I read with interest Sue Ellen Christian’s Nov. 7 article on breastfeeding (“More poor are deciding to breastfeed,” Page 1), especially the statistics from the Ross mothers survey.
I gave birth to my third child last summer. Having breastfed my two older children, I was confident I would also successfully breastfeed this one. Imagine my surprise when I received an unsolicited shipment of a case of baby formula from Ross Labs. I refused the shipment, but I continue to find packets of coupons for their formula in my mail.
An uncertain new mother, receiving these “gifts,” might well try feeding the formula to her baby, not realizing that the more formula the baby takes, the less he or she will nurse, thus reducing the mother’s milk supply, which is dependent upon the baby’s nursing. Problems result. No wonder the percentage of women who continue to nurse at 6 months is so low.
The formula makers are correct when they say breastfeeding is best, but they certainly are not out to see that breastfeeding succeeds.
