So I received this note in my inbox yesterday.  Sponsored by donation of product from Lansinoh, Cottonwood Kids and more, there are now roughly 200 hospitals nationally that give a Healthy Baby Bounty Bag to a new Mom at discharge.

The bag contains milk storage bags, disposable nipple pads, samples, coupons, and information that supports and encourages breastfeeding benefits for both mom and baby.

When I had my first son, I walked out of the hospital with numerous goodies – both Similac and Enfamil samples and formula-branded products.

I formula fed my first son when he was an infant.  I walked into the hospital at 41 weeks and if someone had stopped me and asked me if I was going to breastfeed or formula feed as I was walking in, I would have responded, “I’m going to try and breastfeed and see how it goes.”  But I didn’t know much and after a horrible first time delivery that ended up in an emergency c-section, I gave up breastfeeding after two weeks.

When my second son was born in 2006, I was a little better prepared.  He was breastfed until he was 11 months old.

While I have two totally healthy and happy children and I don’t believe in regrets, I do often wonder if I would have made it beyond two weeks with Nate had I been given more breastfeeding support.  But I didn’t know that I needed to get it. I had cans of formula, I was depressed and breastfeeding was hard, so it seemed like an obvious path.

While I find nothing wrong with formula feeding, I do wish for every new Mom that they could receive as much support as possible to make the breastfeeding choice.  To know that, hell yah, it’s really hard in the beginning – but if you power through it, it gets easier.

Which is why, I’m all for the breastfeeding bag being given to new Moms. Give Mom a choice.  And when you’re home those first few days, to have a bag filled with products that help encourage breastfeeding and ease the pain those first few days seems like a step in the right direction.

Is your hospital on the list as one of the hospitals that gives out the bag?  I know that one of mine is, and one isn’t.  You can submit a letter to get your hospital on the list.