Metro

NY moms oppose Bloomberg’s breast-feeding plan: poll

New Yorkers want Mayor Bloomberg to keep his hands off their breasts.

By a 56 to 24 margin, residents oppose the mayor’s plan to encourage new mothers to breast-feed by making baby formula less available in hospitals, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday.

The strongest opposition came from women, who opposed it by a 60 to 23 margin.

Moms in stroller-friendly Park Slope, Brooklyn were cool to Bloomberg’s plan.

“Some women just can’t breast-feed, and they feel like a failure. Now we have to feel like criminals, too?” said Leslie Frishberg, who is 49 years old and breast-fed her two children.

Frishberg also took a dig at Hizzoner’s recent proposal to limit sugary drinks in certain establishments to 16 ounces.

“Didn’t Bloomberg say you can only breast feed 16 ounces at a time? No supersized breast-feeding!” she said.

The Quinnipiac poll showed a 54 to 42 margin of voters opposed to Bloomberg’s soda plan, which is likely to get final Board of Health approval next month. Opposition has grown since Quinnipiac polled June 13 and found New Yorkers opposing it 51 to 46 percent.

But voters are more miffed over the aggressive breast-feeding campaign.

Kathryn Ozanic, 43, said she breast-fed her daughter until nearly 5 years old.

“I only stopped because it was more difficult since she was getting so big,” Ozanic said.

Still, she is against Bloomberg’s plan to encourage hospitals to withhold free formula samples and to not supplement infants with formula for mothers who choose to breast-feed.

Hospitals can continue to give formula to mothers who request it

“I chose breast-feeding because it makes your children smarter. I did everything by the book. I had OCD,” Ozanic said.

“I wanted to make sure I did it the right way, [but] no one has the right to tell women how to nurse our children.”

Despite opposition to his recent health pushes, the poll showed voters did not view Bloomberg as the leader of a “nanny government,” by a 48 to 38 spread. More voters also supported rather than opposed hizzoner’s handling of health issues.

Not all mothers were opposed to Bloomberg’s breast-milk plan. But they said the city should educate, not lecture, moms.

Jennifer Abitino, 36, said she opted not to breast-feed her son Michael, who is 5 months old.

“It’s always nice to know there are other options to give children so they won’t starve,” Abitino said.

“I tried breast-feeding [Michael] for a month, but it’s time-consuming, and it takes a lot of work.”

Bloombers has implemented far-reaching health changes during his tenure, including banning smoking and trans-fats in restaurants.