to ultimately answer, now or after death.  It becomes "all about me". This is what we see in today's society.

Breastfeeding is the first method to nourish and nurture a baby. The brain can grow as it should grow  and be able to learn as it should learn.  The "heart" grows in love and opens to the teachings of his parents. The development of a loving relationship with that baby is necessary for that little person to even desire to listen and learn from the parents.

The parents must be diligent to teach and train each child in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).  "When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, 'Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live'". (Prov. 4:3-4)  

By these words the father did not mean he would let the child live (and not "take you out" like Bill Cosby says), but that the child would truly live a more blessed life.

Sounds easy, doesn't it?  Of course it is NOT! It takes much prayer, sacrifice, and relying on the Lord to make US into the type of parents necessary to train our children.  Even then, we will fail at times, but God won't.

We know that outward morality is not the ultimate measure of one's spiritual condition.  It is not the goal which believing parents seek for their children.  Just as we are born once, physically, we must be born again, this time spiritually in order to be a member of God's eternal family. Just like our first conception and birth, God "owns" our second birth, yet we also bear responsibility.  Therefore, parents have the responsibility to teach their children about man's sinful nature and how God has solved man's biggest problem -- sin-- through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, including His substitutionary death on our behalf.  (Calvinists and Armenians, please continue on.  I will not bog down on this matter at this time.  Thank you.) 

God is always sovereign and in total control of the lives of each person He has created.  We can trust in His love for us and our little ones when we are weak and fall short in our roles as parents.  We also can rejoice when we see how He blesses when our hard work is revealed in right thoughts and actions in the lives of our precious little (and big) ones.

Rush Limbaugh did not go into all the spiritual implications of parenting.  If he had, and did so according to Scripture, I might have done more than let out a whoop!  Still, I was so very glad he mentioned the link between breastfeeding and NORMAL physical and emotional growth.

That's it for this post.  I will be discussing the factors which are found in mature human milk which make it perfect for human babies . . . hopefully in the next post . . . unless I hear something else about breastfeeding on the radio or TV!

  

When Breastmilk is NOT Best

Well, I planned (cross my heart!) to get back on my pre-determined course for postings and begin writing more about what makes breast milk so perfect for babies, and why it provides significant health benefits for mom.  Then, two things happened.

First, I had dinner with a close friend.  She told me about the experience a family member had with her OB with her first baby.  I was ANGRY!  Actually, I was surprised at the degree of anger I felt.  I drove home and almost sat right down at the computer to write the next post.  But, reason prevailed, and I think it is best to address the issue we discussed in a future posting.  There WILL be a posting about how some physicians manipulate (even scare) women into Cesarean deliveries -- without telling them all the risks involved for both mother and baby. 

Today, I was reading some more chapters in a text book for lactation consultants.  I read one passage about medications, including epidurals, used in labor and their effects on breastfeeding.  My husband, ever patient, at my request came into the room so I could read a passage to him. (I was snuggled in the recliner with Tessie on my lap.  He, on the other hand, was reading in a chair WITHOUT a dog in his lap.)  I am quite certain he listened only out of love for me and not because he has great interest in the topic.  I must admit he has learned a lot over the past almost three decades of living with a childbirth educator and lactation enthusiast.  In fact, he can advise a newly expectant mother with only three words:  "Squat and breastfeed".  He will admit he doesn't know how to explain much beyond that recommendation, but he affirms that it is very important to prepare to "squat and breastfeed".

After reading the paragraph, I emphatically stated something like  "Doctors should tell women this stuff!  They should have bath tubs in every labor room!  They should provide free classes so their patients can learn natural comfort measures and position to help labor labor to progress normally!  Hospitals should provide doulas (professional labor support persons) for every woman".  Then I remembered I was NOT queen of the world, and reluctantly had to accept that this would probably never happen in the current health care system.

Before too long, I will be writing a post on the effects of labor medications on breastfeeding (in greater detail than what I have posted previously). At least women can become more aware of what these meds often do to them and their babies and can make informed decisions.  All I can say, once again,  is that God's design for childbirth works well in the great majority of cases IF we would just support it!  Save the technology for those situations where it is really needed. 

But, for now (I bet you thought I forgot!), I decided to provide a list of medical reasons for NOT breastfeeding or not using breast milk alone when feeding a baby:  Here it is (from the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Find.  Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.  Prt II:  Hospital Level Implementation.  Geneva:  World Health Organization:  1992; World Health Organization-United Nations Children's Fund.  Acceptable medical reasons for use of breast-milk substitutes.  Geneva.  World Health Organization; 2009.)

Infants who may need supplementation/complementation of breastmilk feeds:

• Infants with very low birth weight (less than 1500 gms -- about 3.3 pounds) or who are born before 32 weeks gestational age.  These babies may need something called human milk fortifier to increase certain nutrients and calories.

• Infants with severe dysmaturity (post mature/over long gestation) with potentially severe hypoglycemia or who require therapy for hypoglycemia and who do not improve through increased breastfeeding or by being given breastmilk. 

Infants who may need supplementation of breastmilk OR may need replacement of mother's milk with pasteurized human milk from a milk bank or from artificial baby milk.

• Infants whose mothers are severely ill (includes psychosis, which is a severe mental imbalance), sepsis (severe body wide infection), eclampsia (a pregnancy related disorder which can cause stroke and other fatal events) until healed, or with HIV infection (this information depends on where in the world you live, and whether or not you are exclusively breastfeeding.  Exclusively breastfed babies of HIV positive women are less likely to contract the virus due to the protective structure of human milk), herpes simplex virus type 1 if the lesions are on the breast (can breast feed from the unaffected breast IF the lesions are covered -- always check with the appropriate health care professional before breastfeeding when active herpes lesions are on the body).

• Infants with acute water loss (e.g. during phototherapy for jaundice), if increased breastfeeding can not provide adequate hydration.

• Infants with inborn errors of metabolism (metabolic disorders -- e.g., galactosemia, phenylketonuria, maple syrup urine disease). These infants can not ingest breastmilk, or can ingest limited quantities with supplementation of artificial baby milk, or can breastfeed IF the mother follows a strict diet.  Each condition requires different treatment.  Follow the instructions of your baby's physician carefully.

• Infants whose mothers are taking medication that is contraindicated when breastfeeding (these are rare but include cytotoxic drugs (chemo-therapy), certain radioactive drugs such as iodine-131 (why I had to stop breastfeeding.  However, in many cases, the break from nursing is short lived and breastfeeding can be resumed), and anti-thyroid drugs (other than propylthiouracil) or mothers who are abuse legal or illegal drugs. Breastfeeding is not recommended in these situations except as noted with prophylthiouracil).

• Newborn infants at risk of hypoglycemia due to impaired metabolic adaptation or increased glucose demand (small for gestational age, late preterm, those who experienced hypoxic/ischemic stress, those who are ill, and those whose mothers are diabetic) IF their blood sugar fails to respond to breastfeeding or breastmilk feeding.  Supplementation is usually temporary, but depends on the baby's condition and ability to breastfeed over time.

While breastfeeding has to be temporarily delayed or interrupted, mothers should be helped to establish or maintain lactation with the use of hand expression, manual or electric breastpumps, or combination of any or all.  This keeps her supply ready for when breastfeeding can be resumed as the situation allows. (End of WHO recommendations -- with some personal explanation and/or commentary thrown in).

We often think "breastfeed"  (mother's milk) or "bottle feed" (formula).  But, there are MANY options. Some can keep the mother and baby going in the direction of exclusive breastfeeding at some point in the future.  The recommended milks, in order of benefit to the baby, are, starting with #1:

1. Mother's colostrum/milk:  directly from breast
2. Mother's colostrum/milk:  freshly expressed 
3. Mother's colostrum/milk:  refrigerated  (5 - 7 days in the colder part of the frig, not the door)  
   
4. Mother's colostrum/milk:  frozen (recommendations vary based on the temperature of the freezer.  It can be frozen one year at -4 degrees F, then thawed in frig over 24 hours, or in a warm bowl of water, gently swirled but not shaken.  NEVER microwave breast milk or formula. There can be hot spots which can burn baby's esophagus, plus components of human milk can be damaged.) 
   
5. Fortified (if necessary) mother's own milk for pre-term infants. 
6. Pasteurized donor banked human milk 
7. Hypoallergenic infant formula 
8. Elemental infant formula (whole proteins have been removed and replaced with amino acids)
9. Cow's milk based infant formula 
10. Soy infant formula

Source:  Walker, M.  Breastfeeding Management for the Clinician.  2nd Edition.  Jones and Barlett Publishers.  Copyright 2011.  Page 232, Table 4-11.

Newborns often do not become good breast feeders if they are given supplements in a bottle.  They can begin to refuse to breastfeed, leading to early weaning. Babies use their "suckling" muscles differently when bottle feeding.  If possible, it is best to wait until your baby has become a "champion nurser" before introducing a bottle.  Usually, parents are advised to wait until the baby is at least 4 weeks old, and has learned to breastfeed well, before introducing a bottle.

If a newborn needs supplementation, milk can be given by spoon, cup, periodontal or other appropriate syringe, disposable/one-use eye dropper (because germs can grow inside the bulb), feeding tube, or nursing supplemental system.  Ask your lactation consultant, hospital nurse, or local La Leche League Leader to teach you how to feed your baby with any of these methods so you can continue to progress toward exclusive breastfeeding.

For moms who plan to pump and bottle feed, be aware that this is very difficult.  Don't forget it will take twice as long to pump and bottle feed your milk to your baby than to breastfeed. You will need to use a hospital grade pump with double set up and hand express for best results.  You must be diligent with your milk expression schedule.

It can be challenging to increase and maintain enough milk without the baby nursing, but it is possible.  Allow your baby "skin to skin" time to help increase supply.   If you have the option of the baby nursing at your breast, and you are interested in pursuing it, work with a lactation consultant or La Leche League Leader.  Otherwise, keep in mind that all your hard work with pumping still has great benefits for you and your little one.

Obviously, if a baby will not be able to suckle at the breast, or if mom has decided to not breastfeed at any future point with this baby, then bottle feeding is a convenient option.  If/when you do supplement with a bottle, it is a good idea to incorporate paced bottle feeding.  

As you can see from the above list, there are very few reasons babies should be denied breastmilk.  

There are common diagnoses, like lactose intolerance, based on incorrect assumptions.  Why is this "problem" of lactose intolerance not a valid one?  Because breast milk contains lactase, an enzyme which digests lactose, the primary sugar in human milk.  It is lactose which gives human milk its sweet taste, sweeter than any other milk from living creatures.

When we drink cows milk, we can experience lactose intolerance because lactase is NOT actively present in the milk. Lactase is present in sufficient quantities in breastmilk to prevent intolerance.  I have my own findings and theory as to why some babies have trouble with excessive gas, reflux, etc. . . . but that might be another blog.
 

Grandmother Joys

I know I stated in the first post of this blog that I was going to follow a planned course.  Already, I have strayed off course once, and this blog will make it twice.  I promise, Lord willing. to get back on track with the composition of human milk, the design of breastfeeding, and so on, and fully intend to continue working "diligently" on this project.  Still, even these diverted blogs get back to the primary subject of breastfeeding and God's care, so they really do not run far off the track.

My other "mother" activities have kicked up a notch lately.  Last week was a busy week of classes.  This week, I have been working on projects for my son and for my grandchildren. My son and his business partner are starting their own business refinishing the floors on indoor courts, like basketball courts.  I helped them set up their web site and design their business cards, so, pretty soon, I can turn my attention back to MY project for a while -- although I really enjoyed the temporary side track.

Yesterday, I baby sat my three grandchildren while their parents finished the process for obtaining SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) support for the new church work in which they are involved.  This is special for me because, until very recently, they lived anywhere from 3 hours (by car) to 21 hours (by plane) away.  They now live only one hour from us.

The kids and I went to Chik-fil-A and they had the indoor play area all to themselves.  They had a blast!

Now, watching kids isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it is a double chocolate milkshake when the kids are your grandkids.  We ate our lunch, which included a LOT of waffle fries and lemonade, plus a little chicken.  Grandmothers are supposed to spoil their grandies, right?

As I observed their interaction with strangers (the dining room lady, the people in the next booth as they left, etc.), I was thrilled to hear  "please" and "thank you" and an occasional "yes m'am" by the three and five year olds.  In the car, we had fun singing songs from "You've Got Mail."  (Yep, there is evidently a soundtrack CD for this movie, but I was surprised to find it in the car CD player; I thought their parents would be into something more contemporary.)  Next we were baking gluten free cherry and cashew cookies.

All these activities brought me pleasure.  My daughter in law is an outstanding mother, and her loving efforts are very evident in these adorable children (of course, I invoke the grandmother privilege here!).  Yes, their father does his part, but they are with their mother practically 24/7, and this has to be the reason for a lot of their behavioral training.

