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Original poster

Non-evil formula companies

59 replies

mortifiedmama · 07/12/2018 14:41

I am NOT saying formula is evil. But the companies making formula are pretty horrific in some of their practices.

Do any non-evil ones exist?

I don't want to breastfeed but the idea of giving these companies money is not appealing to me. Is there one that is any better than the rest?

OP posts:
GingerbreadTeapot · 07/12/2018 14:45

Kendamil (never heard of it? Nope me neither til someone told me about it, they don't advertise apparently) - no idea how ethical they are but they use only British milk.

PlayingForKittens · 07/12/2018 14:54

The charity first steps nutrition has good, evidence based information.

All milks are much the same and most are made by the same manufacturers. Aldi is probably the one where the least amount of your cash will end up with the major code breaking companies. Though Aldi themselves have broken the code so......

KnittingSister · 07/12/2018 15:20

They're all bad, because it's in their interests for your baby (and all the other babies) not to breastfeed. That impacts on the health of baby, mother and therefore society. They don't produce formula out of the goodness of their hearts Sad

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Breast & bottle feeding Families
WhiteWashGails · 07/12/2018 15:23

What evil things do they do?
Genuine question, pregnant and planning to breastfeed!

Santababyclaus · 07/12/2018 15:28

What evil things do they do?

Encourage women in economically deprived, but improving countries, that formula is superior to breast milk.

Provide funding into research which has a bias in supporting formula (the latest suggestion is that formula companies are encouraging diagnosis cow milk allergies in order to sell specialist and expensive formula)

Inventing 'follow on milk' /'hungry baby milk' to get around advertisement rules resulting in parents spending money on formula when it is no longer necessary (i.e beyond 12 months).

Haworthia · 07/12/2018 15:30

They don't produce formula out of the goodness of their hearts Sad

Oh, sadface! Unless you think we should hark back to the days when people fed babies condensed milk because that’s all there was?

sauvignonblancplz · 07/12/2018 15:33

@mortifiedmama
They are all the same, just wondering, and only asking because you posted but why do you / can’t breastfeed?

Nedzilla · 07/12/2018 15:37

Hipp organic maybe. They use sustainable palm oil and aren't as pushy with the advertisement.

KnittingSister · 07/12/2018 15:38

No, Haworthia but formula being prescription only might help to change the perception that it's normal...

TheSpottedZebra · 07/12/2018 15:38

sauv well, she said she doesn't want to.
So that's probably the reason.

TheSpottedZebra · 07/12/2018 15:39

Prescription only? Why? Should we waste the NHS's resources to remove freedom of choice for women?

sauvignonblancplz · 07/12/2018 15:40

@KnittingSister

I think this would be a great idea too.

sauvignonblancplz · 07/12/2018 15:41

@TheSpottedZebra
Oh wise up it’s just a question, the op can easily say personal issues, don’t fancy it, but my cup of tea , don’t think I’ll have have the time!!!!

SpaceDinosaur · 07/12/2018 15:51

They're all much of an unethical muchness.

Formula is full of palm oil.
Your baby is just ££ to them.

And yes, made correctly (not with a godawful "prep" machine) your baby will be fed with formula but they will lack the antibodies, stem cells, hormones enzymes etc which they are supposed to be fed which they would receive if they were fed human milk.

Educate yourself on the risks of formula milk as well as the ethical issues of their manufacturers. Risks to infant include increased risk of:
Ear infections
Gastric issues
leukaemia
SIDS
Obesity
Type 2 diabetes

...these risks remain with them for life. So anyone who wants to say their LO "thrived" or is "really healthy"
Fabulous.
Report back in 60 years.
Also, your anecdotal evidence does not trump decades of actual scientific evidence.

KnittingSister · 07/12/2018 16:01

TheSpottedZebra you're right , we do all have the right to choose, but with £millions invested by formula companies on advertising versus £1 spent by government on health benefits of breastfeeding, we are not fully informed and therefore don't make informed choices.

Butterchunks · 07/12/2018 16:09

@spacedinosaur how about you educate yourself on some of the reasons why women don't breastfeed. Some women (myself included) don't get a choice how they feed their babies and need formula otherwise their baby will starve. I am highly educated and greatly aware of the benefits of breast milk, I had planned to breastfeed but couldn't and it was awful. However, there was absolutely no issue with using formula for my child because what other option did I have? There are many many reasons why women can be physically or mentally unable to bf, and comments such as yours and other on this thread can be incredibly damaging.

And btw, my child is absolutely thriving and healthy Grin

CallMeOnMyCell · 07/12/2018 16:10

Women judging the choices of other women YET AGAIN! OP I use Hipp organic and find it really gentle on my baby’s tummy compared to Aptimil.

DeloresJaneUmbridge · 07/12/2018 16:14

No judging of other women, I bottlefed .

But many babymilk companies advertise very unethically in countries where babies would do better staying breastfed. Their health drops off once formula is introduced.

In the UK we are fortunate as we are well nourished, have access to clean water with which to make uonfeed and access to clean bottles and the facilities to clean them. The babymilk companies know that women in poorer countries don’t have these facilities and yet still advertise their milks as better for the baby. Appalling.

And so your question is valid OP and were I feeding again I would be asking the same questions,

sauvignonblancplz · 07/12/2018 16:15

How are facts bashing.... facts are facts!!
This conversation needs to stop being so emotionally charged, we are influenced greatly by our society and that is detrimental to breast feeding.
Breast feeding is superior , but through lack of support and knowledge women struggle greatly.
And sometimes formula is required, and than goodness for it , that doesn’t stop facts being facts and the content and ethics surrounding it.

Original poster
mortifiedmama · 07/12/2018 16:23

@sauvignonblancplz I can breastfeed. I don't want to. I breastfed DS and hated every second of it.

@SpaceDinosaur I am educated on those things. But nothing could persuade me to breastfeed again.

OP posts:
Original poster
mortifiedmama · 07/12/2018 16:26

And yes, breastfeeding is superior. I am aware that I am making the second best nutritional choice for my baby. I'm not suggesting formula and breast milk are equal. I'm asking if any companies are less worse than the others ethically, not if any are nutritionally better.

GingerbreadTeapot I have heard of kendamil, I think it's what I'll go for!

OP posts:
HabbyHadno · 07/12/2018 16:27

Formula saved the life of both my children. OP asked which brands were best to choose, can we just stick to that rather than start with the whole breast/bottle debate?

I'd choose Hipp Organic Wink

tryinganewname · 07/12/2018 16:31

Always has to be one person who has to act superior. OP doesn't WANT to breastfeed, so she doesn't have to.

Butterchunks · 07/12/2018 16:46

Part of the problem with conversations like this is that certain contributers assume that everyone who has or is planning on using formula is hugely ignorant and in need of education of the benefits of breastfeeding.

The op has asked a question about ethical business practices, wanting to make an informed decision about how and where she spends her money when feeding her child how she has chosen. This is a different conversation to which is best, FF or bf but people still pile in with patronising and hyperbolic statements demonising formula. People need to stop using this stick to beat other mothers with.

Original poster
mortifiedmama · 07/12/2018 17:41

Butterchunks I'd kind of hoped that the fact I stated I knew formula companies are evil would suggest I had some knowledge of the difference between breast milk and formula, but apparently not!

OP posts: