infant formula companies teach breastfeeding

Now that I am pregnant, I am getting all the junk advertorial magazines sent out by the infant formula companies. Just this week, I got a glossy magazine from Enfamil (Mead Johnson). In it are articles on pregnancy and what to expect from childbirth and of course, one on breastfeeding.

Here are some of the statements within this article in which Enfamil purports to both encourage and "teach" breastfeeding to pregnant women:

*"The pain of nursing is something every new mother must overcome."

*"When you are nursing, it's hard to know exactly how much your baby is taking in- after all, unlike formula, breastmilk isn't easily measured in ounces."

There are quotes from nursing mothers scattered throughout the article, too. Each of the quotes starts with a diatribe about how horrible nursing was, but ends with her saying that despite the horror, she went on to nurse for a few months because she knew it was best. Breastfeeding by matyrdom.

Examples:

*"THose first days were really hairy; I couldn't get comfortable, I felt really anxious and the pain was unbearable."

*"For those first few weeks, I thought I'd be chained to the sofa breastfeeding for the rest of my life."

The magazine also contains a short article on how important it is to have father give bottles to babies - even breastfed babies. A quote:

"Even if you breastfeed, it's fine to let Dad give the baby a bottle of expressed breastmilk. That way, your child won't be thrown off if you eventually switch to full time bottlefeeding, and Dad won't be deprived of the benefits of this special bonding experience."

They are really slick.