Sabi nga ni Jamie Oliver... "Breastfeeding is the beginning of the story."
Please read this entire article. And please realize that EVERYTHING begins with YOUR choice on how to nourish your baby. I say NOURISH and not just FEED, because you can give am to your baby and baby still might not die (baby will be malnourished but may continue to survive, like what happens to the poor).
I also emphasize YOUR CHOICE... Coz when your baby is now a toddler, he should not be dictating what is offered at your table.
Yes, he will have preferences and favorites BUT if you only offer a variety of whole foods at home, then he will learn that is the type of food one eats... So that someday, when he goes to parties and gets exposed to fast, junk and processed food which he might try/like, he will still come home able to eat his vegetables and fruits and Pinoy dishes (which include diff parts of different plants).
And I would like to emphasize that formula is a processed food that IS high in sugar. So, when you give up on breastfeeding and give in to formula, you say YES to the deterioration of your baby's body. From babyhood. Same is true for processed baby food and fast food.
This is a fact. Formula-fed babies have been found to have increased Obesity, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes risks. This is not fear-mongering. It's a fact.
Take care of your health but be vigilant of your child's diet too... For as long as possible.
Breastfeeding is the beginning of the story. Don't let the story end in diabetes and heart disease.
===
In Tagalog (para walang reklamo)
Sabi nga Ni Jamie Oliver, "Ang pagpapasuso ang simula ng kwento/lahat."
Pakibasa po ng buong artikulo. Namnamin. Intindihin.
Tandaan na lahat ay nagsisimula sa inyong desisyon Kung paano palalakihin at pagyayamanin ang anak. PALAKI at Hindi lang PAKAKAININ, Kasi nga ang baby pwedeng bigyan ng am at Kung ano-ano at pwedeng Hindi naman mamatay (lalaki pa din, malnourished lang). Parang yung mga mahihirap na kung ano na lang makain, nakaka-survive naman.
Gusto ko din idikdik ang puntong INYONG DESISYON Kung ano ang ibibigay sa anak. Kayo ang magulang, Kayo ang may Alam, Kayo ang may kasalanan if ever. Hindi dapat anak Nya ang magdidikta ano ang ipapakain sa kanya.
Opo, syempre magkakaron sya ng paborito at aayawan. Pero ang punto dito ay, Kung lahat ng hinahain sa bahay ay tamang pagkain, matututo syang kumain ng tama at ayos at hindi pihikan. Para Kung mapadpad man sya sa mga kasiyahan kung San ang handa ay junk, fast, processed food, matikman/magustuhan man nya, uuwi pa din syang kakain ng ihahain sa Bahay. Kakain pa din sya ng gulay at prutas at mga pagkaing Pinoy na kumpleto ng parte ng ibat-Ibang halaman (pansinin Nyo ang sinigang, prutas ang kamatis/kalamansi/sampalok, ugat ang bawang/sibuyas, dahon/tangkay ang mga talbos).
At gusto kong idiin na ang formula milk ay processed food na sagana sa asukal (pati asin). Kaya po pag sumusuko kayo sa pagpapasuso at nauuwi sa pagbibigay ng formula, um-ooo Kayo sa unti-unting pagkasira ng katawan ng anak Nyo. Simula sa pagkabata. Pareho lang din kung ang ibibigay nyo ay processed baby food at fast food.
Ito po ay napatunayan na ng Syensya. Katotohanan po na ang batang laking formula ay mas malaki ang tsansa magkaron ng sakit sa puso, bato, high blood, diabetes at mas malamang eh tumaba. Hindi ito pananakot kundi pagsasabi ng totoo.
Alagaan nyo po ang kalusugan nyo Pero mas lalong magpursige sa pagko-kontrol ng kinakain ng anak hanggat kaya.
Sa pagpapasuso nagsisimula ang kwento. Wag hayaang matapos sa diabetes at sakit sa puso Ito.
"There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.
There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them.
What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet."
- #adminmec
See more at this news article
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breastfeeding. Show all posts
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Friday, March 6, 2015
Mothers Do Not Need Milk to Grow Babies and Produce Milk
If you are pregnant or lactating, you do not need special milk to help you grow the baby inside you, or to help you produce milk.
Current Culture:
1. Milk companies have created a demand for milk for mothers (hereinafter referred to as MFM, since the more popular term "mother's milk" confuses people) by having OBs pushing these as VITAL to a pregnancy's success.
2. Milk companies are pushing the sale of MFM because the implementation of the Milk Code has affected their infant formula and toddler milk sales so they are diversifying to growing up milk (GUM), MFM and milk for senior citizens.
3. Some OBs get perks from milk companies when they push, prescribe, recommend or give away these MFMs to mothers.
4. Selling MFMs to mothers is also a cross-branding strategy by milk companies. Surveys have shown that parents are more likely to choose a formula brand from the same line (e.g. If a mother drank Enfamama, she will buy Enfalac for her baby, Enfagrow and and Enfakid for older children)
What They Don't Tell You:
1) Like formula, MFM contains high levels of sugar compared to regular cow's milk.
2) It was reported at One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum 2014 that pregnant mothers complaining of hypertension, gestational diabetes (GDM) and allergies (skin rashes) also presented as MFM drinkers. Within two weeks of being advised to stop drinking MFM, their conditions resolved.
3) There is a lot of anecdotal evidence at Breastfeeding Pinays (BFP) of pregnant moms asked to take MFMs who experienced rapid weight gain and failed their oral glucose tolerance tests. Some even had to suddenly go on diet in the last months of their pregnancy.
Truths to Remember:
1. Pregnant and lactating moms need a balanced diet and an extra 500 calories intake per child (generally, because I am not sure a mom carrying sextuplets need 3,000 extra calories, her body might not be able to process that much either).
2. Pregnant and lactating moms need THE SAME vitamins and minerals people normally need, most important of which is calcium, which can be derived from food sources. They do not need any special diet.
3. Nowhere in the history of human evolution did mothers NEED special milk just to have healthy pregnancies or abundant milk supply. Think of mothers who had to be pregnant and breastfeed before the days of clean water supply, modern plumbing, farming, medicine and in the midst of plagues, wars and less abundant food supply. MFMs are a new invention, and has only become popular/is being pushed more aggressively for the past 10 years.
4. Lactating moms also do not need milk to produce milk. Cows only eat grass. Lions only eat meat. We produce milk because we are mammals. The milk we produce is specifically designed for the needs of our young (in the case of cows, their calves need to grow big asap... in the case of humans, babies need to finish brain development first).
5. There are no studies yet (as far as I know) proving MFMs put mothers at risk for diabetes, hypertension and allergies for the simple reason that it will be unethical to ask mothers to take MFMs when they are already believed to be potentially harmful.
5. GDM/diabetes, even hypertension, will always be due to a number of factors (genetics, habits). However, one cannot deny that diet plays a huge factor in one's health. If you have a history (family or personal) of diabetes, food intake that is high in sugar will increase the odds of you developing the condition/getting sick.
6. MFMs are made from cow's milk which is not as easily digestible as fruits and vegetables (as calcium source). It also contains additives and preservatives. Cow's milk has also long been established as the top slow-acting allergenic food.
7. Milk has only become part of the worldwide diet after modern farming has allowed for excessive milk production by cows (which are pumped with hormones). Historically, the only ones who really used milk as part of their diet are people living in temperate countries, as milk digests more slowly (allowing people to feel warmer and fuller for a long time, especially during winter time).
8. A self-respecting doctor who has done his research would not prescribe MFMs to moms but would insist that moms eat healthy, natural food (as opposed to processed food, which MFM is). That will go a longer way in helping ensure a healthy pregnancy since real food will have biodigestible nutrients, fiber, water, etc.
9. A regular prescription of MFM affects a family's budget. Some moms also do not like drinking milk, or do not like the prescribed MFM but get scared (or guilt-tripped) into forcing themselves to drink MFM because they were advised by a doctor they trust to do so, for the health of their baby. That is a disservice to them when again, natural food sources offer a wide array of options and should be the automatic choice.
10. Should a mother ever want milk, any nut or soy milk or the usual fresh milk in 1-liter cartons should be good enough. Milk drinking for moms is not prohibited (unless there are special conditions) but it is also unnecessary.
11. When a pregnant mother develops GDM or hypertension, not only is it difficult and painful for her to suddenly go on a strict diet, her life and the baby's life is also put at risk.
Again... Nature had this system perfected already. Provided a mother eats healthy, gets plenty of rest and has the help she needs, she should be able to have a healthy pregnancy and sufficient milk supply.
Let us say NO to relatives, friends, doctors and milk companies who are pushing processed food our way when we should be eating healthy for two (or three).
#BF1st1000days
#miycn
#iwasgatasPilipinas
Current Culture:
1. Milk companies have created a demand for milk for mothers (hereinafter referred to as MFM, since the more popular term "mother's milk" confuses people) by having OBs pushing these as VITAL to a pregnancy's success.
2. Milk companies are pushing the sale of MFM because the implementation of the Milk Code has affected their infant formula and toddler milk sales so they are diversifying to growing up milk (GUM), MFM and milk for senior citizens.
