To think it is shocking boots don't give points on first formula

[Mrswhiskerson]

This was brought to my attention again because a friend of mine has just had a baby tried to breastfeed suffered mastitis and started feeling really down so she switched to formula, when she handed over her advantage card she was told points were not given on first formula , she felt bad enough she could not breast feed and now it feels like she is getting penalised for it elsewhere.

I found the same thing when I had ds a year ago when I was told ,you don't get points for first milk I felt really bad too it's like your being punished for not breastfeeding in a way .

This is in no way a bf vs ff debate I just think it's wrong of boots to do this.

This part of the no-promotion law is a bit silly though IMO. I agree with no advertising, but offering discounts or incentives on formula isn't going to make any difference to anyone's decision to breastfeed. I don't see many breastfeeding Mum's standing tutting in Boots thinking 'now if only I could get points, I would sack this breastfeeding thing', plus nobody looked at the BF vs FF arguments ante-natally and thought 'hmmm I'd love to BF, but the points on formula make that a winner for me'.

The no points for BFers thing is a completely non-sensical argument as BFing Mums don't have to spend money on milk in the first place.

You don't get points on vodka or ciggies either, but both of those are inherently bad for you. Formula isn't, and for babies whose mothers have already stopped lactating, it's a necessity.

D

nomoreheels, had my ex colleague not already retired, I would have suspected you'd come face to face with her... I ended up apologiasing to customers who were coming to the till muttering about "that rude woman"

yabu

reading list:
The Politics of Breastfeeding

What a stupid thread. Getting penalised and punished for not bf is frankly ridiculous. Penalised means that you are being treated differently from others. As bf mothers don't get points, why should bottlefeeders?

Actually , I am sure you are far from penalised as I am quite sure that you can earn points on the bottles and sterilising equipment

As others have said,Boots are doing nothing wrong,just conforming to the law.

Deliaskis - I don't really agree with that. Giving points on something is a form of promotion, and that is why the shops do it. All forms of promotion influence our choices, whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

I realize the law. It's the Infant Formula Regulations which is part of an EU Directive.

My point however is that the cost of formula itself is so expensive because of advertising, even if it's the follow on 'milk.'

There is really no point in making formula so expensive, and while I don't know the profit margins, would hazard a guess that it's fairly cheap to manufacture.

no Cereal it is not seen on the same lines as gamboling or tobacco.

Shopkeepers, whether they are small independents or major players are not allowed by law to 'promote' or 'reward' the purchase of Formula.
By giving points they are deemed to be rewarding purchase.

This thread is going round in boring circles.
It's not Boots, Tesco's Sainsbury's or anyone elses is fault you don't points, rewards or gold covered bloody tokens. They didn't make that decision.

Whether any one chooses to bf or ff or not based on whether they get a few points or not is quite bonkers tbh!

If you don't want to pay then bf. Can you not get ff on prescription if there is an actual reason why you can't feed

How is it penalising? If you want to look at it that way, it's actually fair.

BF - no points as no purchase

FF - no points as not allowed.

Little things like this encourage (or at least help not to discourage) breastfeeding, that's a GOOD thing as you know, and your friend too, as she made the effort to try breastfeeding. So well done to her, tell her in terms of breastfeeding promotion she is a SUCCESS! The important thing is to try, if everyone tried, rates would go up, breastfeeding would be normalised, HCPs etc. would have better training and experience, and more people would end up continuing to breastfeed or giving it a go in the first place.

It's a drip-drip effect. Even though it didn't work out, your friend is one of the drips () who thought 'Well, my first port of call is breastfeeding!' - the more people that do that, the better childrens' health will be overall. So well done her, and tell her not to worry about advantage points :)

"If you don't want to pay then bf"

If only some of us could!

"Can you not get ff on prescription if there is an actual reason why you can't feed"

No, I don't think so.

I find it astonishing that you are not allowed to get points on first milk. It is not like anyone would actually chose not to BF (which is FREE) because they can get point when they spend a lot of money on milk. I find it patronising to be honest.

Sorry, for some reason I thought that if you couldn't bf (eg on certain meds) ff was avaliable on prescription.

The boots points system is a loyalty system it is what keeps customers coming back , it seems somewhat wrong when a person is at their most skint and in need of their products to take away the points . I don't see the points as promoting the products because people would shop in boots anyway the points keep the people coming back to the store.

As for the argument that breastfeeding women wouldn't get the points either , neither will people who haven't had a baby and breastfeeding women will be buying pumps and breast pads for a long time they get those points.

And yes I was oversensitve to it a year ago and so is my friend we had just had babies something to do with massive hormonal changes may have caused that.

It did feel like I was being punished in sorts I know punished is a
strong word , it felt like another little dig when everyone around me also seemed disapointed I couldn't breastfeed and my friend feels the same.
I shop in boots a lot amd feel lime my loyalty and others could be rewarded when most people are at their most skint and in need of the points.

Because they're spending money in the store.

"As bf mothers don't get points, why should bottlefeeders?"

(glad there wasn't club card points in my day!!)

There is such a long way to go to make bf seen as the 'default' and normal way to feed infants that every little step counts!

Well said notonmywatch.

MrsWhiskerson - it is sad that you couldn't bf if you wanted to but maybe your anger would be better directed to the fact that you didn't get much support.

You may not see the points as promoting the products, but the law does.

notonmywatch exactly what I mean.

They're not allowed to because the nanny state EU is actively trying to disincentivise women in this country from choosing to formula feed.

and the shops that provide points also see tehm as pormotion, or else they wouldn't bother with them.