Why does the government pay for formula for people who cannot afford it yet choose not to breastfeed?

Question

another question i answered made me think about this and i really think it's crazy that the government pays for formula for people who cannot afford formula yet simply choose not to breastfeed (i am not referring to people who have medical reasons they cannot breastfeed, just those who choose not to)

yes it's every parent's choice whether to breastfeed or use formula but should it be a choice for those who cannot afford formula?

why should taxpayers pay for formula that is not necessary (when the person could have breastfed for free)?

i am sure people will get defensive, i am not try to offend anyone or say you are a bad person if this is your case, it's really just a question about our government and what it supports.

Answer 1

Well actually ,a good bit of those mothers (myself included) pay taxes so it really isn't the government providing it seeing as we already helped pay for it. FYI-The wic in our area did have a mandatory class where they made everyone watch some video about all the "benefits" of breastfeeding.I know a lot of people say that Wic promotes formula,but not all of them do.Also,why does it matter anyways?Why do you care how someone else feeds their child?As long as the babies are fed,I could care less how mom feeds them.

Answer 2

Women choosing to feed formula bothers me very little.  What really bothers me is women who bring babies in the world knowing what their choice is going to be and that they can't afford it.  It bothers me that our government supports this, but what other choice do they have?  Let the babies starve?  It is a tough question, but the short answer is that our government allows choice in everything.  I like even less the idea that my tax dollars possibly go to pay for abortions in a round about way.  

I don't think there's anything wrong with formula, but I do think there's something wrong with living off of the government.  I think that if you are a working family doing what they can to make it and you tried your best to breastfeed, you should be able to get formula on WIC...but "trying your best to breastfeed" is very subjective and how would it ever be regulated?  AGAIN, I have no problem with formula-feeding, but people should not be receiving handouts from the government.  My husband and I make LOTS of sacrifices so we don't have to put our child in daycare.  We've rearranged schedules, my hubby works overtime a lot, and I am always looking for the best deal I can get on everything to save money.  We don't make much, but we don't spend much either.  It bothers me that some people think they don't have to work for things, they can just get it from my tax money.

That said, I would never want ANY baby to starve and I think there is very little way they will ever regulate any of this, sadly enough.

Answer 3

i agree with mark's wife, but also take into consideration that some people can not breastfeed.

i REALLY wanted to breastfeed, but i couldn't for certain reasons. As much as i wanted to breastfeed, formula is the best thing i can give my baby. No, it isn't the ideal choice, but it was my only other option, and my baby is still perfectly healthy and happy

Answer 4

I don't understand why people are answering this question by saying 'because it's better to feed the baby formula if the mother chooses not to breastfeed than to have to bub starve.'

Surely any mother in the world would rather breastfeed than watch her baby starve?  What happens when you get a mother that wouldn't though?  

If the governement stopped paying for formula when the mother could breastfeed then there would be alot more breastfeeding mums out there.

I'm only talking about the mums who are perfectly capable of breastfeeding but choose not to for whatever reason.

Saying all that I do totally agree with b.anntidwell when she says:  ''support the WIC program because it means that innocent babies born to poor families, can still have the same nutritional advantages as those born to well off parents. it's not the babies fault if the mother chooses not to breastfeed''

I guess it's easy to see from my answer that I thought I knew how I felt about this but now I'm not so sure.  That's why I like this site because it challenges beliefs and gives you another view on a subject.

Interesting question...

Answer 5

Mark's Wifee said it best: the formula is for the BABIES. If you want to deprive babies of food, then be my guest. Besides, the cost of enforcing a law on this would FAR outweigh the cost of formula. It takes money and man-hours to track down every single person and find out if they have medical reasons or not.