3. Some OBs get perks from milk companies when they push, prescribe, recommend or give away these MFMs to mothers.
4. Selling MFMs to mothers is also a cross-branding strategy by milk companies. Surveys have shown that parents are more likely to choose a formula brand from the same line (e.g. If a mother drank Enfamama, she will buy Enfalac for her baby, Enfagrow and and Enfakid for older children)
What They Don't Tell You:
1) Like formula, MFM contains high levels of sugar compared to regular cow's milk.
2) It was reported at One Asia Breastfeeding Partners Forum 2014 that pregnant mothers complaining of hypertension, gestational diabetes (GDM) and allergies (skin rashes) also presented as MFM drinkers. Within two weeks of being advised to stop drinking MFM, their conditions resolved.
3) There is a lot of anecdotal evidence at Breastfeeding Pinays (BFP) of pregnant moms asked to take MFMs who experienced rapid weight gain and failed their oral glucose tolerance tests. Some even had to suddenly go on diet in the last months of their pregnancy.
Truths to Remember:
1. Pregnant and lactating moms need a balanced diet and an extra 500 calories intake per child (generally, because I am not sure a mom carrying sextuplets need 3,000 extra calories, her body might not be able to process that much either).
2. Pregnant and lactating moms need THE SAME vitamins and minerals people normally need, most important of which is calcium, which can be derived from food sources. They do not need any special diet.
3. Nowhere in the history of human evolution did mothers NEED special milk just to have healthy pregnancies or abundant milk supply. Think of mothers who had to be pregnant and breastfeed before the days of clean water supply, modern plumbing, farming, medicine and in the midst of plagues, wars and less abundant food supply. MFMs are a new invention, and has only become popular/is being pushed more aggressively for the past 10 years.
4. Lactating moms also do not need milk to produce milk. Cows only eat grass. Lions only eat meat. We produce milk because we are mammals. The milk we produce is specifically designed for the needs of our young (in the case of cows, their calves need to grow big asap... in the case of humans, babies need to finish brain development first).
5. There are no studies yet (as far as I know) proving MFMs put mothers at risk for diabetes, hypertension and allergies for the simple reason that it will be unethical to ask mothers to take MFMs when they are already believed to be potentially harmful.
5. GDM/diabetes, even hypertension, will always be due to a number of factors (genetics, habits). However, one cannot deny that diet plays a huge factor in one's health. If you have a history (family or personal) of diabetes, food intake that is high in sugar will increase the odds of you developing the condition/getting sick.
6. MFMs are made from cow's milk which is not as easily digestible as fruits and vegetables (as calcium source). It also contains additives and preservatives. Cow's milk has also long been established as the top slow-acting allergenic food.
7. Milk has only become part of the worldwide diet after modern farming has allowed for excessive milk production by cows (which are pumped with hormones). Historically, the only ones who really used milk as part of their diet are people living in temperate countries, as milk digests more slowly (allowing people to feel warmer and fuller for a long time, especially during winter time).
8. A self-respecting doctor who has done his research would not prescribe MFMs to moms but would insist that moms eat healthy, natural food (as opposed to processed food, which MFM is). That will go a longer way in helping ensure a healthy pregnancy since real food will have biodigestible nutrients, fiber, water, etc.
9. A regular prescription of MFM affects a family's budget. Some moms also do not like drinking milk, or do not like the prescribed MFM but get scared (or guilt-tripped) into forcing themselves to drink MFM because they were advised by a doctor they trust to do so, for the health of their baby. That is a disservice to them when again, natural food sources offer a wide array of options and should be the automatic choice.
10. Should a mother ever want milk, any nut or soy milk or the usual fresh milk in 1-liter cartons should be good enough. Milk drinking for moms is not prohibited (unless there are special conditions) but it is also unnecessary.
11. When a pregnant mother develops GDM or hypertension, not only is it difficult and painful for her to suddenly go on a strict diet, her life and the baby's life is also put at risk.
Again... Nature had this system perfected already. Provided a mother eats healthy, gets plenty of rest and has the help she needs, she should be able to have a healthy pregnancy and sufficient milk supply.
Let us say NO to relatives, friends, doctors and milk companies who are pushing processed food our way when we should be eating healthy for two (or three).
#BF1st1000days
#miycn
#iwasgatasPilipinas
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Even Breastfeeding Advocates Cry At Night
If... Even pretty girls cry at night...
And for every success story we hear, for every mom we meet who strives, for every milestone our own child reaches... There are tears of joy.
Well, even breastfeeding counselors, advocates, experts and BFP admins cry/cried at night too.
We cried/cry because most of us didn't know what to do in the first place.
We cried/cry because we made/make mistakes.
We cried/cry because nothing can really prepare you for the demands of a newborn. First time mothers will get shocked into the role, it is so "every moment". Those with other kids will have to juggle time and energy for all the other children who would all need something from her.
We cried/cry because even the most loving and supportive of households can never fully share the exhaustion breastfeeding brings.
We cried/cry because even the most loving of husbands will continue sleeping while we nurse through the night.
We cried/cry because no woman ever imagines seeing their nipples sucked raw, sore, bleeding or with blebs and pus. It's scary and extremely painful when your breasts get engorged.
We cried/cry because when babies bite, the pain reaches down to our toes. If they do it while awake, you can train them not to... But what of those lockjaw moments they get while in deep sleep? No self-respecting Mom will be shaking them awake to tell them biting hurts. Nay, we just grit our teeth in the dark, crying the silent tears as we continue nursing.
We cried/cry because some of us had unsupportive households, relatives and friends.
We cried/cry because some of the significant people in our lives "blame us" for everything that goes wrong or seems wrong with the baby... Or anything that doesn't meet THEIR standards.
We cried/cry because the doctors we turn to for help when we get sick almost always tell us to stop breastfeeding, in the meantime or for good, instead of doing their job... Which is to update their knowledge base and prescribe medicines that are breastfeeding-safe.
We cried/cry because it gets depressing, exhausting and downright annoying to have to keep explaining, defending and fighting for our choice and the Science behind that choice.
We cried/cry because those of us who have given formula and seen the effects of that to an older child will forever regret not having known better then.
We cried/cry because those of us who work away from home get overwhelmed and exhausted and stressed over keeping our milk supply up, pumping enough and storing enough for our child.
We cried/cry because no matter how much we love our babies, the nights seem triply long when they are sick and forever attached to us.
We cried/cry over the responsibility of being sole provider... We sometimes deny ourselves medications or delay treatments just because we don't want our baby to be without us.
We cried/cry over aching arms and back pains... Maybe even disproportionate (size) boobs (since most babies will favor one more).
We cried/cry because we are made to feel ashamed for nursing in public.
And for those that Life thought to challenge more, they cried because their babies were born earlier or with biological impediments (tongue tie, cleft palate, etc) or life-threatening conditions that make breastfeeding more challenging.
And yet... Here we are, trying to help and inspire others... And save one mother and child at a time.
Because we believe in God's provision and Nature's grand design. Man would not have been able to survive as a species if we had to rely on "modern formula, fortifiers and vitamins" to be healthy.
So, those of you about to begin your journey... Or are struggling now... Please know that we cried at nights too.
The only things that made it easy were that we believed we made the decision to breastfeed
1) out of nothing but love for our child
2) out of nothing but a desire to invest in our health and our child's health for the long-term
3) out of nothing but faith that the same God who gave us this baby will allow us to provide for this baby
Us breastfeeders, breastfeeding counselors, advocates, experts and BFP admins... We still cry.
We cry for every mother we try to help that refuse our help.
We cry for the poor who do not know better to make informed choices for their families.
We cry for moms whose efforts are being undermined by their own partners, family, friends, doctors and at work.
We cry for illnesses and deaths that could have been prevented or reduced in severity had the baby been breastfed.
We cry... Because there is still so much to do for the advocacy, and we get exhausted too.
But again, because of the tears shed before and despite the tears we shed now, we are here, wanting to help however way we can. Because we know we stand for truth and love.
And for every success story we hear, for every mom we meet who strives, for every milestone our own child reaches... There are tears of joy.
#BF1st1000days
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Choose to Join Us!
You have to choose to listen to what we are saying (which are based on facts), and then do your own research to make informed decisions.
You have to be willing to let go of preconceived notions, habits, old beliefs.
You have to be willing to fight for and stand up for your rights and your child's rights... even if it may mean challenging relationships.
You have to be vigilant about asking what is due you... as a citizen of this country, ensure the Milk Code is implemented for you. As an employee, insist on lactation breaks (even if a lactation room cannot be physically provided for you). As a patient, demand your doctor to only prescribe breastfeeding-safe meds and focus on your baby, not on weight and yellowness.
You have to keep your eye on the goal always, in all ways.
You have to take inspiration where you can and filter out everything that does not help you achieve your goals.
You have to prioritize health in the long term (for you and baby) over what is convenient now.
You have to edit your own thoughts, your own questions... so that they empower you into action, and not depress you into giving up.
You have to celebrate the little things and the little triumphs... and take things one day at a time.
You have to treat challenges (pumping, soreness, sickness) as bumps in the road and not your final destination. You have to accept that there will be difficulties (and heck, you are entitled to tears and the occasional chocolate bar or ice cream pint) because what you are doing IS worthwhile.
You have to write your own breastfeeding story and not have others write it for you.
You have to find ways and make ways.