Although I had a wonderful day with my "grands" the thing which brought me the greatest joy was when their mother came home at the end of the day. . .  and not because my job as babysitter was over for the time being. Her children were excited to see her  -- and their dad (well, sort of).

Hugs and kisses abounded.  And then, the twenty month old lovingly gazed and smiled at his mother and said in a certain way, "Ma-ma".  In moments he was happily nursing and enjoying the companionship of the most important person in his little world.  I could just see that young brain growing bigger from the milk he was receiving, while his heart was overflowing with love for his mama.

That evening, I pondered that precious site.  I realized that my youngest child was also nursing at twenty months of age, and I could almost re-live the experience after having seen my happily breastfeeding grandson and his smiling and relaxed mother.  Then, unexpectedly, a moment of sadness crossed my reflective time.

I had remembered that it was at twenty months I had to wean my youngest son because of a diagnosis of thyroid cancer -- a cancer which likely occurred, in part, because I was not breastfed (see earlier, August 4, 2013 post).  Twenty months of breastfeeding my youngest was the longest I had nursed a baby, and that baby was my last baby

Yet, I am so very happy that my daughter in law, and many women like her, will be able to continue to nurse each child as long as they desire.  The information we now have about the value of human milk and the act of breastfeeding on the neurological, immunological, developmental, and social health of our children provides strong support when they hear "Are you STILL breastfeeding that baby?".  Now they can answer "Of course!  Why not"" and then provide solid, research based rationale for their decision.

Thyroid cancer disrupted my breastfeeding relationship with my baby.  But, God, who truly cares about how we feel during the trials He has designed for us, shows His love in ways most special.  I was not allowed to breastfeed for about twelve weeks after being given the radiation therapy required for my type of cancer (it was something I swallowed.  If I heard one "glowing green" joke, I heard hundred!). 

At the time, no one told me about the option of using a hospital grade pump to keep my milk supply going.  Breastfeeding was not that important to my care providers. 

My baby, along with his older brothers, was actually separated from me for three weeks due to the radiation treatment.  My radiated body was a danger to the growing thyroids of my three sons.  

Upon the baby's return, I still could not breastfeed.  When he wanted to nurse, I explained to him (one time only) that mommy's milk was still not good for him because of special medicine I had taken.  He really seemed to understand.

By the way, I have come to believe that our pre-verbal children understand much more than we realize.  When they point to something or are looking at something and say "da" or "da-da", I think they are saying, "Tell me everything you know about THAT".  Try it.  You will often find they give you their attention when you teach them about "da".  I know, this is a real let down to fathers who think that every "da-da" means "Daddy"!  But, reassure Dad that some of those "Das" do refer to him!

But, back to my story.  Amazingly, nine weeks after he arrived home after staying with my mother for three weeks required separation, and twelve weeks post radiation therapy, my then twenty-three month old came to me and wanted "nummies".   How did he know that the additional nine weeks had passed and that my milk (if I had had any) was now safe?

I knew I did not have milk, but I could not refuse his request.  He latched on, and then looked at me as though he was thinking, "NOW what do I do?"  He stayed at my breast, latched on but not suckling for about 5 minutes.  During this time, my husband walked in the front door and saw the scene.  He looked at me quizzically.  I just shrugged my shoulders and we both remained quiet.  Then, in a minute or so, my little one climbed off my lap and never asked to nurse again.

I really think that, because weaning occurred fairly abruptly (I had been given three weeks to taper down and tell him that mommy was sick and that we would have to stop nursing soon), that the Lord knew we both needed closure -- my son more so than I.  This last "nursing" session was that closure for him.  He had to know that mama would let him nurse.  I think he had to know that he had not been rejected as the reason for weaning twelve weeks earlier.

This final nursing time is a precious memory for me.  I can remember it as though I was still seated in that old, ugly, rust colored rocker chair (our decor at the time was early relative), in the corner of the living room, watching his little face as he relaxed and "nursed", and seeing my husband walk in to the room.  Of the thousands of times I breastfed my children, this memory is the strongest.

Even though we had to wean sooner than we wanted, God has given me almost three decades of life beyond what which untreated cancer would have resulted.  I have enjoyed watching all of my children grow up into fine young men, in two cases, husbands, and one case, a father.   I have been blessed by the love of a man who loves God, and as a result, has loved me more than I deserve.  I have learned to trust in the love of the One who created us all.

I am thankful that God's love does not depend on the degree or expression of our love for Him. This is a great truth, because there are times when we do not feel as much love toward God as we normally desire to. We can never love Him as much as He deserves to be loved while we are on this Earth -- we are simply too selfish in our fallen state.  Still, He gives us precious times of sweet, loving communion with Him -- just a taste of the great love we will feel when we enter our eternal home with Him.  We certainly do not always behave as though He is the most important love in our lives.  Even so, He loves us in an infinite way -- and at all times.  He has shown that love through Calvary.  He also shows it in little ways -- like that final time of nursing to give a mother and her baby some closure.  It is just Who He is.  He loves. 

Psalm 36:7   "How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men (including women and children) find refuge in the shadow of your wings."

Years ago, I watched a program on PBS entitled The Natural History of the Chicken.  One story in this documentary put to rest the erroneous meaning of calling someone "chicken".  The story was about a

mother chicken, or hen, I suppose, which, when a chicken hawk -- a natural predator -- flew overhead, gathered her chicks under her wings.  Instead of fleeing to the chicken coop to protect herself against the hunter hawk, she quickly rounded up her babies, and covered them with her wings in the brief moments she had before the hawk descended. She willingly placed herself in the position to sacrifice herself to save her chicks.

Isn't this a beautiful picture of what God has done for us?  Psalm 91:4  tells us "He covers us with His feathers and under His wings we find refuge."  How priceless is His unfailing love! 

"But What If"

I am not going to go any further with this blog until I address something.

I can already hear "But what if . . .!" over and over again as I re-read the previous blogs.  "But what if the mother can't breastfeed?"  "But what if the baby can't breastfeed?"

"But what ifs" are a reality.  We, as believers, know that, although this Earth was created in perfection, man's sin in the Garden of Eden resulted in God placing a curse on the world He so joyfully created.  Until that curse is removed after Christ returns to rule forever, the "but what ifs" will be here.

