World Breastfeeding Week is over — all the more reason to write supportive posts to encourage women to breastfeed. After learning that 200 hospitals will replace formula sample bags with breastfeeding support sample bags called Healthy Bounty Baby Bags, I expressed interest in writing about this, and Lansinoh, one of the companies that will include samples in the bags, contacted me. So here is their information; I post it because I want every expecting mom and new mom to know about this great alternative. It’s about time breastfeeding, instead of formula, is being promoted in hospitals!
Hospitals Rebel Against Formula
Over 4 million babies are born in America every year. And 3.5 million new moms are given contradictory messages as they are encouraged to try breastfeeding, yet leave their hospitals with formula-filled sample bags. Though medical professionals tout the benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby, they previously did not have the tools to offer their patients the support and messages that were needed to encourage breastfeeding beyond the first few days or weeks. Now hospitals have the option to take a stand and offer what is best for mom and baby.
This month, 200 hospitals across the country have said enough is enough and are replacing their formula discharge bags and samples with the country’s first breastfeeding support promotional discharge bag. The “Healthy Baby Bounty Bag” contains product samples, coupons, and information that support and encourage breastfeeding without a packet of formula and without conflicting and contradictory messages about breastfeeding. Hospitals including UCLA Medical Center, Children’s Hospital in Boston, and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City are among the first to distribute Healthy Baby Bounty Bags to new moms.
“Of the 7,569 hospitals in America, 200 have taken a stand for breastfeeding,” says Gina Ciagne, lead blogger on ByMomsForMoms.net and director of Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations for Lansinoh Laboratories, Inc. “This is just a baby step. We have a long way to go before breastfeeding has the same promotional support in the maternity ward that formula has today.”
Every Healthy Baby Bounty Bag contains product samples and resources from leading brands, including Lansinoh, Bravado Design, Seventh Generation, Bebe Aulait, My Brest Friend, and many more. The bags are green, made from recycled materials, and are 100 percent lead free. They are designed to serve as a cooler and storage carrier for breast milk. All items inside are compliant with the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes (also known as the WHO Code) and are therefore completely focused on the importance of breastfeeding with no nipples or bottles included.
To find out if your local hospital is participating in the Healthy Baby Bounty Bag program, visit the ByMomsForMoms blog or call your hospital.
I love the fact that the bag is made out of recycled material and serves as a cooler for breast milk. I hope these bags will replace all of the formula samples in hospitals soon! A mom’s breastfeeding success has so much to do with the support she is getting — I think these bags are a great step in the right direction to give a new mom the encouragement and resources she needs for a successful breastfeeding experience.
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I think that sometimes comments can come across as a little unkind. Not all moms can afford to stay at home and never pump. Statistically speaking, most moms DO have to return to work, therefore a bag that carries expressed milk is encouraging working moms to keep on nursing. These bags are such a wonderful step in the right direction. Why all the criticism? All women can breastfeed without any special bras, creams, pumps, or bops, but the great thing about this era is that we don’t have to do without these things if we don’t want to. A cute nursing bra can do wonders for the new- mom psyche. What is wrong with some coupons that can help introduce new moms into some nursing products that might make their lives or experiences a bit easier and, dare I say, indulgent? At a time in my life when I was hormonal and flubby and all out of sorts, I actually got a kick out of buying some nursing items.
Amen! We all like coupons and free things, why not get coupons and freebies for products or services that promote breastfeeding? :) This is a step in the right direction.
I love that this is happening. I think it will be helpful in making people realize that breastfeeding is “normal.” The hospital where I had my boys only offered a diaper bag w/ formula from Enfamil. You could get that or opt out. I would have LOVED to have the option to get a breastfeeding bag. Our hospital was very pro-breastfeeding and offered lots of support. But I think it’s smart to have something that competes with the marketing of formula companies. Why not?!
Lansinoh is technically WHO Code Compliant, but their parent company, Pigeon Corp, is not.
It is cool that this is being promoted yet wish it weren’t contributing to the idea that you need material items or to spend money to succeed at breastfeeding.
Although breastfeeding was incredibly difficult for me in the beginning, I’m not sure a bag would have come even close to providing what I needed. Don’t get me wrong, I think the hospitals that are doing this beat out those marketing formula by far. But why should any hospital be marketing for ANY products?
There are things that were suggested to me that I found helpful: Lansinoh, Soothies, a Boppy. But nothing compared to the encouragement and support I received from my doula and new friends in LLL.
I think giving away a bag of commercial items “promoting breastfeeding” may make women think everything they need to succeed is in this bag. Instead of seeking real support, some may assume if they can’t do it with the “Breastfeeding Success Bag” they just don’t have what it takes.
I also think hospitals should focus mainly on education (for staff and moms) and NOT on product promotion/marketing.
If you read my previous reply, that is exactly how I feel — education in key. That is why I blog about breastfeeding; I want women to not be surprised when breastfeeding is difficult and to know that there are plenty of great resources out there for them, like the LLL and other lactation consultants. I hope these bags comes with plenty of info, not just coupons. But for now I am just glad that there is an alternative out there to all the formula-pushing bags. Let’s hope these bags will be the only ones offered in every hospital really soon!
This is a great start. I do question though, the use of a bag that is designed to carry breastmilk. When women are able to be with their babies, there is no need to ever express breastmilk.
Plus, more information supporting breastfeeding, and information regarding La Leche League, would be ideal.
Hi Dagmar,
The bags from hospitals are a great step forward — at last!!! As it is late I am too tired to figure the very small percentage of hospitals that are participating but, once more, it a first step.
I would be curious to know what you believe are the most helpful things that could be found in such a bag. What do you think? What do think other moms want who have fairly recently given birth in a hospital and wanted to breastfeed. I will be polling friends, previous and current clients, and anyone else I know who has been there. Let’s see what we can come up with!!
WarmLLLy,
Joan
Dear Joan,
the percentage of the participating hospitals is only 2,64 percent :( I hope women who give birth in a hospital that doesn’t offer these bags will pressure the hospital into getting them as well. Let’s start a whole movement :)
I think more important than the samples is education — breastfeeding, while being natural, doesn’t come natural to most women, and I thinks a lot of new moms are surprised and overwhelmed by that and give up too fast. They don’t get encouraged enough or don’t know that there are amazing, free resources in place for them. Lansinoh will include a guide about latching in the bag, that’s one good thing.
I would love to see information about LLL in the bag, as well as a free subscription, or at least a coupon, for Mothering magazine. The more information about how to find help with breastfeeding, the better. And some information about what breast milk does for the baby compared to formula, as in developing their stomachs, closing the holes, and that just one bottle of formula upsets their whole system… Women need to know that kind of information to really appreciate that breast milk is best. Then they wouldn’t be so fast to supplement with formula or eventually only use formula.