the formula crisis
Stories of the current formula shortage crisis are disheartening and scary for families who are struggling to feed their babies.Sadly, it has sparked a breast vs. formula debate amongst some, which in light of the immediacy of the shortage doesn’t help anyone. The suggestion “just breastfeed” is misguided and fails to acknowledge the realities of breastfeeding. It is not feasible or even possible for most mothers currently formula feeding to relactate and to suggest to these moms that they should just breastfeed only fuels guilt, frustration and anger.
Any mother who has breastfed a baby knows that breastfeeding is not always easy and it is certainly not free. Many women don’t have the time, resources, support, or physical ability to nurse their babies. For most of these women, the guilt and anguish that follows can be an unbearable burden. How to feed your baby is an extremely personal decision and reasons to use formula are diverse and can be warranted. So telling these mothers that if they were breastfeeding, they wouldn’t be in this predicament is simply thoughtless and unkind.
So what can we do? If you are currently breastfeeding, consider donating any excess milk. This can be done through a local milk bank or by donating to someone you know with whom you can share your medical and dietary history. You can refer to the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Statement on Informal Breast Milk sharing for guidelines on how to donate safely, including instructions for home pasteurization of human milk.
If you use formula, reach out to your pediatrician. Most pediatric offices have samples of formula and they can recommend alternative brands if yours isn’t available. Never dilute formula and don’t make homemade formula. Recipes have been circulating since the shortage began and they are not safe nor nutritionally adequate for any baby.
What we can do, is use this experience to help us in the future. There are approximately 10,000 babies born each day in the United States. Approximately 84% of these babies’ mothers initiate breastfeeding in the hospital. So why do we need so much formula?? Unfortunately, many of these babies are already being supplemented with formula before they leave the hospital. Mothers are not educated as to the risks of this and early formula use is directly linked to low rates of breastfeeding duration. The key to decreasing reliance on formula is breastfeeding support and education. If every mother had access to prenatal breastfeeding education and continuing support right after birth and follow up after going home, the breastfeeding success rates would skyrocket and the use of formula would be dramatically decreased. Women who want to breastfeed would be empowered to do so. I have seen many, many mothers overcome what would seem insurmountable obstacles in order to breastfeed their babies. But they need to have the clinical, physical and emotional support to do so.
So instead of guilting mothers by suggesting they should “just breastfeed”, let’s encourage our doctors, hospitals and community resources to help mothers successfully do so! If you have been fortunate to have successfully nursed your baby, reach out to pregnant friends and family and offer them support. Clearly, if 84% of mothers start out wishing to do so, we could be doing a much better job of making that possible for them. It definitely takes a village to support a new family. Be part of that village if you can…