Most of all, you have to believe that God gave your child to YOU... so what that child needs is Mom, not Man-made. (love this slogan!)
Champion yourself and your child... we can only show you how and where to go. After all, we were all once lacking information and empowerment, and as governed by fears and insecurities as you. It's just now, we know better so we do better.
Choose to join us.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Do the Math, Aim High for Breastfeeding
"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (August). For this month, we write about the World Breastfeeding Week 2014 - Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal for Life and share how breastfeeding can help the Philippines achieve the 8 Millennium Development Goals developed by the government and the United Nations. Participants will share their thoughts, experiences, hopes and suggestions on the topic. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.But since I have adopted the "Do the Math" mantra whenever I try to inspire moms to stick to and commit to breastfeeding, I guess I will adopt the same here.
First, let's have a quick look at the following pertinent breastfeeding statistics:
1,738,100 babies are born in the country yearly
Only 34% of these babies end up being exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months (around 278, 000 babies)
18.75 - infant mortality rate for every 1,000 births (that is at least 32,000 babies 1 year below)
16,000 children between 1-5 years old die every year from illnesses traced to formula-feeding or directly-addressed by breastfeeding
It is actually very good that infant mortality rate in our country has been steadily declining. And looking at these numbers, we can say that just more push from the right institutions and it can be further reduced dramatically. That is where breastfeeding will come in.
Just another 10% more moms to exclusively breastfeed can buy them lactation amenorrhea, protection from getting pregnant again and contributing to next year's population. A steady increase like this can mean that ten years down the line, the government can be at a perfect position to actually provide better primary public education because population growth was curbed somehow (or at least, it did not boom as exponentially).
Add to this the possibility that a family with an infant who breastfed exclusively can channel their abundant/ just enough/meager funds to food for the entire family as well as education for the older children.
Let us not even quibble with rates and percentages. Let us just say that if 1,000 more families will exclusively breastfeed this year, there may be 1,000 less babies next year... and 1,000 more babies next year who will be better fed.
For us middle-class and the rich, with happy problems like which food to introduce first and whether we are able to offer enough variation, this does not seem impressive. But try living their life... Tell me if it's still easy. Try living from hand to mouth. Try losing a child to diseases like diarrhea (Go Erceflora!) and infections (Amoxycillin anyone?). Try having kids with stunted growth who cannot process what they should be able to by the time they are of school age, putting further stress on an already struggling education system. Try imagining how burdensome that could be to a family if a child will be unable to learn or contribute. Try imagining struggling to feed and raise a child only to lose that child before it turns 5 years old... and repeat the same every few years or so.
From a middle-class point of view, consider how kids of can afford parents start school at the average age of 3. This means that from that point on, that child will be bringing home viruses and germs he caught in school. Now, imagine that there will be 1,000 less toddlers/preschoolers who will get sick this year from a certain flu strain because they are still being breastfed. They won't get sick because their mom's milk will give them the antibodies. That means no medicine intake or hospitalization for a few days. That means Mommy doesn't have to go absent from work for a few days. No stress on the finances or on everybody's schedule. That will mean not missing school for a few days so there is less tension about missed lessons. Now, what if these one thousand kids get spared twice in a year? Thrice? This great possibility is attainable if only a mother will commit to breastfeeding in the first 1,000 days of a child's life. #BF1st1000days
Wouldn't you agree that if you look at things this way, it becomes easier to see why our government should make this a priority?
Where does global partnership come in?
Well, 1,000 more kids breastfed means 1,000 less that institutions like WHO and UNICEF will be worrying about because it is 1,000 less children requiring aid.
1,000 more breastfed kids mean 1,000 less to make provisions for in times of emergencies and calamities.
1,000 more breastfed kids would mean at least one set of 1,000 days not missed by working moms to deliver services locally and internationally. Aren't you curious just how much that would mean for commerce and trade?
1,000 more breastfed kids will mean millions of savings from out-patient treatment due to respiratory diseases.
If policies like "Wednesdays off for baby's first year" (an additional 44 days of maternity leave) can be enacted, we might be looking at more than 1,000!
And 1,000 babies exclusively breastfed has the potential of bringing about 192,000 less cans in dump sites (the environmental cost by those who can afford). Indeed, why don't we tell formula-feeders that when they do so, they are wasting water and blocking drainages?
Oh, and 1,000 less children dying will mean around P33M savings from funeral costs, FYI. These costs affect the national budget, the implementation of plans, the approval of loans and aids and the ability to pay off such loans. These savings can in turn be channeled to feeding and educating more children, right?
Breastfeeding is truly a gift. It is basically free and yet it can save money and lives, regardless of demographic. Which is why I hope you will scroll down to read the rest of the entries for this blog carnival. Read and share each one if you can, let us get more mommies to commit to breastfeeding in the first 1000 days. We may not meet our MDG targets next year but still, any small step in the right direction :)
*~*~*
Here are many thoughts and reasons why we should all advocate for mothers to breastfeed for the first 1,000 days of life #BF1st1000days
Jenny shares experiencing the One Asia Breastfeeding Forum
Mec insists to do the Math and breastfeed!
Ams, The Passionate Mom says Breastfeed for a Better Future
Pat says breastfeeding saves money and the planet
Cheryl, the Multi-Tasking Mama, tackles maternal health as addressed by breastfeeding
2011 CNN Hero Ibu Robin highlights gentle births and breasfeeding, even in disaster zones
Felyn stresses that Healthy Moms = Healthy Babies
Monique reminds us that there are second chances in breastfeeding
Normi relates how breastfeeding gave her strength and purpose
Nats thanks Dr. Jack Newman for showing how breastfeeding can be a win-win situation
Em believes breastfeeding is a solution to societal problems
Marge shares what breastfeeding has taught them
Kaity was empowered financially and as a woman through breastfeeding
Madel relates her breastfeeding saga
Jen of Next9 reminds us to do our research and share what we know
Celerhina Aubrey vows to work on one mother at a time
Grace wants to put an end to stories of toasted coffee and similar stuff over breast milk
Diane shares how she prevailed when things did not go according to plan
Hazel appreciates mommy support groups
Roan combines two passions, breastfeeding and architecture
Queenie tackled breastfeeding as the best choice for the environment as well and breastfeeding myths and poverty
Rosa shares how the picture she thought of was realized
Sally believes breastfeeding benefits mankind and our planet Earth
Floraine reminds us that breastfeeding helps combat diseases
Crislyn was happy to realize that she improved her own health by breastfeeding
Armi reminds us how breastfeeding during emergencies is crucial
Arvi tells us how breastfeeding made her look at her body a different way
Clarice elaborates on how breastfeeding saves lives and the planet
Giane reminds us that women empowerment can begin by seeing breastfeeding as more than a feeding issue
Liza thought she was only breastfeeding for her child
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Breastfeeding and the First 1,000 Days #BF1st1000days
My biggest takeaway from the first day of the 2nd
Breastfeeding Congress was the role breastfeeding plays in the first 1,000
days.
First 1,000
Days is a partnership among key players worldwide concerned with maternal
and child nutrition. Basically, the belief (backed by numerous studies) is that
the first one thousand days of a child’s life is the period
that decides the health and wealth of the world. From pre-conception care to
the first two years of life, how a child is nourished will influence his long-term
health, ability to learn and performance in all aspects of society.
Breastfeeding, having the largest impact on child mortality of all preventive
intervention, is thus something that all nations have to promote, support and
protect.
Unfortunately, milk companies are trying to jump on the
1,000 days bandwagon to squash all the efforts the UNICEF and WHO (as well as
other concerned agencies) have been putting in for this breastfeeding campaign and
confuse consumers yet again. Or maybe I mean dupe consumers. Nestle and Danone
have officially hijacked the initiative and launched/registered sites bearing
the 1,000 days catch phrase. It definitely isn’t the first time that milk
companies will twist something from the breastfeeding camp (golden bow, “best
start”, etc). You can download Breaking
the Rules 2014 and see for yourself other violations these companies have
been committing worldwide.
It is in this regard that breastfeeders, breastfeeding
advocates and breastfeeding supporters are now being called to express support
for breastfeeding. Let us use our social media accounts. Let us post
breastfeeding photos, breastfeeding quotes, reflections on your journey/testimonies
as a breastfeeder and use the hashtag #BF1st1000days.
Perhaps, in this way, these milk companies won’t even think
of bringing their ludicrous underhandedness in the Philippines.
Having breastfeeding in mind while pregnant helps mothers
mentally prepare themselves and the people around them to breastfeed. Breastfeeding
in the first two years of life (and beyond) complemented by healthy eating
habits after baby turns six months reduces risks for chronic diseases for both
mother and child. Breastfeed for the first one thousand days. Let your posts
all contain #BF1st1000days.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Truths Behind Rejection of Formula Donations During and After Emergency Situations
(I wrote this article last 22 November 2013 with the hope that some bigger syndication will publish it... wellm they didn't so I am claiming it back for my blog. This was a reaction to all the debate going on about formula donations post-Yolanda, one that even reached international forums)
Babies and children are top priority when disaster strikes.
When natural calamities end up displacing hundreds of people, one of the first
calls to go out or be offered is formula milk donations.
Two weeks ago, the Visayan region of the Philippines was hit
by what is touted to be the strongest typhoon ever recorded in human history.
