Breastfeeding Soapbox, or Fuck Nestle!

Well, even though I am sure that you all are sick and tired of hearing Ben and I rant on about breastfeeding and the evils of formula, I have one more rant in me.

Turns out that we were given a free diaper bag when we discharged from the hospital on Sunday. It is a really nice bag. Well made. Lots of pockets. I thought it was really sweet to send families home with a parting gift for playing the game of life. I didn't actually register what the nurse told us about the bag.

But, it turns out that the bag was not a gift from the hospital. It was actually a gift from the Nestle Corporation. It includes advertising printed inside the bag, more advertising leaflets, and two samples of their "Good Start Supreme" Infant Formula with Iron.

I was ticked off enough to learn that Nestle had given us this "gift" of formula, but I got irate when I read their marketing for this product:

"Nestle Good Start Natural Cultures helps support your baby's healthy immune system in a way you never could before."

If you read the fine print, you learn that their whole schtick is an elaborate ruse as they have to asterisk this outrageous claim with the following information in about two point font:

"Good Start Natural Cultures provides beneficial probiotic cultures, similar to those found in breastfed babies."

Of course, that statement is rather odd considering that in the advertisement they also state:

"It's the first and only formula that contains beneficial cultures like those naturally promoted by breastmilk."

I do not think that I have seen such misleading advertising in my life. And, it is all wrapped up as a feel good gift for the family coming home from the hospital.

First of all, their advertisement lies with the statement that their product can support your baby's immune system "in a way you never could before." Hmm. If women could not do it, why would Nestle be using artificially produced cultures in their formula that can be naturally found in breastmilk? This is an outrageous lie to make women think that formula is superior to their breastmilk.

Next, they confuse the issue by asterisking their outrageous lie with the statement that these "natural cultures" in their formula are "similar to those found in breastfed babies." They do not say "breastmilk" but "breastfed babies." Interesting choice of words given that "breastfed babies" have these cultures because of "breastmilk" and it just so happens that Nestle's number one competition is not another corporate formula peddler, but, instead, the breast.

Finally, they do give a nod to breastmilk by saying that these cultures are "like those naturally promoted by breastmilk." But, given the rest of their advertisement, this statement is dubious at best. They do not say that they are just artifically copying Nature. They make it seem as if Nature is copying them. And, Nature is not doing as good a job.

In reality, when you read their ingredient list, you find that they cannot outdo Nature. They can only poorly approximate Nature. Their first ingredient is whey protein derived from cow's milk.

So, are we to think that another mammal has more suitable milk for a human infant?

Cow's milk is followed by several vegetable oils, including palm, soy, coconut, and "safflower and/or sunflower." The oils are followed by lactose and then by corn maltodextrin. These main ingredients are pumped up with "less than 1.5%" of a list of 41 hardly pronounceable chemicals and additives, the second to last being the B. lactis that they touted in all of their advertising.

So, should we go with the 50 plus ingredients, including another mammal's milk, or should we go with breastmilk?

To me, this is a no brainer. But, these formula companies run multi-million dollar advertising campaigns to make us think that breastmilk is inferior and that formula is better for infants. What would you expect from a $6 billion dollar per year industry? Even with heavy support from Hooters, I don't think that the humble breast stands a chance against this high financed campaign of disinformation.

Now, don't get me wrong, there is a place for formula. But, it is in those instances where a mother, through trauma, surgery, or other factors, cannot produce her own breastmilk. But, with a supportive breastfeeding community, these instances should be the exceptions rather than the rule.

It is really up to us to put the pressure on these companies. We have to demand that they not be allowed to peddle their free samples to anyone expecting a child. Their advertising should also be closely scrutinized. And, both their advertising and labelling should include cigarette-like warnings explaining how all current scientific research agrees that breastmilk is the best food for infants and that infants raised on formula actually have increased risks of health problems and mothers who don't breast feed have increased risks for certain cancers.

Some folks have already stepped up to the challenge. In honor of World Breast Feeding Week, New York City has banned formula from their gift bags for new mothers. I encourage all of you to demand hospitals near you do the same. In fact, now that my rant is finished, I have a few calls to make myself.

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