It is true that there are occasionally some metabolic, endocrine, neurological, anatomical, and even surgical (elective or not) issues in mother or baby which interfere with the establishment of breast milk, the delivery of the milk from the breasts, or the baby's ability to extract or safely ingest the milk.  But, these situations are rare.  Most women who have difficulty establishing a milk supply and most babies who have difficulty extracting milk do so because the first days of breastfeeding were not "normal".  By "normal", I mean, interventions and actions occurred which disrupted the natural design for the establishment of breastfeeding.  These include:

• there was limited skin to skin contact between baby and mother

• there was a delay in placing the baby to the breast

• there were delayed responses to the baby's feeding cues, resulting in fewer than optimal effective feeding sessions.

• supplemental feedings were given, often with the use of artificial nipples, and/or pacifiers were used so the feeding cues of the infant were diminished.

• there was less than required stimulation of the breasts, either by the baby, hand expression, or proper breast pump, or combination of all three.

(I promise I will cover these issues in later blogs!)

These "interferences" with breastfeeding success could be associated with lack of knowledge, lack of support, other medical influences (drugs the mom was given in labor, C-section delivery, ill baby, etc.), pressure from family members to "feed the baby", mother's discomfort to try to feed with many family members around, and so on.  If these interferences were eliminated, almost all, if not all women whose circumstances are limited to these categories would be able to breastfeed successfully.

Yet, there are times when women who desperately desire to breastfeed are unable to do so.  Endocrine issues, like PCOS (sometimes), or anatomical issues like insufficient breast tissue (not to be confused with breast size), neurological issues like radiation to the brain which damaged the pituitary gland or severe blood loss during delivery which also damaged the pituitary gland, a baby who can not maintain a latch for a variety of reasons (some fixable, some not), and others do result in lactation failure.  Some can be overcome with the help of a lactation professional, but some can not.  (In some cases, the baby can take nourishment at the breast even though most if not all of the milk is provided via a flask and tube which delivers the milk while the baby is nursing.)

When there is nothing which can be done to salvage breastfeeding, we must remember that it is God who is in control of our lives.  We can still accept His will in a way which gives Him glory.  With all the great benefits that breastfeeding, especially when it is delivered at the breast over the early years of a child's life, provides over the life span, it is God who created each child.  He is able to make up any gaps in health and development as He sees fit.  We are not guaranteed everything will be perfect -- even if we breastfeed each child for several years!  We are promised God will take care of us, will walk with us through disappointments and through difficult times, and that we can trust His will because He loved us to much, he willingly sent His own Son to die for those who did not love Him.  "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?  Though she may forget, I will not forget you."  (Isaiah 49:15)

There is another point that needs to be made.  While I am writing all of these blogs/chapters to show how incredible breastfeeding is, I strongly believe the decision to or not to breastfeed rests with the mother.  Only she knows what is going on in her life at the time.  She may have quite a grid to filter this decision through -- a grid we know nothing about.

I often use this example when I talk with lactation consultants or nurses, "A woman in labor has two children, both breastfed for at least a year.  Her husband left her when she was 5 months pregnant and has disappeared off the scene.  She is now living with her parents, and will be returning to school in 4 weeks.  She has a part time job.  After examining everything she decides that in order to help feed her children and finish school so she can support her family, she can not breastfeed this baby, even though she is aware of the risks involved with formula feeding.  This is her choice to make.  But, what if this same woman, in the same circumstances, had some additional support from her employer, her teachers, her friends, and so on, and she knew she could manage pumping when she was separated from the baby, so she decides to breastfeed.  This is still her choice to make.  WE don't know everything there is to know about her circumstances.  We must respect her decision." 

All we can do as family, friends, or health care professionals is to provide information and support to help each woman make her decision, help her reach her goal, or to help her deal with disappointments. 


Still, dear friend, if you find yourself in a situation where breastfeeding may be difficult, try.  If a health issue is threatening your success, work closely with a certified lactation consultant and your baby's physician.  If life in general makes it seem impossible, trust God to help you.  You may be very surprised that, according to His will, you find something which works to help you continue.  Even a few days or weeks of breastfeeding has tremendous health benefits for your little one.  You may find that the time it takes to breastfeed or pump is recovered by having to spend less time taking care of a sick baby, or at the pharmacy in the middle of the night, in the ER when you are supposed to be at work, etc.  Fewer missed days of work because your baby stays healthier can help stretch the budget.  Decreased health care costs along with the cost of formula can also help maximize limited resources.  Later, you may be able to not have to spend hours upon hours helping your older child with homework -- those "extra" I.Q. points can really help with school work!

I have learned over the years that we, as women, learn a lot about ourselves when we give birth and when we care for babies.  We learn from our successes (we want to repeat them in with future children) and from our bad experiences (we want to change what we did before in order to avoid them!).  It would be wonderful if breastfeeding went smoothly for every woman, and with every baby.  But, "what ifs" are real, so there are no guarantees.

If a "what if" enters your breastfeeding world, try to get rid of it by seeking correct information and support.  If it stays so long that the "what if" becomes a "what is", and breastfeeding can not work because of a God-ordained complication or situation, "in all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you" (I Thess. 5:18).  You will likely grieve the loss of the experience.  God understands and will comfort you.  You will be tempted to worry about your baby's health.  It is then that you must trust that God will work His special plan for you and your baby.  Isaiah 40:11 tells us "He tends his flock like a shepherd;  He gathers the lambs in his arms and he carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."


Back in the 1940s, a woman was told by her physician uncle that her milk was lacking and that she needed to stop breastfeeding.  Here was the situation:  her chubby 3 months old was crying to nurse more often.  She did not understand why.  Her uncle, a family doctor, told her to express some milk into a glass.  She described it as the color of "dirty dishwater" -- very thin and bluish.  The physician's conclusion was that her milk could not meet her baby's needs -- despite the evidence of a robust, healthy three month old. 

Foremilk on the left.  Hindmilk (high fat) on right.

The mother weaned her baby to cow's milk.  Believing she had inadequate milk, the mother did not try to breastfeed her next son, or the baby daughter born 15 years later in the late 1950's.  The daughter received a doctor prescribed formula of Karo corn syrup and Carnation evaporated milk.  Why? Because the Carnation company convinced the physicians their products was healthful for babies.

Below is an ad (with recent comments) from Carnation.