The storm surge that came along with it killed thousands and leveled several
areas, stripping people of their homes, schools, churches and hospitals.
Hundreds of thousands of people scattered over several provinces are left
without food and shelter and yet, why are formula donations being banned by the
government?
There are several inter-related truths that provide
rationale for this particular policy:
1. Most mothers start out breastfeeding their children.
Based on experience over several strong typhoons, most that end up in evacuation
centers are either breastfed and mix-fed. Few babies below the age of six
months are completely formula dependent. Thus, the need for formula donations
is not high and one the government can certainly address.
2. Studies show that 50% of formula fed babies run the risk
of requiring hospital treatment in emergency situations, mostly due to
ill-prepared formula that will be inevitable in shelters where clean water,
sterile equipment and a steady supply of the formula are hard to come by.
Usually, evacuees are deluged with donations in the first few days but are left
wanting in the weeks, maybe even months, to come. The reality is that mothers
sometimes end up preparing formula using rain or portalet water or diluting it
so much that it causes water intoxication in their babies. Most people have not
made the connection that formula is called precisely that because it has to be
prepared a certain way for it to be beneficial.
3. Getting mix-feeding mothers to relactate, new mothers to
exclusively breastfeed, and parents to wean their toddlers/preschoolers off
formula/bottle feeding reduces the risks posed by ill-prepared formula. The
simple act of giving milk using cups instead of feeding bottles or getting
toddlers eating more solids are more practical and sustainable strategies in
emergency situations.
4. There is a system in place that allows formula fed babies
to get formula at evacuation centers and temporary shelters. These babies are
neither forgotten nor allowed to die. Hopefully, those identified to have no
other option but formula will also be monitored. However, when more mothers
exclusively breastfeed, the few formula-dependent babies left can be better
provided for with age-appropriate milk and other resources and information
necessary to ensure safe formulation.
5. Resources are a challenge post-calamity, even if a family
does not end up in an evacuation center. Communication lines may be down for a
while. Water pipes busted. Supplies like gas or milk may be out of stock. In
tent cities, clean water is often scarce and a family might not be able to get
enough to wash and sterilize feeding bottles, what more have enough to prepare
formula with. Congestion may also increase the level of humidity, expediting
milk spoilage.
6. There is no wisdom in providing hundreds of cans of milk,
or including a box of milk per prepacked baby kit to all families in an
evacuation center since formula has to be age-appropriate and only babies under
age 1 truly rely on milk as their main source of nourishment. Unfortunately, if
formula is given to a breastfeeding family, they will use it, even if they were
already breastfeeding successfully. If powdered milk is given to each family,
they will use it, even if they were not milk drinkers previously. Such has been
the indoctrination of some societies,
like ours, that people actually think formula is a safer, better food for their
baby. For some, it is even a status symbol.
7. For the same price per can, private citizens or organizations
could be providing one to three days worth of food and water to families in
calamity zones and temporary shelters. The percentage of infants is always very
low (and again, most that stay in evacuation centers are breastfed to some
degree) so it is more practical to channel funds to feeding all members of a
family, instead of just one, or providing them with shelter, clothes,
medicines, etc. It also makes no sense for centers to be flooded with free
formula while families struggle to get drinking water, cook their food or
clothe themselves.
8. Returning to their homes or relocation may be a long time
coming for evacuees which will pose challenges for the parents and the
government to sustain formula feeding. At best, the average Filipino family can
barely sustain the cost of formula for a whole year. Imagine how much worse it
would be for families left with nothing and no clear prospects for the future.
9. Thanks to a growing number of breastfeeding advocates,
the Milk Code is being observed better and better in the Philippines.
Unfortunately, this has not stopped milk companies from offering free milk
through hospitals and clinics. Milk companies are also known to freely
distribute samples by the can in schools, conferences and the like. This surely
suggests that should the government not have the budget to purchase formula for
the few babies per center that need it, our leaders can still appeal to these
companies to provide the milk because they can afford to give them freely.
Private citizens and organizations, out of concern for babies, need not spend
for them at all. Unfortunately though,
milk companies in the country seem to have a problem with donating unbranded
cans to the Department of Health (per Milk Code stipulation) as well as taking
on the task, even if they can afford it, of providing free milk indefinitely
for evacuees that need it.
10. Formula feeding eats up resources in already compromised
living arrangements. It eats up gas and water that could be used for cooking.
It requires soap (or salt). It is a monthly expense. It takes up space and
requires light (as proven by a mom who mistakenly used gasoline in preparing
her baby's milk, accidentally killing her child). And because formula feeding
increases risks for certain diseases (diarrhea, ear infection, allergies) that
living in a shelter compounds, there will also be medical costs and it may even
cost lives. Add to this again the burden of spending so much to provide for one
member of the family while leaving the others malnourished and it becomes a
vicious cycle of health issues.
11. Donations are hard to manage, track and properly
distribute in our country over an average typhoon, what more a catastrophe that
wiped out entire areas. Pre-packaged baby kits with a formula in each bag will
have to be repacked, otherwise other babies will be put at risk. All formula
cans would have to come with the necessary accessories, otherwise, it will put
babies at risk. Prevention by banning formula donations reduces logistics
nightmares, public health issues and loss of lives for the government.
12. 16,000 children age five and below are estimated to die
every year in the country from diseases that are linked to formula feeding.
This number will surely rise when measures are not taken to control formula
feeding (especially in cases when babies are beyond age 1) and closely monitor
formula distribution in shelters.
13. The ban on milk donations is not about breastfeeding
being superior to formula feeding. It is about the greater good in a time of
chaos and limited resources. Breastfeeding and formula feeding are also not
just feeding issues, but during war and calamities, both become bigger public
health issues.
14. The people who will be left in evacuation centers are
the truly marginalized ones, without family or friends who can take them in.
Post-Yolanda, we are looking at thousands of families. Not only will they be
short of funds (which will challenge again the sustainability of formula
feeding), they will have limited options. Some of these families also have
multiple children of varying ages where it becomes all the more critical that
fewer or none will be reliant on powdered milk for sustenance and nutrition.
This references to the growing trend of milk-dependent toddlers/preschoolers when
eating solids is most beneficial for them.
15. The difference with calls for breast milk donations and
milk letting drives is that the breastfeeding groups behind these ensure that
donated breast milk is not compromised (cold chain project) as opposed to the
usual unmonitored distribution of formula without the necessary paraphernalia
and information. Donated breast milk is also pasteurized and given through the
use of cups, which makes it safer than formula. Perhaps, because breast milk
donation is very personal in nature, its advocates take more care in making
sure nothing gets wasted, as opposed to a general donation of formula wherein
cans might be left under the heat of the sun or water used in formulation might
be dirty. Donor milk is also not distributed indiscriminately because the goal
is always to ensure safe and sustainable feeding so its recipients usually are
moms in the process of relactation or babies who have been separated from their
mothers.
The government and concerned agencies are just looking out
for these children and their families for the short and long-term. The
international standards are rigid because it has been proven time and again in
emergency situations all over the world that indiscriminate formula donations
just create problems and cost lives.
Now, people who really want to help these babies can send
cash donations instead to trusted agencies or send food, care and emergency
shelter kits for their families. Let us relieve the parents of some of their
immediate worries and burdens, so that they can care for their children better.
And may these truths reassure everyone that this stance the Philippine
government has taken is a good one.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Breastfeeding is Not Just a Feeding Issue For Your Baby
Yes... it is very common for breastfeeding moms to get soooo
exhausted because their babies do not want to be away from them. They just want
to park on our breasts, we cannot even get up to pee. Every time they see us,
they only want one thing, and won't even consider playing with us after.
Babies NEED their moms. I think most moms do not really know
how much,
If we didn't take care of ourselves while pregnant, where
would baby be? Their health and safety was totally dependent on ours. What a
responsibility!
And then, if that wasn't enough, here we are, letting them
become totally dependent on us after birth. When we do things, how we do
things, how long we can be away, what we will wear, eat, do... all will have to
adjust to our feeding schedule.
And have I mentioned that we cannot even pee? I have? Well, imagine going through that almost every
day... baby taking hours to settle down and at the first slightest movement to
get up and pee, she wakes up and sucks with gusto. If I could pee in a diaper,
I would have went that way, I swear.
But in all those hassles hide the truth... that we aren't
just food for our baby. In fact, food is the last thing they get and need from
us (because, after all, formula HAS been invented already). What are we then?
We are SAFETY, SECURITY and SHELTER, the most imperative of
all the needs after food. When we keep holding them close, we tell them that
the person they knew in utero is the same person out here that grew them and
loved them and whispered prayers for them and dreamed dreams for them. They
learn that they belong to us, and we belong to them. They learn they could
depend on us.
When we touch them all the time and hold them all the time,
we boost their immunity.
When they get our milk, they get antibodies and
probiotics... which they don't really understand. They just intuitively know
that when they are feeling sick, only our milk helps.
For one to understand that, maybe you can think of
critically ill people instead... wherein no drugs can help anymore, but the
only thing that can soothe is a loving touch, a loving presence.
We are WARMTH and LOVE and ALL THINGS WELL... for them.
Because at our side of the fence, we are all things tired, sleepy, feeling
violated and pressed upon. How unfair?
