Latch On NYC?

Latch On NYC?



Breast feeding in most cases, is the best option for babies.

I'm sufficiently confident in the fact that the majority of pregnant women receive this news at one time or another, whether it is at a parenting class, in the OBGYN's office, at a WIC appointment, or even maybe on a radio ad or billboard. My point being that most women receive enough information and support to be able to make the best decision for themselves and their babies.  So why does Mayor Bloomberg feel that he should try to enforce a breast feeding policy in New York City hospitals? It is NOT illegal to give your baby formula and ultimately the mother should be able to make her own decision without being pressured or made to feel guilty.

Mayor Bloomberg plans to impose a breast feeding policy in New York City hospitals known as "Latch on NYC." Formula will be locked up in the fashion that medication would be and should a mother ask for it, she will first be lectured on the benefits of breast feeding and pressured to continue with it. Mothers will not be forced to breast feed but I still feel that Bloomberg is totally out of line on this one.

Imagine you have just given birth to your beautiful and lovely first born child. You are exhausted, emotional and just struggling overall. You may even be suffering from Post-Partum Depression. You truly desire to bond with your baby but it is more difficult than you thought it would be and you are scared. One of the many things that may be going wrong is your ability to nurse your baby. Many women may find comfort and relief in formula, which does have benefits too you know! However, should this policy be implemented these border line depressed mothers will only be made to feel worse. Usually mothers who are suffering Post-Partum Blues or Post-Partum Depression have feelings of guilt so can somebody please explain to me why on Earth it would be a good idea to basically say to these mothers "hey you are tired and already feeling upset about your capabilities but let us just tell you how bad you really suck because you don't want to give your baby the best option possible!" Even if it is said in a kinder and more objective way this is what these mothers are most likely to perceive, so they will either harbor feelings of guilt and resentment or continue to struggle in despair. Either way "Latch on NYC" isn't going to help those mothers or the babies.

My other point is more of a long term perspective on this situation. If formula becomes stigmatized because of the extreme pressure to use breast milk, how will people feel about babies who cannot be nursed? There are many cases where it is simply impossible, perhaps the mother has a disease that could be spread through nursing like HIV, or what if the child is being adopted immediately? Will these babies be considered to be at a disadvantage because they cannot be breast fed? I feel that it is extremely unfair to further stigmatize these groups of people, and it does not exactly contribute to the argument of LBGT being just as good as straight parents. I cannot help but think that this stigma will only make it harder for gay men to adopt or even for single men to be respected in regards to having a baby.

This may sound a bit contradictory given my last comment about men raising babies and I apologize but I also just cannot ignore the fact that Bloomberg is a MAN! Why does he think he can make this decision for WOMEN? I really highly doubt that a wealthy old white man can relate or understand what new mothers are going through, which is why I feel that this is really a personal choice that should not be subjected to criticism or shaming, ever.

I also cannot help but think that Mayor Bloomberg may actually have a financially driven hidden agenda. For many mothers the cost of a baby exceeds what they can actually provide thus making them eligible for the WIC program. WIC provides women, infants, and children with checks to purchase specific foods and baby formula. The WIC program in New York City would be able to cut back a lot of costs if they could reduce the amount of funds needed for formula (it is not exactly cheap), and perhaps the Mayor has a desire for those funds to be placed elsewhere. That is just my speculation because I haven't known a politician to make such drastic changes for the overall health of the people, especially if it is not an imminent risk.

Read about "Latch on NYC" here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/bloombergs-breast-feeding-latch-on-nyc-hospitals-hide-baby-formula_n_1718664.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/health/time-bloomberg-breast-feeding/index.html

http://news.yahoo.com/bloombergs-breastfeeding-initiative-bullies-mothers-161300260.html