The baby threw up a lot, and did not gain weight well.  When the baby was six months of age, the mother decided to try goat's milk.  This was tolerated better than the sugar-syrup and processed evaporated milk.  The baby continued to have some health issues, from chronic bronchitis, to dark patches of skin on the back of her neck, her knees, and other places.  Other differences showed up as she began to mature into womanhood.  At age 20, she was diagnosed with an endocrine disorder, and would have been infertile without surgery.  God provided a wise, Christian physician at a critical time to diagnose provide a surgical treatment.  As a result, she was able to bear children.  When she was 29 years old, she had a diagnosis of thyroid cancer.  Upon doing research, she found some triggers, including having ingested goats milk in the late 1950s.  Surgery and radiation treatment was successful, but did require that she wean the baby she was nursing sooner than she desired.  However, that baby had breastfed for 20 months and grew up very healthy.  He is now a Doctor of Pharmacy, with an interest in natural approaches in medical therapy.

So, what was the connection of goat's milk to her health as a young woman?  Well, scientists were testing the atomic bomb in the southwestern part or the U.S.  The winds were blowing the radioactive particles post explosion toward the northwest part of the U.S. where many goats were kept.  Their milk was sent to other parts of the U.S., including the southern states, where this mother and baby lived.  The baby likely had radiated goats milk for several months of her infancy.  Ingesting radiated goats milk has been linked to thyroid cancer.

Now, back to the mother who gave birth to this baby girl.  Had the doctor-uncle known fifteen years earlier what we know now -- that all that was going on with his niece's baby was a normal growth spurt and that the milk which the mother expressed was "foremilk", high in water and sugar, and low in fat, that mother would have continued breastfeeding, and would have breastfed her second and third child, most likely.  (Foremilk is the first milk which lets down during a feeding.  Hindmilk, rich in fat, lets down a few minutes into the feeding.  This design allows babies to "get a drink of water" when they are thirsty, and gives them lots of calories when they are hungry and nurse longer!) All a mother has to do during baby's growth spurt is to nurse the baby more often for a few days.  Her supply will increase, and the baby returns to his or her normal feeding pattern.

But what about the baby daughter who was given corn syrup and evaporated milk "formula"?  Even though she deals with health issues connected to not being breastfed, she has found God faithful in caring for her.  Using her understanding of her background, God developed in her an interest in helping childbearing and breastfeeding women.  She became a childbirth educator, RN, and lactation consultant.  Because of her experience as a baby and as a young adult, and because of what she learned from books in a little library in Dublin, Georgia, she became interested in helping women become informed about important decisions regarding their own and their babies' health care.  She served her daughter in law as a doula for the birth of her first two grandchildren.  She was able to support her daughter in law as the new mother began to breastfeed. She taught thousands of women in class and in the hospital, and is still teaching.  She has been able to provide education to physicians and nurses so they can better assist breastfeeding women.  She wrote articles on birth related issues for publication in both lay and professional journals.  She presented information on other topics to women for Bible studies, women's group meetings, etc.  Then, one day, she decided to write a blog on breastfeeding from a Christian perspective. . .  and called it Sincere Milk. (Note:  Blog name is now "Pure Milk".)

God IS in control.  He uses the circumstances He ordains for GOOD.  "We know that in ALL things God works for GOOD of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose". (Romans 8:28 NIV). 

Efforts to identify owner of photograph have been unsuccessful.  Photo will remain or be removed depending on owners directive, if owner is located.

 

Colostrum -- the Gold Standard for Newborns

(Note:  I have added some information to this post since it was first written.  You might see it again in later posts.  I felt it was important to compile this information in case a reader clicked on only this post for information on colostrum).  

Colostrum, the first milk mother provides for her baby, is more like medicine than food.  It's thick, rich consistency and yellow-gold color sets it apart from more mature breast milk.  The nutrients are present in different ratios than those in more mature breast milk.  But, those ratios are perfect for the needs of the just born baby. As the needs of the baby changes, so will the nutrient ratios.  Just a reminder:  formula can not do that!  

Newborns receive pure colostrum for approximately 3 to 4 days before the colostrum begins transitioning to mature breast milk.  This transition period of mixed colostrum and mature milk occurs from approximately day 6 to day 14.  At that point, mothers produce "mature" milk. 

Many women who are uninformed will express concern that they do not have enough milk, yet, in reality, they have more than enough.  Colostrum which has let down from deep in the breast to the area of the nipples at the time of birth, is ready to deliver that first inoculation to the vulnerable newborn.  From that point, small amounts of colostrum are made at a time because only small amounts are required per feeding.

With Proper Breastfeeding Practices, Mom's Milk Supply for Each Feeding Grows as Baby's Stomach Grows.

Photo/Chart is by Katie Wickham BScN, RN, IBCLC, BCLS of Babies First Lactation.  Used with permission.

The size of a newborn's stomach is about the size of a small marble, or the tip of your thumb to the first joint.  Infants take in about 2 to 10 milliliters (less than 1 teaspoon up to 2 teaspoons) of colostrum at a time during the first day or two.  Even though newborns consume such small amounts, there is no need to worry about dehydration in the healthy baby.  God, not surprisingly, has already worked this out perfectly!

Newborns arrive with an extra fluid load of 10 to 15 percent.  This "water storage" keeps them hydrated for the first days.  If breastfeeding is managed as it should be managed, as the newborn's extra fluid is used up, his nursing will become more thirst driven.  This works out great, because this is about the time mom's milk supply is increasing and beginning the change to mature milk.  This hungry/thirsty baby will take in more more milk, thus preventing or relieving engorgement in its mother.

We will cover some breastfeeding management and feeding recommendations in a later blog. One of those issues will be the OVERhydration of women (and subsequently, their babies) during labor.  Such babies are born with more than the 10 - 15% extra fluid -- and this leads to unnecessary supplementation in many cases.  But, for now, I want to discuss just some of the very active, health protecting factors found in colostrum.  In addition, we will see how the type of birth experience plus the type of early food the baby ingests affects its current and future health.

Among many components, colostrum contains

• Abundant antioxidants, antibodies, and immunoglobulins like sIgA (10 times the amount found in mature breastmilk).  sIgA inhibits the inflammatory effects of other immunoglobulins.  This allows the immunoglobulins to attack illness producing organisms without damaging the baby's G.I. tract. It also prevents pathogenic organisms from attaching to the baby's G.I. tract. Another antioxidant in colostrum is beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant which gives colostrum its  distinctive color. Beta carotene is much higher in colostrum than in mature milk.

• Interferron, which works as an anti-viral.

