Hospitals stop giving out free baby formula

OK. You will still get the formula you need in the hospital to feed your baby. What you are not getting is the advertisement diaper bag from the formula companies with a small container of formula in it. When a hospital goes "breast feeding friendly" the formula companies pull their bags and charge the hospitals for all the formula that is used. Until that time they supplied the diaper bags and large portion of the formula used per month for free. I know the Women's Center at Hillcrest is working to replace the diaper with a comparable gift bag (minus formaula) for their patients. For those needing help with formula there are programs such as WIC and Emergency Infant Services that are already in place to assist them.

There is NO medical reason for not breast feeding if you do not have a communicable disease, The only excuse is pure laziness

I nursed by first child for 2 months, well then I got lazy and felt like a human pacifier, having the formula sent home from the hospital made it easy to stop. I was young and selfish and didn't care. My second born was nursed for 14 months, I was an adult and completely devoted as a mother should be at that time. I refused the formula they tried to send home. I think this is great news. If more mothers put forth the effort required the world would be a better place.

New parents have a lot to do. I think that the formula sent home from the hospital helps a lot. Hospitals have been doing this for a long time now. I estimate 50+ years. I am a mother of three, with my first child I was planning to breastfeed, but mother nature had a different plan for me. All three of my children were lactose intolerant, therefore breastfeeding was NOT an option for me. But that is only one of many possibilities why women need to be sent home with formula. What if they had a long drive home? You cant breastfeed in the car. Many women have lots of things to do when they get out of the hospital. Is it better to let the infant starve? Breastfeeding in public is not acceptable here! If you don't believe me go to any public place and show me where the designated breastfeeding areas are. You will not find any. I have been out in public and seen people's look of disdain at women breastfeeding. If you want to promote breastfeeding, why don't you promote a public acceptance, and public areas for breastfeeding? Then after that you can address the individual needs of women and their appropriate feeding choices. Give women the formula when they leave the hospital!

I am not sure I totally agree with this. I have a now 3 yr old and when she was born I was bound and determined to breast feed. M body however had different ideas and I was never able to nurse. Without that "free" formula that Hillcrest gave me I would not have been able to feed my daughter from the time she was born until the time I brought her home. I understand the reason behind it, but if new moms can't breastfeed what are they supposed to do. When a baby is born bringing formula is the last thing a mom who is in labor wants to think about. Moms rely on that formula that they get from the hospital to feed those little ones.

Yes, although I agree with breastfeeding & I nursed both of my daughters, but I also respect the choices of all mothers. What the hospitals fail to realize is that by the time these Mothers deliver, they have already decided what they will do & no free formula or lack of will make them change their mind & many breastfeeding Moms need supplemental formula sometimes & this can cause a financial hardship on them! Maybe ask the Mother if she wants the free formula or not, those who are set on breastfeeding will advise the nurse & not take it home.

Breast milk is only going to be beneficial for the baby if the mother is taking good care of herself. Formula is going to be better for the baby than nursing from a mom who is on a McDonalds and pizza diet. And there are a lot of new moms out there who are - look at how fat our state is!

They don't give you enough formula at the hospital any way. But I think it should be the womans choice, and yes breast feeding is better for your child but there are some women that can't breast feed for some reason or the other. When I had my children I did try to breast feed and I did ok with the first 2 but I almost starved my 3rd one because I didn't have enough breast milk so the Doctor had me breast and bottle feed. I seen a girl that had to have a double Mastectomy and then got pregnant how in the heck is she supost to breast feed..Do these people not think about these things.

Whoever had the bright idea to implement bottle feeding has screwed up a lot of lives. Mothers milk gives the baby antibodies to help keep a healthy baby. Plus it develops more immunity in the mother. Reduces the risk of breast disease and is brain food giving the recipient more cognitive abilities. Wake up people. Power our future up with smarter healthier people.