The Madness of Formula Feeding

As usual, this blog entry is aimed toward the Christian mother, although, ANY mother and child can benefit. However, if you are a woman that loves the Lord and wants to raise her child(ren) in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, this information is especially important.

All Christian mothers can agree that God created the heaven and the earth. We know he created man and then from Adam's rib, created Adam's helpmeet-Eve. Both were given bodies that were perfect. They were strong, functioning properly and were not supposed to be tampered with in any way with the exception of their Creator. As plants and animal life was to reproduce itself, God also gave Adam and Eve that ability in the garden. Eve became pregnant, bore children and nursed each one for as long as was needed. This pattern reproduced itself for thousands of years ....until.....greed took over.

The race to come up with as 'good as breastmilk' substitutes became the way to go when countries became more and more industrialized and then during wartime when mothers found themselves leaving their nest to work in factories while their men went off to fight. Professional wet nurses were also in demand at this time, but as feeding formulas became more and more popular, the wet nurses dissappeared and were replaced by glass bottles with rubber nipples that anyone could use to feed an infant with.

Early infant formulas were not successful at feeding babies healthfully. They lacked amino acids, enzymes and nutrients that were crucial to proper development of an infant. Babies became ill, sometimes they died and mothers became desperate to find the right formula since after feeding their babies with artificial mother's milk, their children did not remember how to nurse and the mother's milk would dry up. Women were not aware of the ability to relactate or how to deal with nipple confused infants so....they gave up and tried one new hope of just the right formula after another so they could continue working.

In the meantime, the corporate world was catching on to this new opportunity of a manufactured milk product that they could push on these mothers and so they took the formulas already produced and tried to 'improve' on them in order to reap their financial benefits. Companies like Nestle would dress their sales women up in nurses' uniforms and go hunting for new mothers, especially in the poor third world countries, and get the mothers to try samples of their formula that was to be 'just as good' as mother's milk . Once the baby had artificial milk a few times, became nipple confused and the mother was brain-washed into thinking that her milk was really 'too thin' to be the best for baby, they now had a repeat customer.

In America, mother's were always given formula packets prenatally 'just in case' and were showered with many free gifts in the hospital after the birth. Goody baskets with formula, bottles, 'binkys', nipples and coupons for more formula products were freely supplied. WIC, who is touted to be a benefit for women and children under six by supplying food coupons for nutritious foods as bread, milk, eggs, cheese, cereal and such, is also one of the biggest perpetraters of formula pushing today. They will tell mothers how healthy it is to breastfeed but they will continuously give away samples of formula and provide food coupons for free formula as well. Why?
Because formula companies have a financial foothold on these so-called benefit providers. Perks are offered for those that push the formulas in the way of trips, contests to win, etc. and if you are half as greedy as the formula corporations are, you will go for the bait every time!

Sadly, most healthcare workers are very reluctant to try to push a mom into the right direction. Most, do not get a lot of information about the specific benefits to the baby and mother when it comes to breastfeeding. Many are duped by the literature produced by formula companies that artificial milk is a 'safe' alternative. I found this out first hand when I was a childbirth educator and La Leche League leader.
The problem also lies in the ignorance of friends and family. Many of whom have never breastfed nor have been breastfed themselves.

Why is this such a big issue? Mainly, for the Christian, it is one more way that Satan has influenced this world. He has managed to put the doubt into the heads of even the most devout mothers that their milk isn't good enough or that they need to follow the world and their sick traditions. Young women are very concious of peer pressure to follow suit where their friends or pediatricians have led them. Some feel completely powerless to argue or question and they have very little faith in the milk that God has provided for their little ones.

I can encourage these women to research! research! RESEARCH! Before I resigned as a La Leche League leader, I would receive many phone calls asking questions that quite frankly, should have been easily answered by their mothers or their doctors. There is a real desert of knowledge out there for these young women and the older women of the church really should be there for them to answer their questions and guide them along.
Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Tit 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
It is unfortunate but these ministries within the Body of Christ are just not there.

Important aspects of breastfeeding:

Mothers, your body was created for the purpose of nourishing your baby with the milk God created for you to use. Even the most malnourished mothers have something healthful to offer an infant in their breastmilk! The exception would be HIV/Aids as studies have shown it can be transmitted from mother to baby via breastmilk.

Your milk for your baby is different than anybody elses. It is custom made for your child and your child alone.
It contains enzymes, amino acids, nutrients and protective antibodies that simply cannot be duplicated in a laboratory.
Babies that are breastfed have a lessened chance of food allergies, cancers and digestive problems. They are smarter as there are certain amino acids that feed your baby's brain to insure the best possible brain development.
Babies who nurse also have more skin-to-skin contact with their mothers. This helps them to learn love early on and it also helps a very young baby to regulate it's respiration and body temperature.
Breastfed babies have less problems with their teeth and palate as they have to 'exercise' by sucking firmly in order to get milk. Bottles just flow with very little effort.

Mothers who nurse, have a lessened incidence of reproductive cancers as well as breast cancers.
They also will stall ovulation by feeding their babies often and on demand, thereby allowing your body time to recover until your cycle begins once again. Many women experience no menstruation until a year or more into nursing.
Mothers that nurse their babies also are better mothers. They release a hormone that only nursing mothers have which makes them feel more 'motherly' toward their babies.
Breastfeeding forces you to take a break and bond with your baby.

There are different support groups available as well that are specifically for the nursing mom. La Leche League International provides local, mother-to mother support and even if you never become a member, they can still be helped with discussion groups and literature. I really loved being a leader but when I found they had ties with the United Nations, I no longer felt that I could support them with membership dues nor did I want to be associated with an NGO. However, as a 'quick fix' for questions to be answered and some real hands-on support, they truly are the most knowledgable.

Spiritually, you can take comfort in knowing that you are serving the Lord when you nurture your baby by breastfeeding. This was his perfect plan for mankind and every time you nurse, you can take a long look at your little one and thank the Lord for this wonderful gift!
Also, we must leave a landmark for those coming up behind us. We need to be those older women that can instruct the young ones and help them get off to a good start.