TOLEDO, Ohio — A large banner that was recently put up on the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department building for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month is causing a stir online.
The sign reads “Breastfed babies will do better in Toledo” and it has some people upset.
On Friday morning, a Facebook user’s post called out the health department, accusing them of being insensitive to mothers who are unable to breastfeed.
Many of the commenters on the post accused the Health Department of shaming the mothers who utilize the health department to receive WIC benefits for free formula.
WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. The health department serves as a WIC clinic for Lucas County.
Others pointed out there are many reasons why some mothers are unable to breast feed, from work making it too difficult, to just not being able to produce milk.
The National Library of Medicine says around 70% of all mothers have trouble breastfeeding.
The backlash over the sign caused the health department to respond to the Facebook post on Friday evening. In their response, the health department pointed out the benefits of breastfeeding for infants’ health and explained that promoting breastfeeding is a fundamental goal of WIC.
The health department also said they “celebrate ALL babies in Lucas County, no matter how they are fed.”
Even so, many of the commenters pointed out their belief that the wording on the sign is in poor taste.
The slogan is a play on “You will do better in Toledo” which has been the city’s slogan for a number of years.
August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
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