But what we sometimes feel is a drudgery (I will be honest,
there were many times I felt it was so much responsibility) is actually God's
way of training us to give... sometimes, till it hurts. To keep our eye on the
goal. To be patient. To trust. To marvel at God's amazing design. To learn how
to unconditionally give and love. To invest in things we may never see (as
breastfeeding benefits are lifelong, and we may not be around to know for sure
that our daughter did not have breast cancer).
Breastfeeding teaches us about our body's amazing
capabilities and redefines what we know of motherhood.
So, despite the tiredness and tears and lack of sleep...
when your baby demands for you, know that she is turning to you to satisfy a
deeper hunger. Not one for food but for a need to know that AAL IZZ WELL
(sorry, 3 Idiots fan).
This is a privilege, not just a responsibility. Because,
sooner than we think, our babies will have grown up into self-assured kids
exploring the world... and the most that we can do for them is guide them. We
will not be HEAVEN for them forever.
Monday, July 21, 2014
On Celebrities Endorsing Milk and Our War Against Underhanded Marketing Strategies by Milk Companies
This may very well be a loooong post and yes, biased FOR breastfeeding. Hopefully though, this will explain why breastfeeding advocates are against celebrities (and by this, I mean politicians, TV/movie/ad/music/sports personalities, anybody else famous or with name recall, etc) endorsing milk as a strategy employed by milk companies.
As a backgrounder, a popular celebrity family recently posted that they are giving away a year's supply of powdered milk (their firstborn's milk) for some contest (I think) which greatly saddened breastfeeding advocates. Here are the thoughts that ran through my head while I was feeling frustrated over this:
follow-on milk / toddler milk / preschooler milk/ adult milk is unnecessary
I swear, it is a fact. Nowhere in the existence of man was it necessary for humans to be dependent on milk beyond infancy (which ends when babies hit 1 year old) for nourishment. But yes, the worldwide average for weaning is closer to age 4, mainly because that is also the time a human being stops making lactase, the enzyme that digests the lactose in milk. Toddlers also benefit from the antibodies and probiotic in their momma's milk as they explore more of this world.
But here's a crash course for you. When the Americans came (you know, that time in our history when they colluded with Spain and drew up a mock battle but actually bought the Philippines for around 20 million dollars? Remember now?), they wanted to create a market for their goods. One thing they brought in was formula. And since Filipinos are very accommodating, we gobbled their "wisdom" up that formula is superior milk.
Fast forward to now, the Milk Code has regulated commercials of formula/milk for kids 3 years and below. Unfortunately, in the hundred years it has been sold here, milk companies are now earning at least P40B yearly. Yes, we made for a lucrative market. From a culture where breastfeeding was the norm, even for toddlers, we became milk guzzlers instead. What is worse, there is now that prevalent thinking among the common folk that formula milk is better and "only the poor" nurse their own babies.
But the fact is, what humans need for life is CALCIUM, not milk. And as much as milk companies say their products provide calcium, the truth really is the cow's milk (where these products are mostly derived from) leeches off calcium from our bones. Why? Because it is meant for calves! It just becomes this acidic mess in our guts. And the pasteurization that strips it of bacteria also removes the enzymes which will allow humans to digest it.Unfortunately, pasteurization does not remove the hormones fed to cows that were milked for our powdered milk.
So, again... what is a formula company to do if it cannot advertise for their formula? Create follow-on milk instead. Now, they have toddler milk, preschool milk, regular milk, pregnant mom's milk and milk for old people. The milk companies created a DEMAND for it by putting the idea across that we need it.
But WE DON'T!
We need calcium!
But their powdered milk is fortified with Iron! Of course, because drinking cow's milk makes a person iron deficient. How? It causes micro bleeding in the gut (because we are digesting food that is meant for a 4-compartment stomach) and interferes with iron absorption.
In other words, parents giving their very young kids milk are contributing to potential anemia and lactose intolerance for them.
Some studies already suggest that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who drink milk/take in other allergenic food while pregnant/breastfeeding increase the chances of their babies developing skin allergies. And yet, more and more OBs are prescribing formula milk for mamas.
But how many of the educated population know of this truth about milk? And how many of the marginalized?
do the Math!
A P40B (and more) industry spends around P1B to market its products yearly. Marketing includes giving away samples, wooing doctors (who will give away the free samples OR prescribe the products), paying for print and TV ads.
Meanwhile, as per Milk Code, breastfeeding groups are limited in who they can approach to sponsor breastfeeding classes and events. Breastfeeding does not provide livelihood (except for Nanay Ines' Arugaan community of wet nurses and massage therapists) and will certainly not make anyone rich.
enter the celebrity endorsers and strategists in milk companies
Milk companies often target celebrity endorsers with a child who is still more likely breasfeeding. Why else would they have gotten Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Baretto before to promote preschooler milk after these celebs just had babies? I mean, surely, these celebs' adopted kids were already capable of drinking milk even before there were babies in the house. But no, let us wait until they've just given birth a few months before. Right?
Why would they approach Gladys Reyes, of the "thank God I was breastfeeding because we were stuck in our terrace/rooftop during Ondoy" fame to endorse preschooler milk while she also had an infant (and breastfed child during Ondoy is now the one supposed to THRIVE on powdered milk)?
Why would they approach a family with some 2 million followers on FB, a source of inspiration to so many people, to hold a contest and provide a year's supply of the powdered milk their firstborn drinks (which is a potential Milk Code violation)?
Oh and have you noticed how they present their commercials for these follow-on milk?
Child isn't eating right, but fortunately there's this powdered milk that gives all the nutrients listed in the food pyramid.
Child is thriving, and fortunately there is this powdered milk that helps meet his needs.
You are being prepped to buy either way. But again, do they tell you that the milk they advertise also compromises your child's health? Do you see or hear somewhere in the ad that this milk may worsen the common cold because it is mucus-forming and that cow's milk is top on the list of highly allergenic food? No?
now, let's do better, pro-Filipino Math
Let us say a celebrity endorser gets paid a million pesos (at least) for a milk ad. That buys them what? A trip abroad? A home extension? More money to invest? New clothes?
Now, let's assume that because she is a celebrity, she can influence people's choices. Follow-on milk will cost a middle-income family between P2,000-3,000 monthly. That is about one to two weeks' worth of wet market allowance for my family of five (this includes our helper, and yes, we generally eat healthy so that is mostly for fish and veggies). That means, for middle income families, money that can be used for the rest of the family is just being used for one. Or, money that can be saved instead is being used on milk alone. And if there is an infant, money that can be used for that infant't vaccinations is being used to buy milk for the older sibling.
See how it can be a recipe for poverty?
Meanwhile, for already struggling families, shooting for follow-on milk for a child may be suicide. But it happens. Instead of JUST feeding a child cooked food, they will prepare milk no matter how diluted, or break their backs to earn money to buy milk (leading to compromised health). More unfortunately, the marginalized do not think past the celebrity and milk and hype. They do not note that this is follow-on milk NOT MEANT for infants, all they hear is the jazz (intelligence! strong bones! edge! etc ). And since such is a recipe for diarrhea and malnutrition, how do we compute the cost now?
And what does the milk sales bring milk companies? New cars, condos, buildings and businesses for their main stakeholders.
But don't milk companies employ Filipinos? Yes, they do :) Let's say around 2,000 families are benefited by salaries and free milk. And I am pretty sure those families feel grateful for the employment. Thus, shouldn't our government be indebted to them? Uhmmm... not really since there are 16,000 deaths annually that can be traced to wrongful formula feeding and diseases directly addressed by breastfeeding. Click here for other costs of formula feeding (just in case you want to add in your computation the funeral costs for those 16,000 deaths). Please also try computing the cost for sick leaves for when mothers have to care for sick kids. Trips to an allergist takes all day, after all. And gastric episodes mean long days AND nights.
I don't know about you but I will never think 16,000 deaths YEARLY is a price worth paying to keep 2,000 families happy.
some more reality check, please
Celebrities are generally RICH already by a regular man's standards. Most of them breastfeed even because they are educated enough to know of the benefits.When their children gets sick, they can afford the best doctors, the best treatments, the best supplements. They can afford organic food. They can afford nutritionists if need be. They can afford the best schools, the best tutors, the best learning systems to ensure smart kids.
And some of them do not even really use the products they endorse. Ssshhh.
But us mere mortals, we are lucky if we have an HMO for checkups and emergency hospitalizations. And the poor? Why, good luck if they even get a turn at the nebulizer in a government hospital when they are having an asthma attack.
with great power comes great responsibility
While we cannot take away a celebrity's right to want to earn a living, and sell whatever they can for a brighter future (and in this, I mean name, reputation, service, etc)... we advocates also cannot help but wish that more of them will think of the repercussions of their actions because nothing ends after the shoot and the ad is shown. The damage happens after, in areas they will never even dream of going to, to families they will never meet.
When a celebrity says that she is giving her picky eater milk to keep him healthy, parents in other homes do the same, instead of improving their discipline and training their child to eat healthy.
When a celebrity says that all her kid wants is junk food (and since she allows it, it must be okay) so giving milk at least makes her child healthy, other parents do the same... instead of again, keeping junk food out of the home.