• Fibronectin, which causes phagocytes, (microbe eating cells) to become so aggressive that they attack and "eat" microbes even when those organisms are not tagged by an antibody, which is a normal identifier trigger for phagocytic action.

• Pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI), a peptide found in the pancrease which protects it from being damaged by the digestive enzymes it produces.  It is seven times higher in colostrum than in mature breastmilk.  PSTI stimulates cell movement and proliferation in the G.I. tract by three times the normal.  This reduces cell death in damaged intestinal cells by 70-80%.  PSTI protects and repairs the newborns delicate intestines.  This helps to prepare it to receive future foods.

• Components which contribute to the establishment of bifidus flora in the baby's intestines. Flora refers to the living microorganism found in and on the body. Bifidus organisms promote a lower pH, or slightly acidic enviroment, which further inhibits growth of illness causing bacteria.

Colostrum functions as anti-infective medication.  It's biochemical composition also lends itself to having a laxative effect on the baby.  Meconium is the thick, tarry stool present in the baby's gut at birth.  It has high levels of bilirubin, a byproduct of the breakdown of unneeded red blood cells.  If it remains in the baby's body too long, the baby will reabsorb bilirubin, causing a yellowish tinge to the skin and eyes, known as "jaundice". The sooner the meconium is passed from the baby's gut, the less jaundiced the baby will become.

Some jaundice is normal.  Excessively high levels over a prolonged period can cause problems in the baby's brain.  The laxative effect of colostrum reduces the chance for development of jaundice from this cause.

Why is colostrum so vital as a first food?

When a baby is born, it's G.I. tract is still in transition.  It changes and matures rapidly following birth.  Microorganisms are introduced and start colonizing along the gut.  Colostrum's protective nature properly guides the colonization of the baby's gut so that the environment is perfect for nutritive and protective functions.

Colostrum continues the process started in the womb of developing the villi which line the intestines.  

Leaky Gut Syndrome occurs when villi is damaged and gaps exist between them.  The gaps allows bacteria and other foreign matter in the intestines to enter the bloodstream and other tissues in the body.

Anything other than colostrum or colostrum/mature milk mix will affect the proper development of the lining of the intestines.  Formula will predispose most infants to lifelong issues which can arise from this defect.  These include diabetes, allergies, colitis, Crohn's disease, and so on.

One thing which affects the colonization of the G.I. tract is the type of delivery.  A baby which is born vaginally picks up his mother's organisms during birth.  Cesarean born infants are more likely to pick up organisms found in the OR, air, hospital staff, and so on, before being colonized with mother's flora.  These babies have more pathogens like Clostridium difficle (aka C. Diff -- one very nasty bug). 

Also, there is a significant absence of Bifidobacterium species (certain bacteria which help to develop a protected G.I. environment).  These "friendly" bacteria are present in large numbers in the intestines of vaginally delivered babies.

This "set-up" of bacterial colonies can have long term effects on the baby's health.  Intestinal organisms play an important role as to how well the baby's immune system develops.  If the direction is toward a less than optimal environment in the gut, the baby can be more vulnerable to a number of diseases and conditions, including autoimmune disorders which can develop years later.  These disorders include asthma and juvenile onset or type I diabetes.  Infant formula, as well as the method of birth, can lead to establishing an abnormal environment in the baby's G.I. tract.

A baby born by C-section, who is not breastfed, faces more health challenges than one who receives human milk.  Breast milk can help re-establish a properly functioning G.I. tract, although it can takes weeks or months.

I have heard a well educated lactation consultant wonder if it might be beneficial for a health care provider who is not performing the surgery, to reach down, and with a sterile glove on his or her hand, swipe the vaginal opening and then rub the baby's lips and skin before beginning any further procedures. 

I have also read that vaginal swabs should be done and then swab rubbed onto mother's nipples when a C-section if done.  In either case, the baby would be innoculated with mother's microbes.  This is the first step in setting up the infant's gut and respiratory microbiome, which is a vital part of the infant's immune system.
  
Something else which helps with colonizing the C-section baby with its mother's flora is to place the

Baby breastfeeding while mom's C/S is being completed.

baby skin to skin on the mother's chest before it is taken to any other part of the operating room.  A light baby blanket can be placed over the baby.  Dad or other family member can stand by to make sure the baby does not roll off.  When this is done, many babies will latch on and begin nursing while the doctor is doing the repair work!  Otherwise, there is a longer period of time where the baby is exposed to other, less friendly, organisms.

Infants born by C-section have a increased chance of 20% of developing asthma, according to one very large compilation study (meta-analysis -- a study of the the data from several studies).  Another study showed a 20% increase in the risk of childhood type 1 diabetes after a C-section delivery.  Again, breastfeeding will provide some protection for the baby born under these circumstances.

As a childbirth educator, let me interject something here.  Cesarean sections are not simply an alternative method of delivery.  The risk of a serious complication in a vaginal delivery is 1%.  In a C-section, it rises to 3% -- 3 times as much.  That is for serious complications, including life threatening ones.  This risks of more common complications, including failure to successfully breastfeed, is higher. (One could argue, too, that this is also a serious complication -- especially if it contributes to serious and/or life long health problems for the infant, the mother, or both!)  Cesarean birth is associated with a delay in the initiation of breast milk production,  Many women who do not have adequate information and support will give up too quickly, thinking they are not able to produce enough milk to feed their babies over the long term.

Women who are pregnant would be wise to read good books on childbirth -- books which inform the reader about the natural design for childbirth, pros and cons of interventions, and possible options or alternatives to those interventions.  In my opinion, one of the best ones out there is Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Penny Simkin, et.al.   Get the latest edition, currently the 4th edition.  Some local libraries have it in their stacks.  There is also a website with much of the information found in the book.  It is www.PCNGuide.com 

A great website is EvidenceBasedBirth.com.  Dr. Rebecca Dekker, a researcher by profession, has and continues to evaluate research, using recognized tools.  She writes articles and papers on what the research evidence indicates about a wide variety of birth practices.  I recommend that EVERY expectant mother read the material and discuss it with their physicians or midwives.  Dr. Dekker has some items in a handout format just for this purpose.

Also, locate a childbirth class which supports the parent's right to objective information, as noted above, and which does not simply prepare you to accept the hospital routine without question. Especially if your hospital is a teaching hospital, you may be subject to some interventions because of the need to provide learning opportunities for medical students and residents.  You can face labor better prepared to do incorporate activities and positions which have been shown to promote vaginal delivery.  You will also be more likely to be able to avoid those interventions and processes which steer toward an operative delivery, including C-section. 

