Big Money does it again

Referencing an online article at MSNbc

Once again the high finances of formula companies influences the health and well being of the public.

After the 2003-05 period in which the HHS ads were aired, the proportion of mothers who breast-fed in the hospital after their babies were born dropped, from 70 percent in 2002 to 63.6 percent in 2006

Apparently back in 2000 an ad campaign was designed to highlight the risks of formula feeding. This, in my opinion, is fantastic! It takes feeding our babies from a choice of breast or formula to formula being a risk no one wants to take.

I find it appalling, yet not really surprising the tactics that the formula companies will stoop to to keep women in the dark about the risks of formula.

The campaign the industry mounted was a Washington classic -- a full-court press to reach top political appointees at HHS, using influential former government officials, now working for the industry, to act as go-betweens.

Two of the those involved were Clayton Yeutter, an agriculture secretary under President George H.W. Bush and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, and Joseph A. Levitt, who four months earlier directed the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition food safety center, which regulates infant formula. A spokesman for the International Formula Council said both were paid by a formula manufacturer to arrange meetings at HHS.

Money can do anything...

According to former and current HHS officials, Cristina V. Beato, then an acting assistant secretary at HHS, played a key role -- in addition to that of Keane -- in toning down the ads. They said she stressed to associates that it was essential to "be fair" to the formula companies.

Fair to the formula companies?? What about the BABIES!!??!!?? Who's standing up for them and making sure that they get the best start possible?? This really infuriates me! Who really cares about the formula companies which are really just subdivisions of pharmaceutical companies? Why would anyone worry about "being fair" to them? It's not like they play fair, it's not like they don't throw money around to get any research squashed, or get high ranking government officials to change ad campaigns!

After the changes, the advertising company, McKinney + Silver of Durham, N.C., withdrew from the campaign in protest, according to sources inside and outside HHS.

YEAH McKinney and Silver!! Finally someone with a backbone!! I'm sure they lost money on this deal but I have to applaud anyone willing to stand up for their convictions like that!! If I am ever in need of an ad campaign I know where to go http://www.mckinney-silver.com/

This article and the 20/20 interview seems to focus on the bottle feeding mother's feeling guilty. Why is that an issue? Why is it okay to risk the health of millions because a few women may feel guilty about their choice?? Perhaps if they had fully researched formula in the first place they wouldn't have made that choice, or if a hard hitting ad showing the risks of formula had run while they were pregnant they would have chosen to breastfeed. The whole politically correct crap is really getting to me. You can't please all of the people all of the time!!

Here are the ads that I've been able to find that were eventually run.

Breastmilk.... the other white milk

In case you don't read The Lactavist she has recently been issued a C&D letter regarding a shirt she created in her CafePress store. The shirt had the slogan "Breastmilk... the other white milk" Apparently the National Pork board thinks this slogan is not only in violation of their trademark but also the slogan ""tarnishes the good reputation of the National Pork Board's mark in light of your apparent attempt to promote the use of breastmilk beyond merely for infant consumption, such as with the following slogans on your website in close proximity to the slogan "The Other White Milk." "Dairy Diva," "Nursing, Nature's Own Breast Enhancement," "Eat at Mom's, fast-fresh-from the breast," and "My Milk is the Breast.""

Um yeah, it's ever so apparent that Lactavist is running an adult fetish site there! What is it with people?? You would think the pork board would take this opportunity to support breastfeeding and it's mother's (who just happen to be their consumers)... hmm maybe more chicken on my menu in the very near future!

If you would like to tell the Pork board just how you feel here is some contact info
Jeff Hartz - Director of Marketing Communications
(515) 223-2629 JHartz@pork.org

Joy Johnson - Vice President Marketing
(515) 223-2631 jjohnson@pork.org

Michael Wegner - Vice President Communications
(515) 223-2638 MWegner@pork.org

Teresa Roof - Public Relation Manager
(515) 223-2616 troof@pork.org

Well now it's "Vogue"

After all the hub bub that Baby Talk got from their breastfeeding cover I'm shocked and amazed to see that there was a breastfeeding shot in Vogue
I think it's awesome that breastfeeding is finally getting some positive press, press that makes no big deal about it. I mean really it isn't a big deal, or at least it shouldn't be to see a picture of a mom nursing her child.

So why is it such a big deal in this country? Yes I realize that 'we' seem to be unable to separate or maybe it's intergrate the idea that breasts can be both sexual and functional. But why? What happened in our society to make people see breasts as purely sexual objects?

No brainer

Well it started as any other day, nauseus beyond words and to top it off it seems that I strained my abdominal muscles so I'm staying in bed on my side so the water bed can support my belly. What is a girl to do when she's in bed all day other than surf the web? So I'm on this pregnancy board, it's very mainstream, and they have a formula feeders area. I knew I shouldn't have looked, but I was curious. So I'm looking around and most stuff is pretty benine when I come across this post

My son is 6 weeks old and I have been bf him the entire time..I did try to supplement with similac and soy while waiting for my milk supply to come in and he projectile vomited both times with the formula. So my milk supply came in and he does fine nursing except he has really bad gas which I think he may have allergies because my daughter displayed the same behaviors (very fussy, gassy, crying all the time) wants to nurse every hour. I have eliminated diary out of my diet and he seems to do better but still fussy and he has been this way since birth..so its not colic. I did think he had reflux because he has wet burps but he never spits up on my breast milk. So the ped but him on 1ml of Zantac twice a day.

I am sooo tired and I really hate bf at this point..he is doing well..he is 14 lbs. So I decided to switch him to formula this week. OMG, it was horrible. I started with Alimentum because that is what my daughter took and thrived on it starting at 7 weeks and because of his similar allergies. He took 3 ounces and fell asleep..I was so excited. He woke up an hour later and took 4 ounces and then the projectile vomiting began and did not stop until 8pm (tried giving him soy to and he would throw that up the minute I tried to burp him) that night when I finally gave him my breast milk and he stopped instantly and nursed fine the rest of the evening with no vomiting.

So I called my ped and they said it could take 3 days for his body to adjust to the formula..I can not have my child vomiting for 3 days..he was throwing up everything.. and he stopped wetting his diapers. They to try another hypoallergic formula but I am so scared because of the vomiting.

Has anyone had this happen to them? I know I have read a few posts about mixing formula with the breast milk..how long did you do this before they took a baby of just formula? I don't think it is his reflux because he doesn't vomit my breast milk..he is just fussy on my breast milk or could the formula make his reflux worse?

Please help!!

WHAT THE HELL!!! It took everything I had within me to keep from posting what I'm about to write here... I didn't post it, because I seriously doubt it would do any good.
Why would you subject your baby to that kind of torture because you are tired of breastfeeding? What kind of self person does that? I mean how many people would voluntarily eat something everyday that they know is going to cause horrid vomiting and dehydration?
I'm just flabbergasted that someone would even need to post about that? I mean, HELLO!, continue to breastfeed you twit!