Answer 6

shut up. we pay taxes. and yet get nothing out of it. we atleast deserve food for our children  

Answer 7

I agree with you that breastfeeding is the best way to go. As to why the government pays for the formula, I don't know. I breastfeed my 2nd child till 6 month BUT when my first son was born, he was born early and I was young. I was unable to produce enough milk for him. I struggled to keep breastfeeding him and giving him the bottle 3 times a day (as directed by his Doctor) but he soon refused me and only wanted the bottle. Even while I continued pump and give him my milk he soon preferred formula over my milk and at about 2 months I was forced to stop trying to give him my milk all together. and at $34 a can and a single mom I had no choice but to let WIC pay for the milk (It turn out to be a blessing) So don't judge everyone, because in my case it wasn't a choice It was defeat. I believe everyone should At least be required to try to breastfeed their child (it's better for them, and the way it was intended be)  

Answer 8

well, you can never know the reason a mother does not breastfeed, and as it can be a medical reason, they have the right to privacy if for no other reason...i agree formula is expensive and i personally think if they are able they should get off their butt and get a job....and they should get a generic version of the formula that is nutritionally complete but a lot cheaper, i mean some of them get brands i can't afford, but anyways...just remember, for some ppl at least, things are NOT what they appear on the outside; for a lot of them, they are squeezing the govt for every penny they can as they have and  will all of their lives....why not? they have not been taught any better by parents that did the same...:((

to get their formula paid for they should have to provide a doctor's note from a doctor the state picks out and sends them too, not their regular one before they get free anything in my opinion, but def formula....

Answer 9

Because there are many valid reasons for not breastfeeding besides medical.  Maybe a mother has to work and cannot breastfeed...maybe she's a single mom and needs others to care for her child when she can't be there.  It's not always the simplest option to breastfeed and some mothers just aren't patient enough as well...some babies have a difficult time, etc.  I personally tried breastfeeding and it worked very well for us...when my daughter was born, I was eligible for WIC.  They support you whether you breastfeed of formula feed...if you breastfeed you get checks for food such as tuna and carrots and you can request a breast pump to help you.  If you choose formula you get formula checks but much less food checks...its really not just a simple choice and breastfeeding can be a frustrating experience especially when you are stressed about money, etc.

Answer 10

Hey maybe you shouldn't worry about things that have nothing to do with you. If you don't like it then don't look at it and bug off. People like you, who think you are better then everyone else makes me sick! God forbid you ever need help then you will eat your own words. Who said these women did not try first? Mind your own business and stopping downing others.  Get off your high horse

And no I am not on any state aid, but some mothers need a little help.

EDIT--- I don't know what state you live in, but in Maine they DO ask that you try to breastfeed first and the DO offer services to help you with it. My cousin actually tried the classes they offered but still no luck.  I'm also kind of lost on what you are saying. You say you need WIC too but don't you breastfeed?

And yea you and everyone else pays taxes but think of it this way...no matter what you will ALWAYS pay taxes towards something, why not it be for a good cause????

Answer 11

well i was not able yo breast feed for numerous reason - which i choose not to go in to. after 4 days of trying, my daughters BM was dropping and i had to give her formula.

so maybe these people try, but dont succeed. and dont say - they are offered support - not true. most are, some are not. i was given no help, support or encouragement in trying to breast feed. i was left in a single room in tears trying on my own continually asking for help that fell on deaf ears.

however, the state does not pay for my daughters milk, i do.

Answer 12

Because our government wants our children to become sick through pumping them up with all the Monsanto GMO soy based formulas. They are targeting the poor and Monsanto is making a fortune from this.

We are now reaping the health consequences and the medical and pharmaceutical industry is making billions, they practically own our government.

The last thing our infants need is all the estrogen female hormones from soy based foods. What's going to happen to our boys in the future and our little girls are developing way too fast.

There is absolutely no substitute for mother's milk except for maybe a wet nurse or possibly goats milk if absolutely necessary.

God intended mothers to love and nurture their children and breastfeeding is the best expression of loving their newborn infant.

Answer 13

Because it's NOT the baby's fault the Mother chooses not to breast feed!

... what would be the other option? an innocent baby STARVING because the Mother, chose not to breast feed, but cannot afford formula?

You had rather the child suffer and starve?

I think not ..

Answer 14

Some people are unable to breastfeed. That being said I think people should not have kids if they can't afford to feed them but since we don't live in an ideal world, I'd rather see a baby eat then go without because of parents who can't afford them.

EDIT: IF YOU CAN'T FEED 'EM, DON'T BREED 'EM!! :P

Answer 15

The baby has to eat something..I couldn't breastfeed as my daughter was in the nicu and I couldnt be there every waking moment and I wish I had..but I never relied on the government to support my child..and I never will..I think WIC should be for those who cannot breastfeed and that could be the route to go..but for people who don't try..I say make them try it before allowing them the free formula..I am not on wic nor did I breastfeed..I think its my baby..I should be buying the food to feed her..and I am.