When celebrities promote a brand, their fans do not see them as entrepreneurs earning big bucks for said ad but as the beloved character they loved and supported.
a choice based on lies cannot be an informed choice
There are enough documentary videos and interviews that point to milk ads for turning breastfeeding families into mix feeding and purely formula feeding families. There are enough commercials that have swayed families into continuing to give milk to kids, some of whom have yayas outside their schoolrooms to prepare milk in feeding bottles! Mothers and in-laws will even recommend/impose certain brands because their idols "said" it makes for better brain development or stronger builds.
These choices are based on lies. And because these aren't informed choices, breastfeeding advocates cannot honor them by staying quiet while more families get financially and health compromised.
As a backgrounder, a popular celebrity family recently posted that they are giving away a year's supply of powdered milk (their firstborn's milk) for some contest (I think) which greatly saddened breastfeeding advocates. Here are the thoughts that ran through my head while I was feeling frustrated over this:
follow-on milk / toddler milk / preschooler milk/ adult milk is unnecessary
I swear, it is a fact. Nowhere in the existence of man was it necessary for humans to be dependent on milk beyond infancy (which ends when babies hit 1 year old) for nourishment. But yes, the worldwide average for weaning is closer to age 4, mainly because that is also the time a human being stops making lactase, the enzyme that digests the lactose in milk. Toddlers also benefit from the antibodies and probiotic in their momma's milk as they explore more of this world.
But here's a crash course for you. When the Americans came (you know, that time in our history when they colluded with Spain and drew up a mock battle but actually bought the Philippines for around 20 million dollars? Remember now?), they wanted to create a market for their goods. One thing they brought in was formula. And since Filipinos are very accommodating, we gobbled their "wisdom" up that formula is superior milk.
Fast forward to now, the Milk Code has regulated commercials of formula/milk for kids 3 years and below. Unfortunately, in the hundred years it has been sold here, milk companies are now earning at least P40B yearly. Yes, we made for a lucrative market. From a culture where breastfeeding was the norm, even for toddlers, we became milk guzzlers instead. What is worse, there is now that prevalent thinking among the common folk that formula milk is better and "only the poor" nurse their own babies.
But the fact is, what humans need for life is CALCIUM, not milk. And as much as milk companies say their products provide calcium, the truth really is the cow's milk (where these products are mostly derived from) leeches off calcium from our bones. Why? Because it is meant for calves! It just becomes this acidic mess in our guts. And the pasteurization that strips it of bacteria also removes the enzymes which will allow humans to digest it.Unfortunately, pasteurization does not remove the hormones fed to cows that were milked for our powdered milk.
So, again... what is a formula company to do if it cannot advertise for their formula? Create follow-on milk instead. Now, they have toddler milk, preschool milk, regular milk, pregnant mom's milk and milk for old people. The milk companies created a DEMAND for it by putting the idea across that we need it.
But WE DON'T!
We need calcium!
But their powdered milk is fortified with Iron! Of course, because drinking cow's milk makes a person iron deficient. How? It causes micro bleeding in the gut (because we are digesting food that is meant for a 4-compartment stomach) and interferes with iron absorption.
In other words, parents giving their very young kids milk are contributing to potential anemia and lactose intolerance for them.
Some studies already suggest that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who drink milk/take in other allergenic food while pregnant/breastfeeding increase the chances of their babies developing skin allergies. And yet, more and more OBs are prescribing formula milk for mamas.
But how many of the educated population know of this truth about milk? And how many of the marginalized?
do the Math!
A P40B (and more) industry spends around P1B to market its products yearly. Marketing includes giving away samples, wooing doctors (who will give away the free samples OR prescribe the products), paying for print and TV ads.
Meanwhile, as per Milk Code, breastfeeding groups are limited in who they can approach to sponsor breastfeeding classes and events. Breastfeeding does not provide livelihood (except for Nanay Ines' Arugaan community of wet nurses and massage therapists) and will certainly not make anyone rich.
enter the celebrity endorsers and strategists in milk companies
Milk companies often target celebrity endorsers with a child who is still more likely breasfeeding. Why else would they have gotten Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Baretto before to promote preschooler milk after these celebs just had babies? I mean, surely, these celebs' adopted kids were already capable of drinking milk even before there were babies in the house. But no, let us wait until they've just given birth a few months before. Right?
Why would they approach Gladys Reyes, of the "thank God I was breastfeeding because we were stuck in our terrace/rooftop during Ondoy" fame to endorse preschooler milk while she also had an infant (and breastfed child during Ondoy is now the one supposed to THRIVE on powdered milk)?
Why would they approach a family with some 2 million followers on FB, a source of inspiration to so many people, to hold a contest and provide a year's supply of the powdered milk their firstborn drinks (which is a potential Milk Code violation)?
Oh and have you noticed how they present their commercials for these follow-on milk?
Child isn't eating right, but fortunately there's this powdered milk that gives all the nutrients listed in the food pyramid.
Child is thriving, and fortunately there is this powdered milk that helps meet his needs.
You are being prepped to buy either way. But again, do they tell you that the milk they advertise also compromises your child's health? Do you see or hear somewhere in the ad that this milk may worsen the common cold because it is mucus-forming and that cow's milk is top on the list of highly allergenic food? No?
now, let's do better, pro-Filipino Math
Let us say a celebrity endorser gets paid a million pesos (at least) for a milk ad. That buys them what? A trip abroad? A home extension? More money to invest? New clothes?
Now, let's assume that because she is a celebrity, she can influence people's choices. Follow-on milk will cost a middle-income family between P2,000-3,000 monthly. That is about one to two weeks' worth of wet market allowance for my family of five (this includes our helper, and yes, we generally eat healthy so that is mostly for fish and veggies). That means, for middle income families, money that can be used for the rest of the family is just being used for one. Or, money that can be saved instead is being used on milk alone. And if there is an infant, money that can be used for that infant't vaccinations is being used to buy milk for the older sibling.
See how it can be a recipe for poverty?
Meanwhile, for already struggling families, shooting for follow-on milk for a child may be suicide. But it happens. Instead of JUST feeding a child cooked food, they will prepare milk no matter how diluted, or break their backs to earn money to buy milk (leading to compromised health). More unfortunately, the marginalized do not think past the celebrity and milk and hype. They do not note that this is follow-on milk NOT MEANT for infants, all they hear is the jazz (intelligence! strong bones! edge! etc ). And since such is a recipe for diarrhea and malnutrition, how do we compute the cost now?
And what does the milk sales bring milk companies? New cars, condos, buildings and businesses for their main stakeholders.
But don't milk companies employ Filipinos? Yes, they do :) Let's say around 2,000 families are benefited by salaries and free milk. And I am pretty sure those families feel grateful for the employment. Thus, shouldn't our government be indebted to them? Uhmmm... not really since there are 16,000 deaths annually that can be traced to wrongful formula feeding and diseases directly addressed by breastfeeding. Click here for other costs of formula feeding (just in case you want to add in your computation the funeral costs for those 16,000 deaths). Please also try computing the cost for sick leaves for when mothers have to care for sick kids. Trips to an allergist takes all day, after all. And gastric episodes mean long days AND nights.
I don't know about you but I will never think 16,000 deaths YEARLY is a price worth paying to keep 2,000 families happy.
some more reality check, please
Celebrities are generally RICH already by a regular man's standards. Most of them breastfeed even because they are educated enough to know of the benefits.When their children gets sick, they can afford the best doctors, the best treatments, the best supplements. They can afford organic food. They can afford nutritionists if need be. They can afford the best schools, the best tutors, the best learning systems to ensure smart kids.
And some of them do not even really use the products they endorse. Ssshhh.
But us mere mortals, we are lucky if we have an HMO for checkups and emergency hospitalizations. And the poor? Why, good luck if they even get a turn at the nebulizer in a government hospital when they are having an asthma attack.
with great power comes great responsibility
While we cannot take away a celebrity's right to want to earn a living, and sell whatever they can for a brighter future (and in this, I mean name, reputation, service, etc)... we advocates also cannot help but wish that more of them will think of the repercussions of their actions because nothing ends after the shoot and the ad is shown. The damage happens after, in areas they will never even dream of going to, to families they will never meet.
When a celebrity says that she is giving her picky eater milk to keep him healthy, parents in other homes do the same, instead of improving their discipline and training their child to eat healthy.
When a celebrity says that all her kid wants is junk food (and since she allows it, it must be okay) so giving milk at least makes her child healthy, other parents do the same... instead of again, keeping junk food out of the home.
When celebrities promote a brand, their fans do not see them as entrepreneurs earning big bucks for said ad but as the beloved character they loved and supported.
a choice based on lies cannot be an informed choice
There are enough documentary videos and interviews that point to milk ads for turning breastfeeding families into mix feeding and purely formula feeding families. There are enough commercials that have swayed families into continuing to give milk to kids, some of whom have yayas outside their schoolrooms to prepare milk in feeding bottles! Mothers and in-laws will even recommend/impose certain brands because their idols "said" it makes for better brain development or stronger builds.
These choices are based on lies. And because these aren't informed choices, breastfeeding advocates cannot honor them by staying quiet while more families get financially and health compromised.
