As a healthy mother/baby advocate we have always been breastfeeding happy. So when we read this article… It spoke to our souls… Because we can definitely agree… “Free Ain’t Free.”
Dad was right. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
First, some stats: In 2013, 11.1% of Illinois babies had been exclusively breastfed at 6 months old. This means no formula supplementation and no solids. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Healthy People 2020 initiative wants us to be up to 25.5% by year 2020. (Other countries’ data.)
Why? Because we know that exclusive breastfeeding is better for baby and better for mom. (More on that here and here.)
OK, got it. Exclusive breastfeeding is ideal. “Breast is best” and all that. We’ve heard that song before.
There are LOTS of reasons exclusive breastfeeding doesn’t happen for moms and babies. Some are legit, and some are not. In the “are not” category lies the topic of today’s post: formula marketing in healthcare facilities.
Remember that time you were in a hospital and the doctor said…
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