Answer 16

"i really think it's crazy that the government pays for formula for people who cannot afford formula"

It's bad social policy, to be sure, but it's much crazier that a program like WIC should be necessary in a country as rich as the United States.

Here is a fairly blunt rationalization from the Maine WIC:

"By providing formula does WIC discourage mothers from breastfeeding?

WIC wants all mothers to choose to breastfeed their babies. But let's face it, there are still many cultural issues to resolve in our bottle-feeding society before most mothers will choose to breastfeed. In the meantime, we still want our babies to be healthy. Prior to WIC, many babies developed health problems due to over-dilution of formula to make it last. Cow's milk or homemade formulas come with their own set of problems."

http://maine.gov/dhhs/wic/faq.htm

By which they mean "Cow's milk or homemade formulas can be messed up by mothers with low education levels, which is the population we largely serve." There is nothing wrong with homemade formula, despite what the pharmaceutical companies would have you believe. Not breastfeeding = not breastfeeding; modified cow's milk = modified cow's milk; you don't gain any advantages by getting Nestle to process the cow stuff for you.

Inability to breastfeed is basically unheard of among other species and in other societies; "insufficient milk" etcetera are cultural phenomena, not actual medical syndromes. A little education would go a long way here.

"One of the biggest fallacies surrounding breastfeeding is that it can provide insufficient milk. This fallacy was purposely created by formula manufacturers. The fact is, mother’s b*****s are designed to produce as much milk as baby desires, whenever natural feeding is allowed. Careful studies demonstrate that most mothers who initially complain of insufficient milk are in fact producing adequate quantities, and their babies are growing normally."

http://www.naturalfamilyonline.com/go/in...

(NB that bottle-feeding mothers suffer from "not enough milk," too, which is where nonsense like "hungry baby formula" and tomfoolery with switching brands to ones advertised to help with "fussiness" comes from... Most of this stuff is from formula advertising and that's the end of the story.)

Also of interest:

"The Canadian Paediatric Society says it’s fine to introduce cow’s milk between nine and 12 months of age. However, in the US and some other countries, the official advice is to wait for at least a year. Why are the guidelines different from those in Canada?

“The main concern is about iron deficiency, and that problem starts in the early months of a baby’s life,” explains Robert Issenman, chief of paediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. “When babies under six months or so are fed regular cow’s milk, they have minute amounts of blood loss in the GI tract. This blood loss makes them likely to become anemic. By nine months, drinking regular cow’s milk no longer causes this bleeding.”

Anemia develops most often when parents who are not breastfeeding find formula too expensive, so they buy ordinary milk for their young baby.

“A recommendation that babies not drink cow’s milk until they are a year old won’t change what those families are doing, so it won’t solve the problem of anemia,” Issenman says. The advice will be followed by those families who are already breastfeeding or giving formula until their babies are nine months old — and for those babies, it will not make any difference in the rates of anemia.

This recommendation does help in the US, Issenman notes, because a government program provides subsidized formula for a year for babies who are not breastfed. This can be important because the subsidy isn’t enough to purchase all the formula a baby needs, and parents sometimes give regular cow’s milk when the formula runs out.

Why don’t we have a similar program in Canada? “We have a different philosophy here,” says Issenman. “The concern has been that if we offer free or subsidized formula, it might persuade women not to breastfeed, or to wean early.” A 2004 study in Pediatrics did find that program families were less likely to breastfeed than families with similar low incomes who didn’t sign up. More than half of the formula sold in the US is distributed through the program."

http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/article...

Answer 17

thats a great question! probably because the government doesnt want to be responsible for all the deaths of infants that would happen due to poor nutrition. if someone doesnt have the money for formula they would most likely feed the baby cow's milk or some other not acceptable food. they figure that this way, babies are going to be fed.

plus im *hoping* that most of the formula feeding parents who dont buy their formula had to go back to work full time and pumping is very hard and time consuming

EDIT" lol Obber, you really think the USA is such a rich country? true, there are rich people here and they are REALLY rich. but the poor people can barely afford to feed themselves.