I posted this as comment on Breastfeeding Pinay: If you are educated, think for yourself and
have options (by virtue of income and connections) then be grateful that you
aren't part of the 60-70% of the population who cannot make the same informed
choices that you can. And it is the marginalized and ignorant WE (advocates)
are protecting and giving a voice to, which will also mean that we will forever
frown over such practices.
breastfeeding is not just a feeding issue, it is a public
health issue
I will admit, a judgmental part of me wonders how these
celebrities can sleep at night :D (Because I am already assuming the milk companies to be purely motivated by earnings)
I was reminded by a
friend that not everyone are like us. That translates to so many things.
Not all these moms know what we know. Ignorance, as they
say, is bliss.They may still be really nice people but they also might not care
as much as we do for the things that we do care about... like child health, and
maternal health and the environment. After all, not all of us are meant to
further breastfeeding advocacy. Some will build NGOs for education, some will
help pastor families, some will help in drug rehab.
They may be religious but not fully realize that they can
effect better change.
But most probably, they, like most of the population, think
of breastfeeding as JUST a feeding issue. So, they think of formula and
follow-on milk as JUST modern options to feeding a baby/child. They do not see
that unless it is medically necessary, formula and follow-on milk do more harm
than good. They see milk as something that is purely ingested and nourishes
now, and not something that stays in a person to give them allergy and cancer
protection (in the case of breastfed toddlers) or increase their risks for
diabetes (for children under 5 drinking cow's milk).
But you, if you have stayed with me down to here... I hope
now you know better. And will understand why we cannot support celebrities
endorsing milk and fume over the companies that pay them exorbitant amounts
they cannot ignore. Formula has its place in the great scheme of things. Follow-on
milk? Not so much. Good, locally-produced food is better. And in the fight FOR
PUBLIC HEALTH, I wish more celebrities will use their influence for the greater
good.
*~* Meanwhile... inviting you all to these events!!!
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
We Cannot Outgive God in Breastfeeding
(I have not blogged for a long while but I have vowed to commit to it again. And what better way than to start the first day of the second half of the year with a reflective post on breastfeeding, as part of preparing for Breastfeeding Month in August)
There is not one Feast that I do not hear words that resonate with me where I also do not think of how it applies to breastfeeding. Last Sunday, as we were being pep talked into serving, I heard these words: We Cannot Outgive God.
As a LATCH Counselor and BFP Admin, I try to remind mothers that breastfeeding will require a lot from them but the benefits are long term. I even always say, do the Math. Breastfeed for two years and reduce your child's allergy risks for life or give in to formula now and deal with allergies earlier/all your child's life. Breastfeed for two years and reduce mother and baby cancer risks or tempt fate and don't.
Breastfeeding requires a mother to give in a way that is very exhausting, draining, and every moment. Apart from the lack of correct info and support, I think what stumps a lot of moms is the fact that their baby needs them physically for soooo much everyday that they feel like slaves sometimes to a baby's needs and demands. After all, a working Mom can work away from home and earn the money to pay for the child's vaccines, clothes, treats, etc (things a baby also needs). But a breastfeeding working mom will have to find time to pump, ensure the milk won't spoil, etc. Any other mom can just do the chores but a breastfeeding mom will have to stop doing chores for a while and nurse.
But the thing is, when we moms breastfeed, we are doing God's work. After all, He made us mammals :) We are destined to nurse our young as sure as our young were created to feed from us. And whenever we give of our time, our bodies to our little ones, God outgives us.
God makes sure the baby communicates to us what it needs to be given to ensure its health... even before it could talk. (Enteromammary Pathway)
God makes sure our milk is perfectly made, with all the right nutrients, at the right temperature.
God makes sure that our milk does more than nourish, it also protects. And the gut protection our babies receive are lifelong, making them better able to deal with the preservatives and pollution of this world.
God makes sure we benefit as well, because we invoke reduced risks for certain diseases as we do the same for our child.
God makes sure each family need not be unduly compromised financially, and that its other members need not go without food just to feed a baby.
God alerts us the minute a virus gets into our baby's system or when we have not been mindful of their needs (they feed more).
God allows us to be enough for sick toddlers who refuse to eat.
And while all these is happening, our babies literally grow in faith (for this world) in our arms, but remain the right size to nurse from us. How amazing, isn't it?
Alas, such outpouring of grace requires a surrender to Him, however. A surrender to His design, His system. Unfortunately, because of "modern culture", many aren't that open to this truth.
Breastfeeding is not something one really volunteers for, wherein you quit when it is no longer convenient.
Breastfeeding is not a burden to be a slave to, something totally against our will, something we are forced to do, something we do not find happiness over, something that will never uplift us.
Breastfeeding is service, something we do for God because we love Him and because we are grateful to have been blessed with child. We do it with humility and gratitude, and we celebrate its rewards.
Mommies everywhere... we do not breastfeed because we like not having our bodies to ourselves, or that we like having our boobs out, or that we like to leak, or we like to be subjected to critical looks/being chased away from establishments in public, or that we like losing more sleep than we have to, or we like sore nipples and fatigued arms/backs.
Mommies everywhere... us breastfeeding advocates do not fight for every mother and child's right to breastfeed because we like our efforts being undermined by milk companies, or we like being called fanatics, or we like being called judgmental, narrow-minded, etc. We do not like sitting in boring meetings or making-nice with corrupt politicians, or counting the progress we make at a snail's pace.
We do this because we are committed to the truth of God's love for us. We do this because we love our children. We do this because we see our children's faces in other children. We do this because we care about the environment and how families eat. We do this because we want to save lives.
We are not slaves to breastfeeding. It's just that the rewards may take a while... especially if you aren't looking :) But whatever we give of ourselves in breastfeeding, trust that we receive tenfold.
There is not one Feast that I do not hear words that resonate with me where I also do not think of how it applies to breastfeeding. Last Sunday, as we were being pep talked into serving, I heard these words: We Cannot Outgive God.
As a LATCH Counselor and BFP Admin, I try to remind mothers that breastfeeding will require a lot from them but the benefits are long term. I even always say, do the Math. Breastfeed for two years and reduce your child's allergy risks for life or give in to formula now and deal with allergies earlier/all your child's life. Breastfeed for two years and reduce mother and baby cancer risks or tempt fate and don't.
Breastfeeding requires a mother to give in a way that is very exhausting, draining, and every moment. Apart from the lack of correct info and support, I think what stumps a lot of moms is the fact that their baby needs them physically for soooo much everyday that they feel like slaves sometimes to a baby's needs and demands. After all, a working Mom can work away from home and earn the money to pay for the child's vaccines, clothes, treats, etc (things a baby also needs). But a breastfeeding working mom will have to find time to pump, ensure the milk won't spoil, etc. Any other mom can just do the chores but a breastfeeding mom will have to stop doing chores for a while and nurse.
But the thing is, when we moms breastfeed, we are doing God's work. After all, He made us mammals :) We are destined to nurse our young as sure as our young were created to feed from us. And whenever we give of our time, our bodies to our little ones, God outgives us.
God makes sure the baby communicates to us what it needs to be given to ensure its health... even before it could talk. (Enteromammary Pathway)
God makes sure our milk is perfectly made, with all the right nutrients, at the right temperature.
God makes sure that our milk does more than nourish, it also protects. And the gut protection our babies receive are lifelong, making them better able to deal with the preservatives and pollution of this world.
God makes sure we benefit as well, because we invoke reduced risks for certain diseases as we do the same for our child.
God makes sure each family need not be unduly compromised financially, and that its other members need not go without food just to feed a baby.
God alerts us the minute a virus gets into our baby's system or when we have not been mindful of their needs (they feed more).
God allows us to be enough for sick toddlers who refuse to eat.
And while all these is happening, our babies literally grow in faith (for this world) in our arms, but remain the right size to nurse from us. How amazing, isn't it?
Alas, such outpouring of grace requires a surrender to Him, however. A surrender to His design, His system. Unfortunately, because of "modern culture", many aren't that open to this truth.
Breastfeeding is not something one really volunteers for, wherein you quit when it is no longer convenient.
Breastfeeding is not a burden to be a slave to, something totally against our will, something we are forced to do, something we do not find happiness over, something that will never uplift us.
Breastfeeding is service, something we do for God because we love Him and because we are grateful to have been blessed with child. We do it with humility and gratitude, and we celebrate its rewards.
Mommies everywhere... we do not breastfeed because we like not having our bodies to ourselves, or that we like having our boobs out, or that we like to leak, or we like to be subjected to critical looks/being chased away from establishments in public, or that we like losing more sleep than we have to, or we like sore nipples and fatigued arms/backs.
Mommies everywhere... us breastfeeding advocates do not fight for every mother and child's right to breastfeed because we like our efforts being undermined by milk companies, or we like being called fanatics, or we like being called judgmental, narrow-minded, etc. We do not like sitting in boring meetings or making-nice with corrupt politicians, or counting the progress we make at a snail's pace.
We do this because we are committed to the truth of God's love for us. We do this because we love our children. We do this because we see our children's faces in other children. We do this because we care about the environment and how families eat. We do this because we want to save lives.
We are not slaves to breastfeeding. It's just that the rewards may take a while... especially if you aren't looking :) But whatever we give of ourselves in breastfeeding, trust that we receive tenfold.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
No to Formula Donations Post Maring
This post might offend others even if my intention is for the greater good and there is no malice nor judgment involved in the writing of this quick blog post.