Contact your local La Leche League group for suggestions on classes and even hospitals.  You may also want to investigate the pros and cons of birth in a free standing birth center or even with a qualified midwife attended home birth with hospital back up.

Note: a later blog which deals with preparing during pregnancy for breastfeeding after delivery, provides more information than mentioned here.

I will stop here for now.  I have listed only a few, but very important components of colostrum.  God is so detailed in His creation!  Can you imagine pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor being added to formula?

It is important to give credit where credit is due. While the above information is found in a variety of sources, some has been well compiled by Marsha Walker in Breastfeeding Management for the Clinician (second edition), published by Jones and Bartlett. 

I have listened to Marsha speak at conferences over the years, and have read many of her journal articles and educational materials.  I also had the opportunity of sitting next to her several years ago as we listened to other speakers at one conference.  We discussed a theory of mine, based on what I was seeing in clinical practice, and she provided great encouragement to continue looking into the issue.  I will probably share what I have observed, including recommended treatments, with you in a later blog.  Marsha is a registered nurse and the executive director for the National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy Board of Directors at the time of publication.  She is a sought after speaker internationally, and champion for the field of lactation consulting -- all because she loves women and babies.

I do not know her spiritual beliefs.  My use of information from her book is not to be construed in any way of her support for the Christian perspective of this blog. I am simply pulling from the researched based information she has complied as I present why breastmilk is so special over the next several blogs.  Marsha has done me a great favor by saving me many, many hours trying to locate many of the individual studies I have read or which have been cited by other authors or speakers over the years by putting a wealth of scientific, researched information in her book.  Thank you, Marsha! 

The recommendations regarding childbirth and breastfeeding soon after C-section birth are also found in several reliable professional sources and are the basis for my comments here.  If this blog were ever to result in a book, it will most likely contain citations by chapter or in an appendix.  In the meantime, I will be careful to share information which is based on research, or from observations by professionals in the field of childbirth or lactation.  

The next few blogs will continue to examine some of the components of breastmilk and how they serve to nourish and protect babies.  Since over 200 components have been identified, with some of them still a mystery regarding their function, I will be selecting a small percentage of them for us to consider!  However, even those few clearly evidence God's power and wisdom in His creation. 

This reminds me of a story I read a couple of years ago.  It seems that a scientist stood before God said to Him, "We can now create a man just like You did!".  So God said, "OK, you may show me how you can do this."  The scientist reached down and picked up some dirt.  God said "Wait a minute!  Get your own dirt!".

Perhaps nutritionists for formula companies think can create a baby milk just like breast milk.  However, they have to use what is available on this earth now, whether it is soybeans or the milk of cows or goats.  God is allowing them to try, knowing they can NEVER come close to duplicating the amazing, precise, living components He put in His NBM (natural baby milk). 

God's "Formula": The Wonder of Human Milk

Earlier this year I gave an inservice (an educational session) for the nursing staff on the mother-baby unit of the hospital where I work.  While doing research, I noted fourteen (14) different formulas marketed for use by newborns.  They were from just a few of the ABM (artificial baby milk) manufacturers.

Even though the formulas were all different, when one read the marketing material, it was easy to see that these companies strove to convince the consumer that their products were the same, or just as good, as mother's milk.  In fact, their advertising was so strong in this area, they actually violated the World Health Organizations code for the marketing of breast milk substitutes.

Obviously, all fourteen (and others), were made from different formulations, so it is clear they can not all be like breast milk.  Breast milk, like the "breast milk" of animals, is species specific.  This means that human milk is perfect for human babies.  Whale's milk is best for whale calves, sow's milk is best for piglets, and so on.  When a baby of one species is fed only the milk of another species, it often becomes sickly or dies.  

The following two photos show breast milk and formula magnified to the same degree.  Years ago, while working at a children's hospital, I asked Dr. Stephen Buescher, MD, who had years of experience researching breast milk, to take photos of each type of milk on a microscopic level.  I wanted to use these to show mothers of premature or sick babies admitted to the NICU that there really was a difference between their milk and the artificial baby milks the formula companies supplied.  Once women saw and understood their milk could truly be life saving for their babies, many more of them wanted to provide their babies with their own milk.

Dr. Buescher's photos have been widely circulated and have caused many an "ah ha!" moment among new mothers and among health care professionals.  You, too, will be able to see the difference below.

 

Human Milk -- Full of living cells to nourish/protect

Breast milk is bioactive.  It is a living fluid which actively interacts with the body of the baby, beginning with the G.I. tract.  It has been used to prevent or treat infections in many cultures.  It has cleared up eye infections and sinus infections through direct application of the milk to the site.  There have been a few people who have survived only on human milk.  It is truly the perfect "super food".  It has cured G.I. illness in adults.  It has been shown to kill certain malignant cells.   It causes cells which line the G.I. tract to continue development in the optimal way, which provides lifelong protection against certain ailments.

Breast milk contains antibodies provided by the mother, along with things like enzymes or living cells, including macrophages.  These function to combat illness- causing bacteria and viruses.  Breast milk helps digest itself in the baby's gut.  This allows maximum absorption of nutrients by the infant.

Certain sugars called oligosaccharides, interact with bacteria.   Depending on the type of bacteria present in the baby's gut, the growth of illness causing bacteria is suppressed while the growth of  organisms which affect the environment of the G.I. tract in a positive way is encouraged.  (More on some of these and other ingredients and actions of human milk will be discussed later.)

Formula -- NO living protective cells

Even though there are several types of artificial baby milks (ABMs), each one is static.  Infant formula does not spontaneously change.   It is what it is once it has been processed.  It does not change once it has been ingested into the baby's body -- except by being acted upon in the G.I. tract.  It is NOT a living, bioactive fluid.  It has nothing which will, like macrophages in human milk, "seek and destroy" bacteria and viruses.  It can not help digest itself.  It does cause the environment of the G.I. tract to support the growth of illness producing bacteria. There is much more waste product going through the baby's system and out of it's body than occurs with breastmilk.  It costs the parents thousands of dollars.  It adds to the burden of environmental waste management in our country. 

God's "formula" is available in more than fourteen different formulations.  In fact, His "recipes" are too intricate and numerous to count.  Breast milk changes according to the baby's needs.

The milk a mother provides for her pre-term or premature baby is different than the milk she provides when the baby reaches term age (near the due date).  The composition of milk changes during a feeding, and during the days, weeks, and months of a baby's life.  It changes to meet the challenges required by germs the baby has been exposed to.  As her baby's nutritional and immunological and health protection needs change, mother's milk changes with it.  

