|
|
|
|
|
This
March
2022
photo
provided
by
Morgan
Fabry
shows
her with
her
daughter
in
Chicago.
Some
U.S.
moms
looking
for baby
formula
that is
in short
supply
are
dealing
with
another
layer of
stress -
people
asking
why they
don't
just
breastfeed.
Exclusive
breastfeeding
is
recommended
for the
first
six
months
of life
by major
medical
entities
like the
World
Health
Organization,
giving
rise to
the
saying,
“breast
is
best.”
But
breastfeeding
doesn’t
work for
everyone,
and that
mantra
is only
adding
to the
stress
Fabry
and
other
parents
feel as
the
shortage
drags
on.
(Morgan
Fabry
via AP) |
|
Moms
seeking
formula
tire of
those
who say,
just
breastfeed
By
REBECCA
BOONE,
LINDSEY
TANNER
and
JENNIFER
SINCO
KELLEHER
apnews.com
As
Morgan
Fabry
drives
around
Chicago
looking
for baby
formula
that is
in short
supply,
she
can’t
help but
be
bothered
by
comments
from
people
who
don’t
understand
why she
can’t
breastfeed.
Exclusive
breastfeeding
is
recommended
for the
first
six
months
of life
by major
medical
entities
like the
World
Health
Organization,
giving
rise to
the
saying,
“breast
is
best.”
But
breastfeeding
doesn’t
work for
everyone,
and that
mantra
is only
adding
to the
stress
Fabry
and
other
parents
feel as
the
shortage
drags
on.
“The
bottom
line is
fed is
best,”
said
Fabry,
34. “I’m
getting
triggered
by
people
who say,
‘Oh,
just
breastfeed.’”
Corryn
Chini
avoided
the baby
formula
aisle
during
her
grocery
shopping
trip in
Dayton,
Ohio
this
week.
With
enough
formula
in her
cupboard
at home
for a
week or
two,
there
was no
sense in
letting
the
empty
shelves
trigger
feelings
of
anxiety
and
guilt.
For
Chini,
the
guilt
comes
from
lingering
feelings
of
failure
after
she was
unable
to
exclusively
breastfeed,
starting
with her
first
baby in
2018.
“Breastfeeding
was a
huge
struggle
and I
felt an
immense
amount
of guilt
around
not
succeeding,”
Chini
said.
“In the
end I
was
never
able to
produce
enough,
and we
had a
late
diagnosis
of
tongue-tie,
and it
was a
mess.
When I
had my
second,
I
thought,
‘I can
do this,
I can
advocate
for
myself,’
and
again,
it just
didn’t
work.”
Her
youngest,
Evangeline,
was born
three
months
ago.
Chini is
supplementing
with
formula.
There
are
various
barriers
to
breastfeeding,
including
medical
issues
for the
baby or
mom and
work and
living
conditions.
Dr.
Lori
Feldman-Winter,
chair of
the
American
Academy
of
Pediatrics’
breastfeeding
group,
said
exclusive
breastfeeding
for the
first
six
months
is
recommended
and safe
for most
babies,
but
meeting
the
recommendations
can be
“very
challenging.”
Infants
with an
uncommon
condition
called
classic
galactosemia
are
unable
to
metabolize
sugar in
breast
milk and
need to
be fed
formula,
Feldman-Winter
said.
Some
medical
conditions
make it
difficult
for
women to
breastfeed,
and it
isn’t
recommended
for
those
with HIV
or
undergoing
cancer
treatment.
And
exclusive
breastfeeding
is
difficult
for
working
women,
who have
to pump
repeatedly
throughout
the day.
“There’s
even
greater
barriers
in
underserved
areas,
women
working
for
hourly
wages in
low-paying
jobs.
Those
women
tend to
have
even
fewer
supports
to be
able to
continue
to
breastfeed.”
Stress
releases
a
hormone
that
makes it
difficult
to
produce
milk,
she
said.
When
Isabel
Ramos
gave
birth in
February,
she
worked
hard to
try to
breastfeed
her son,
believing
it would
be
beneficial
for his
immune
system
and
enhance
the
mother-child
connection.
She
tried
pumping
and
worked
with
lactation
consultants,
but the
infant
wouldn’t
latch
onto her
breast.
“You
feel
like a
failure
because
you’re
not able
to give
your
baby
what it
needs
and what
it
wants,”
said the
first-time
mom from
Lawrenceville,
Georgia.
Because
of the
stigma,
it took
her a
while to
tell
people
she
wasn’t
breastfeeding.
She’s
struggling
with
those
feelings
again
because
she
keeps
hearing
things
from
relatives
and
strangers
online,
like she
should
try
harder
to
breastfeed
because
of the
formula
shortage.
“A
lot of
men have
opinions
on it.
I’m
sorry,
are you
trying
to
breastfeed?
Then,
no,
leave me
alone.”
Ana
Rodney,
who runs
MOMCares,
a
Baltimore
organization
that
provides
baby
supplies
and
support
to new
mothers
in the
city’s
Black
community,
said the
shortage
has hit
many
families
there
hard.
Formula
feeding
is
typically
more
common
among
Black
women —
often
because
they
don’t
get
breastfeeding
encouragement
or
support
from the
white
medical
community,
Rodney
said.
Breastfeeding
requires
time,
“being
able to
sit with
your
baby,
being
able to
bond
with
your
baby and
working
on your
milk
supply,
not
being
able to
go back
to
work,”
she
said.
“It’s
not that
easy for
some of
us even
if we
want
to.’’
Callie
Salaymeh’s
baby
Hazel
was just
a couple
of weeks
old when
Salaymeh
found
blood in
her
diaper
and took
her to a
Chicago
emergency
room.
The
baby had
an
intolerance
to some
of the
proteins
in
Salaymeh’s
breastmilk,
and
cutting
foods
from
Salaymeh’s
own diet
didn’t
help.
Hazel
had to
be
switched
to a
special
prescription
formula
for
babies
with
gastrointestinal
conditions.
“The
shortage
felt
like it
hit us
before
it hit
the
general
public,”
Salaymeh
said,
when her
pharmacy
called
to say
the
prescription
formula
was out
of
stock.
When
they had
just one
can
left,
Salaymeh
began
mixing
the
prescription
formula
with an
over-the-counter
formula
for
babies
with
sensitive
tummies
until
more of
the
prescription
formula
could be
found.
They
mixed
formulas
for
about
three
weeks,
hoping
little
Hazel
wouldn’t
get
sick.
Luckily
Hazel
seemed
to do
fine
with the
mix, and
Salaymeh
hopes
she
might
soon
outgrow
the food
intolerance,
as most
babies
eventually
do.
Before
her
twins
arrived
five
weeks
early,
Alexandra
Clark of
Sawyer,
Michigan,
decided
she
would
breastfeed
and
supplement
with
formula.
Working
full-time
as owner
of a
Detroit
chocolate
company,
Clark
knew
she’d be
facing
enough
new-mom
challenges
without
trying
to
produce
enough
milk for
two
babies.
Clark,
34, said
she’s
grateful
for
support
even
from
friends
with a
“breast
is best”
mindset.
“Instead
of
feeling
judgment,
some of
my
really
breastfeeding-advocate
friends
who are
still
lactating
have
offered
to pump
for me
if I
need it,
which is
pretty
much the
kindest
thing
ever,”
Clark
said.
___
Tanner
reported
from
Chicago,
Sinco
Kelleher
reported
from
Honolulu
and
Boone
reported
from
Boise,
Idaho.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|