Answer 18

I think you have a really good point.  With the rising obesity and multiple other health issues that are arising in this country like cancer, I think the government should try to do something.  Now I know that even if all babies were breast fed we would still have obesity and health issues, but at least its a step in the right direction right?  The only bad thing I could see coming out of it would be that some ignorant people would have the guts to blame their sick, unhealthy child on the fact that the government would not help them.  Babies with alcohol, drugs and who knows what else in their systems because their mother couldnt refrain.  Or babies that were just down right starved to death because the mother didnt want to breast feed.  It is so sad that there are mothers out there like this, but the fact is, they exist and that is probably why the government helps pay for formula.

Answer 19

even if you choose to breastfeed, you can still get WIC coupons for selected groceries if you qualify...... so the goverment still contributes ..... it is more a question of income and help than breastfeeding vs. formula

Answer 20

Well to be fair, I live in California, and when I was in the hospital with my baby, the nurse set me up with a government program that would send a lactation consultant to my home and also provide some education/material for breastfeeding....

Answer 21

i think those of you out there that oppose the WIC program are ignorant and proud. some people can't afford to buy 15 dollar formula every other day and no matter how hard they did try, breastfeeding was simply just not an option. as a taxpayer- i gladly support the WIC program because it means that innocent babies born to poor families, can still have the same nutritional advantages as those born to well off parents. it's not the babies fault if the mother chooses not to breastfeed and by the way- the majority of mothers who are helped everyday by the WIC program, don't just simply "choose not to breastfeed". only a small number of women actually choose to give their baby formula, most women do try and try hard! so before you go judging anyone that happens to be grateful for the support of the WIC program, put yourselves in their shoes alright? the way i see it- if you need the help, take it. it's better than letting your child go without electricity or something just so you an say- well atleast i'm not on WIC. that's just bad parenting.  

Answer 22

Their is no way to regulate who breast feeds and who formula feeds. WIC (at least the one I used to work for) does its best to promote breastfeeding.



Many WIC offices have mandatory classes that the participants must attend before they receive vouchers, of those classes if a women is pregnant she is usually put in a breastfeeding class that prepares and talks about the benefits of breastfeeding.  Many women who attend the classes either have a preconceived notion about breastfeeding or they are not sure. Some women do change their minds after watching the videos and talking to other WIC mothers who have breastfed.  (Again, this was the case at the office I worked at, I am aware that some offices simply hand out vouchers and do not have class)

Their are so many different situations where formula feeding may be necessary.Here are some situations that I saw: If a mother is breastfeeding but suddenly becomes ill and is hospitalized she may need to supplement with formula. If a mother is working and especially if she is working at a fast food chain where their are no pump rooms available she may need to give formula. If a mother gives birth to an infant who has a cleft palate or downs syndrome she may have a harder time nursing and become frustrated and decide to formula feed. If a mother has a premature infant who has gross motor delays she may need to supplement with formula. If  a mother tries to breastfeed and at the hospital she has no support and her baby is given a bottle, she may have a difficult time putting her baby back to the breast. If a mother has no family support to breastfeed she may not see the value in breastfeeding. Not to mention the many foster infants that I saw, that need formula.

These are just some of the scenarios that I dealt with as a nutritionist for the WIC program. The WIC program provides food and enhanced packages for mothers who exclusively breastfeed as well as food for children up to the age of 5 and postpartum mothers. WIC provides breast pumps for mothers who qualify and promote nutrition and wellness through referral programs, classes and nutritional counseling.

I will just end to say that I tried my best to help women make the best decision for their families.

Answer 23

i think the government has no way of telling wether or not the mom chose or simply could not so they cant refuse anyone. either way, the baby needs to eat even if the mom made a bad choice.

Answer 24

because the government want them to get jobs. this way, they have no excuse ...i have to feed my baby, be with my baby, etc. That's why the gov. also makes them go to trainings or classes. Usually, those moms aren't just sitting around because they're at risk of welfare, food stamps, etc being taken away.  

Answer 25

They don't pay for disposable diapers either. How many people use cloth diapers? Not many. I don't know why. Some mothers can not breast feed either. The idea to breast feed is not always a choice for the mom. Hence, the La Leche league.

Answer 26

According to a study by the University of Hawaii, WIC is the reason why name-brand baby formula is so obscenely expensive.  I've provided a link to the study below.  I think that WIC should provide formula to mothers who truly can't afford it, but I think they should take a harder line with the pharmas on what they will pay for it.