God, in His infinite wisdom and in His love for the precious little ones He forms in the womb, makes countless "formulas" through the factory of the mother's breast.  It is made to specifications established before Eve gave birth to her first child.  It is a perfect design, and has worked beautifully over mankind's history.  Of course, sin taints all aspects of life. Breastfeeding is not perfect in every circumstance.  However, it seems to be a type of vaccination and even antidote for most of the physical threats to babies sin brought into this world.

Breast milk formulation does not need the help of humans.  In fact, humans can and have made mistakes in artificial baby milk preparation which have resulted in disability and death in many babies.  Even "properly" prepared ABM is responsible for almost a thousand infant deaths each year in the U.S. alone (meaning, these babies died because they were NOT breastfed).   

God's formula does not need slick advertising to sell it to the public.  It does not require money to purchase it.  It fact, if it ever could be duplicated in a factory, it would likely cost so much people could not buy it. 

In its 2012 policy statement on breastfeeding, the American Academy of Pediatricians said due to what has been learned about the effects of breastfeeding on the health of the infant, breastfeeding was no longer considered simply a lifestyle choice, but a health care decision.

Sadly, a fairly recent study indicated that a greater percentage of women than in previous years believe formula and breast milk are equal choices for infant feeding.  How can this be?

While our government sees the need to educate the public about nutrition for children and adults, it almost totally neglects education in this most important area of nutrition.  Risks of formula feeding, including decreased I.Q.s, increased chance of developing diabetes, asthma, deafness due to ear infections, and certain cancers, etc., are almost never not  part of a public service announcement or taught in schools.  Have you ever heard this type of education outside of a breastfeeding or childbirth class or mothers support group meeting?


Why not?  Partly it is because  formula companies are very powerful.  They contribute large sums of money to campaigns where the elected officials are cooperative with the interests of their major donors.  They have financial or marketing influence with professional medical organizations because of their size and large bank accounts.

Billions of dollars per year in the U.S. alone could be saved if women breastfed their babies for at least 6 months.  This savings includes decreased health care costs, decreased funds spent for WIC programs, and  decreased productivity throughout the life span of the formula fed infants.  Still, the risks of formula feeding are not readily exposed to the general population.  Those true risks are not really made known to the target group -- pregnant women -- for that matter.

Formula companies are guilty of deceptive advertising, yet it is allowed to continue.  Women read literature from formula companies while waiting for their OB appointments.  They receive free parenting magazines funded, in part, by formula company ads.  Most hospitals give out formula without discussing its risk.  Formula companies send out free cases of their product, even when the expectant mother has not requested it. The "gift of formula" often arrives at the doorstep during the baby's first growth spurt.  The mother is concerned her milk supply is too low, so she gives her baby some of this "free" formula.  Soon that mother begins loosing her milk supply and she is forced to wean sooner than she wanted to. The formula company wins and has claimed another source of revenue.  The mother and baby, and yes, society, looses.

(Growth spurts occur at around 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, and 6 months.  Mama' milk made her baby grow.  Baby need more food. Baby nurses more often for a few days.  Mom's milk supply increases.  Baby goes back to his "normal" feeding pattern.  Mama and baby are happy!).

In a way, formula feeding is an "intervention".  Technically, it is a health care intervention. There is no other area of health care where an intervention is implemented while withholding information on its pros and cons due to fear that it might make the patient feel guilty. 

When was the last time a cardiologist failed to provide a patient with the risks of eating a diet high in trans fats because he or she was afraid the patient might feel guilty if the patient continued eating such food?   In what other fields of health care is information limited because of fear that the provider may loose money or other perks if some company withdrew it's support?

We hear almost daily, of the dangers of high salt, high bad fats, or high  sugar foods or other substances or practices which endanger our health.  Physicians don't withhold this information from their patients.  The food industry does not provide educational materials to physician offices on why some people choose to serve their families food containing these dangerous components.  Samples of or coupons for these foods are not given out when people leave the cardiac unit of the hospital.  Yet, women are given free cans of artificial baby milk with the hospitals blessings -- and NO information about its risks.

Younger girls do not get the chance to learn about breastfeeding during their school years when kids are taught the importance of a healthful diet.  Instead  television shows where breast milk is something gross which you spit out if you drink it by mistake.

The expectant mother usually learns of the risks of formula only if she does some extensive reading on her own after locating literature or web sites which honestly address this issue.  Or, she might be fortunate enough to take a class where factual, unadulterated information is given.  Otherwise, she is bombarded with "education" from formula companies.  
  
Some hospitals are concerned they might not receive all the freebies or reduced prices on other products offered by formula companies if they strongly promote exclusive breastfeeding. This is absolutely outrageous!  The rights of the patient to be informed of the risks of the food they plan to feed their babies -- risks which affect the health of themselves and their babies over both lifespans -- are ignored.

Breastfeeding should be the standard of care for new mothers and babies.  Women can be told by their OBs that if they choose to formula feed, they should bring their own formula to the hospital.  Or, the hospital can purchase and charge for formula to be given to women who request it AFTER they have been informed of the risks of formula feeding.

In either case. the choice of the mother must be respected -- only she knows what is going on in her life at the time and what she feels is "do-able" with regard of infant feeding.  But, there is no requirement that less than optimal food be made available to her to give to her newborn for free while she is in the hospital.  The one exception could be the very rare cases where breastfeeding is not possible.

The return on investment to formula companies when they provide free formula to hospitals is huge. Studies clearly show that this practice leads to breastfeeding problems.  It leads to many women switching to formula as a result of those problems.  And the formula companies keep counting the profits.

In many cases, health care providers, based on formula company literature and perks, have come to embrace the "party line" of "Breast is best, but formula is very good, too".   Formula has been represented as the standard; breast milk offers a little bonus.  As a result, physicians don't inform their patients prior to delivery about the real risks of formula. They usually just cite "It's better for the baby" -- whatever that means. 
   
However, if you continue to read this blog, or read good literature about breastfeeding (including what the Office of the Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and other professional and governmental organizations have to say about breastfeeding and breastfeeding education) you will see that God absolutely knew what He was doing  
when He created those soft containers on a woman's chest to manufacture and deliver sweet nourishment and specific protection to her off spring.  There is a bonus, too.  They provide comfort and delight for her baby, too.

Photograph of Quinn by Ana June, anajunecreations.com