Hundreds of families will be finding themselves in temporary shelters and evacuation centers. Donations will be pouring in. One industry that is very quick to respond to this 'need' (or say, opportunity) is the milk company industry.
But please say it with me.... FOUL!
For one thing, breastfeeding missions we have conducted post-Ondoy showed us that many of the marginalized actually breastfeed to some extent (and let's face it, those from the middle class or upper class will have relatives to go to after losing their homes to flood). It is just a matter of empowering them to do it exclusively.
Breastfeeding is imperative during disasters and emergency situations, while donations of formula will undermine a mother's capability to provide a safe food for their infant (one that is sure to protect him from common illnesses they will inevitably pick up from those evac centers) and toddler/s. Plus, formula donations can pose real health risks in such situations wherein sterile water, equipment and enough formula will not be guaranteed. It is not a joke, evacuees have used portalet water, or gathered rain just to prepare formula. This is why an epidemic of diarrhea often follows such displacement.
If you really care about those people, do read this and be enlightened how to better help: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
Hundreds of families will be finding themselves in temporary shelters and evacuation centers. Donations will be pouring in. One industry that is very quick to respond to this 'need' (or say, opportunity) is the milk company industry.
But please say it with me.... FOUL!
For one thing, breastfeeding missions we have conducted post-Ondoy showed us that many of the marginalized actually breastfeed to some extent (and let's face it, those from the middle class or upper class will have relatives to go to after losing their homes to flood). It is just a matter of empowering them to do it exclusively.
Breastfeeding is imperative during disasters and emergency situations, while donations of formula will undermine a mother's capability to provide a safe food for their infant (one that is sure to protect him from common illnesses they will inevitably pick up from those evac centers) and toddler/s. Plus, formula donations can pose real health risks in such situations wherein sterile water, equipment and enough formula will not be guaranteed. It is not a joke, evacuees have used portalet water, or gathered rain just to prepare formula. This is why an epidemic of diarrhea often follows such displacement.
If you really care about those people, do read this and be enlightened how to better help: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
Friday, August 2, 2013
Hakab Na Posters
Just wanted to share the posters I made for the Hakab Na! event tomorrow at Rajah Sulayman Park. I will admit to not being very active in breastfeeding advocacy lately (missing the first ever Breastfeeding Congress even!), consumed as I am with homeschooling and better parenting.
Truth be told, I ended my day with my sons shouting... being sooo sleepy and both not settling down after almost an hour. Sigh. But I know it was my fault mostly... I have been preoccupied and not really present with them.
But I did talk to them about the event tomorrow... about being attentive to My and me so that they will not lose us, and we will not lose them. I prepped them to wearing these posters... and I had to make my own as well because they might not wear theirs if I didn't have any on.
There were also sooooo many things I wanted to say on these posters too... but ultimately, my favorite one was the one for Yakee because it is what I have always, always said: That the same God that allowed me to grow my children in my belly, then deliver them safely, has provided for me to grow them outside of me.
Truth be told, I ended my day with my sons shouting... being sooo sleepy and both not settling down after almost an hour. Sigh. But I know it was my fault mostly... I have been preoccupied and not really present with them.
But I did talk to them about the event tomorrow... about being attentive to My and me so that they will not lose us, and we will not lose them. I prepped them to wearing these posters... and I had to make my own as well because they might not wear theirs if I didn't have any on.
There were also sooooo many things I wanted to say on these posters too... but ultimately, my favorite one was the one for Yakee because it is what I have always, always said: That the same God that allowed me to grow my children in my belly, then deliver them safely, has provided for me to grow them outside of me.
Happy Breastfeeding Awareness Month!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Breastfeeding Uncovered: An Event for Parents and People Caring for Infants
If you are any of the following:
- pregnant,
- a mother struggling with breastfeeding,
- a mother interested to know more about breastfeeding,
- a breastfeeding advocate hoping to be trained as peer counselor
- a pediatrician
- a pediatric nurse
- a doctor of any specialty receiving a lot of mommy patients
- health care worker
- public servant
- community leader
Then, this talk on breastfeeding by Jack Newman, MD is just the event for you.
Feel free to e-mail me at delisyus at gmail dot com to purchase early bird tickets at P1,100 (I know the poster says to e-mail info at theperfectlatch dot com... I am a LATCH, Inc. counselor and we were tasked to sell at least 3 tickets each and the only way this can be tracked is if buyers purchase tickets through a counselor). So, please help me... by helping you know more about breastfeeding!!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Rice From Milk
Posted this on my FB wall and sent to some of my friends:
Just read of a Visayan legend where a goddess of mercy (Sappia) took pity on the ppl of Bohol during a drought.. Came down to earth and squeezed breast milk on hardy weeds.. The weeds became rice plants. Cute!!!
What I love about this is the idea that breast mik can save people in times of less food (which now translates to emergencies and calamities). I know that for people who can access the internet, having enough food isn't an issue. But having the proper food is... and that translates to what we feed our babies and young.
And of course, I believe breast milk is best. And if I will be fanatic about it, there is now a famine where good food and proper nutrition is concerned. Everyone is getting sick from processed food and bad eating habits. We need to go back to basics... not drink breast milk, of course (unless we're infants) but only partake of the natural and the healthy.
I kidded my husband that he's essentially eating breast milk with every drop of rice he eats... he didn't like the image, haha.
It would turn out that for some weeds, the goddess Sapia squeezed some of her blood... that's why there's red rice.
Just read of a Visayan legend where a goddess of mercy (Sappia) took pity on the ppl of Bohol during a drought.. Came down to earth and squeezed breast milk on hardy weeds.. The weeds became rice plants. Cute!!!
What I love about this is the idea that breast mik can save people in times of less food (which now translates to emergencies and calamities). I know that for people who can access the internet, having enough food isn't an issue. But having the proper food is... and that translates to what we feed our babies and young.
And of course, I believe breast milk is best. And if I will be fanatic about it, there is now a famine where good food and proper nutrition is concerned. Everyone is getting sick from processed food and bad eating habits. We need to go back to basics... not drink breast milk, of course (unless we're infants) but only partake of the natural and the healthy.
I kidded my husband that he's essentially eating breast milk with every drop of rice he eats... he didn't like the image, haha.
It would turn out that for some weeds, the goddess Sapia squeezed some of her blood... that's why there's red rice.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
It Takes Two Sides to Milk-Share Tango
"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (September). For this month, we will tackle milk sharing and how it can nurture the community, and how this spirit of giving can be sustained. Participants will share their thoughts, experiences, hopes and suggestions on the topic.Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries."
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Milk sharing, whether through wet nursing or breast milk donation, takes the expression, "it takes a village to raise a child" to a whole new level.
I had originally intended to interview a wet nurse or two from Arugaan for this... just so I can share from their perspective, but I didn't manage my time well and wasn't in a productive mood. Good thing, I can tap on recent discussions in my mommy groups for something to say.
First, on the issue of wet nursing. I was among those who thought that a wet nurse should get screened and tested first to make sure she's 'clean' and 'healthy'. Sounds but practical and safe right? But there is something wrong in that thought because it is incomplete... and I thank God for Arugaan for setting me right.
Families who may be in the receiving end of the services/generosity of a wet nurse do have the right to make sure the wet nurse is healthy... after all, she is going to be holding your baby and giving that baby her milk. But they cannot demand it without also ensuring that THEY are clean too... after all, they also might be passing germs or viruses on their infant, who may pass it on to the wet nurse.
Trust plays a huge role here... because even after the tests (if the receiving family choose to have it done), both families would need to really safeguard their health too and be upfront about health issues for as long as the wet nursing is going on. The receiving family has an obligation to their wet nurse too, it is not a passive relationship wherein they would just take and take from the wet nurse.
How many of you have thought of this?
Now, breast milk donation will not require that same level of courtesy... but it does require courtesy too. In a mommy forum, some breast milk donors have felt offended and maybe even hurt that others seeking breast milk donation have been a little demanding about it. Some come off as if they're ordering pizza or something, requesting for a certain number of ounces already... and now. Since I never really pumped to store, I can just imagine how offensive that is to a mom who struggled to get her supply up... who would take time away from other meaningful work just to pump and store... and then have the heart to give her precious milk away... and that milk to be treated like some beverage being bought on a discount.
If you're the one seeking donor milk, or helping loved ones to get donor milk... please, be considerate a hundred times over. Offer to replace the milk bags, pick up the milk, don't pester for the milk at odd hours, say thank you for what is given (even if it is only a few ounces) and BUILD UP YOUR SUPPLY SO YOU CAN BREASTFEED YOURSELF. Donor milk is love usually freely given away, so do not take it for granted. Do not waste it. Do not think there's an endless supply for you to just tap at will.
And know that some of those who donate have been in the receiving end of help too because they struggled early on... and now, they're giving back. And it would be a poor way to repay their potential kindness by leaving them messages demanding for a freezerful of stash (even if you're paying for it).
Be nice. Otherwise, you might not get milk for your precious babe.
Milk sharing is a dance where both parties have to be considerate of each other's needs and feelings. And only when both are can the dance really be very rewarding.
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Raed the other entries to this carnival:
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