Mayor Bloomberg orders baby formula to be locked up!

Traditionally, hospitals in the past have encouraged formula feeding by keeping babies from their mothers, giving them bottles (even when the mother wants to breastfeed - happened to me!) and giving them free formula kits courtesy of the big companies that want to profit from enticing mothers to feed their babies a product inferior to breast milk.

Formula advertising is still prevalent on items they "give" to new mothers. I believe what he is trying to do is lessen the effect of advertising in order to encourage more mothers to breastfeed, a move that I heartily agree with. Breast milk is highly superior to formula and definitely makes healthier babies when done correctly....and it's free.

I am totally in favor of breast feeding, but it is not for the government to decide and order.

Actually, my guess is the baby formula is being locked up because it's extremely expensive and thus there's a huge theft problem. Grocery stores here all have their baby formula behind counters, locked up next to the cigarettes because there's so much theft of formula. When a can of formula powder costs over $30, it's not a surprise. I know when I had my kids, although I breastfed, there was always a little formula available, but only in the single-serve 1-oz. sizes.
Also, there's a big controversy that when a hospital uses a formula, it's seen by the moms as an endorsement of that particular brand of formula. The reality is that formula is so heavily regulated, there really isn't any difference between the formulas from a nutritional perspective, and the hospitals give out whatever formula the companies provide. So while encouraging breastfeeding is a good thing, there are a ton of reasons to lock up the formula other than considering it a controlled substance - the biggest of which is probably theft.

This should not be allowed.

I totally agree with you

As a new mother who struggled when 'experts' decided that I was a 'poor cow' when I was trying my best to breastfeed my newborn daughter, I think this is high handed decision by someone who has no idea how difficult breastfeeding can be. Sure some women are fortunate and can easily breastfeed (as I did with later pregnancies), but when one's baby has no sucking reflex whatsoever (as my first did), infant formula is the only answer, the holes in teats can be enlarged so that the baby can still get nourishment, unfortunately one's nipples cannot do the same thing.
There are many incidents when a mother either cannot or chooses not to breastfeed, it is not for anyone other than the mother to make that final decision. Every mother wants to do the best for her child, but individual circumstances do not always ensure that breastfeeding is in fact the 'best' option, the mother's well being should be taken into consideration also.
I applaud those women who choose to breast feed but I also applaud those who bottle feed, they are doing their utmost to raise healthy children, they don't need the judgement of 'experts' to cause them to feel in anyway superior or inferior to other mothers.

I breastfed 5 of my 6 children for the 8 weeks I had before I went back to work and they had no trouble switching to formula. The one bottle fed was a preemie and they didn't give me a choice because they needed to know how much she drank. I wanted to express my milk into a bottle so they could do that but they said no. She had trouble with several formulas before we found one she could tolerate. I think women should be educated in breastfeeding and encouraged but certainly not vilified if they chose formula. Bloomberg said all they have to do is ask and I hope that's what he means. The choice should be up to the mother whatever her reasons are.

I agree with Nancy. I nursed my daughter and was offended the first time nursing when the resident nurse just grabbed my breast and shoved it into my daughter's mouth without so much as a "by your leave"! No one but the mother should be involved in the feeding of her baby. If she has trouble and asks, then outsiders are welcome but some idiots just assume far too much liberty in private matters that should remain private, between a mother and her child. I hope I said that right. lol...sometimes my words fail me.

Well said, Rayda.

MY WIFE NURSED OUR KIDS, A BREAST FED BABY IS A BEST FED BABY, GOD PUT BREASTS ON WOMEN AND OTHER ANIMALS TO SUCKEL THEIR YOUNG. WHAT DO WOMEN THINK THEY ARE THERE FOR?

There are often times, Larry H., when a woman tries but just can't. In the good ol' days you had wet nurses to take care of that problem. Today we have bottles.

they say breast fed babies are healthier. I know some women are unable to nurse though.

Larry,
They are for v-neck blouses, of course.

hmmm ;O)

You left out Playboy centerfolds...

they could be a mother

I think there's more to this than just "vote republican". I agree with posters above me that formula is expensive, and even in hospitals I am sure there is theft. Stores keep formula locked up, and one is NEVER allowed to even exchange, much less return, any infant formula.
I breast fed both my babies, and yet was still given tons of "sample" formula to bring home. My daughter switched to bottles at four months of age, and I used them at that time. I was having some problems and couldn't continue nursing her.
My son, on the other hand, would never ever ever take a bottle. I expressed my milk, and tried - no dice. Other people tried feeding him a bottle with my milk - no go. He simply refused. So I breastfed him for nearly fourteen months. He did learn to drink from a sippy cup at five months of age - that way he drank juice. But he hated all artificial nipples.
Neither of my kids used what I used to call "patsy-fiers". I hated the thought of them. I just never bought any. The ones given to me at the hospital I just gave away to other new moms who were delighted to get them. My daughter was a thumb sucker - my son was not. At least I didn't have to worry about her dropping her thumb on the floor and picked up dirt.

lol...jeanne you and I are two peas in a pod. My daughter went straight from breast to cup and weaned herself at 19 months. I remember sitting and weeping the first time she went 24 hours without nursing. I knew that there was no going back. She never sucked her thumb or had a pacifier. She would either suck on my finger or my breast. She grew into one of the healthiest, most well-adjusted children I ever met. Her contemporaries were not so fortunate. Their mothers would always ask me how I had such a "good" baby. I would have loved to tell them but they didn't want to hear that they were doing something wrong. Even bottle fed babies should be held while fed and I witnessed one mother shoving a bottle into her baby's face while driving down the road, baby in carseat, which was par for the course with her. Of course, as the child got older, she adjusted but she was never as happy as a baby as my daughter was.

I think you are right, Rayda! My kids were well adjusted kids, too. My son has always had a healthy self esteem - not full of pride, but not self-demeaning, either. Just a good balance. I've seen the type of bottle feeding you speak about. When I worked for protective services I saw it a lot!
My step-daughter-in-law (gosh, that's a mouthful!) nursed her two, also. Her second - a boy - was a more eager nurser than her first. She had trouble, but stayed with it for a few months with both. So many people bought her baby bottles as gifts! She never used them...sigh.
Neither did I - I was always surprised to get those kind of gifts - it's as if people just assumed I was going to bottle feed. Or use a patsyfier...lol. I donated a lot of them to a place that provided assistance to families in need - I didn't ever want to assume the same thing about another pregnant woman.

I never used a pacifier either. My boys got their comfort from me.

There are actually very few cases where mothers can't nurse a baby, but sadly in today's American culture, mothers aren't always given the right information and advice. Some want to but are forced to work or have no support. There are also many who do not want to devote their time to their babies because they want to do other things and not be tied down. In the long run, babies who are nurtured and loved become independent and caring adults.

Oh MY! What next?

I am so glad I dont live in New York, otherwise my grandson would starve to death, he is getting the best of both,, formula and brest milk,, no one who is not a DR should do such a thing,,

I breast fed two out of three of my kids. The one that I did not breast feed was because his mouth was to small and I was to large for him to latch on. So, he was bottle fed. I worked 12 hour shifts in a fiber glass factory. So, to pump my breasts would of had my child eating fiber glass because it got in everything that was in the factory. Even food brought in tasted like fiber glass once out of the factory. So, my child was bottle fed for his own good. I do not regret it one bit. I know I did what was right for my child.

If I lived in New York at the time, my child would of starved to death. Mothers have around 9 months give or take to learn all the ins and outs and decide if they want to breast feed or bottle feed their child when they are born.