Bargin Booze advertising a specific brand of infant Formula

[Beatrixemerald]

Totally expecting a flaming here buty local Bargain Booze is advertising Cow and Gate formula on a sandwich board outside, if nothing else it is illegal, but I also think I should probably mind my own business but it gets on my nerves. Think they should probably stick to booze. WIBU to say something to them?

Out of all the women who start bf, most are still bf at six weeks. It is not the norm to have six weeks of agony. Yes, when ppl are having problems it may well be useful to know that things like very frequent feeding, difficulties in settling etc, tend to get better as the newborn period recedes. That does not mean most people have to go through some terrible pain and pressure until six weeks are over.

I think Tiktok that careful use of the word most is important. I get very wound up by the self appointed online breastfeeding 'experts' as their narrow experience and attitudes although often well meaning are unhelpful and upsetting. They have not had their baby admitted to hospital because they are starving, it is just so so horrible . If they had then they would see it differently.

There are women reading these boards who are where I was 6/3 years ago. Support of course can be about helping women coming to terms with the decision to ff, but this is often not how it is worded or meant by some on here. It's about as many women bfing as possible and its natural anyone can do it. Well not everyone can walk, talk, conceive, carry a baby to term..... why would bfing be so different?

tiktok a quick look at unicef showed in 2010 (when DD was born) 81% bf rates at birth dropping to 24% in England and as low as 13% in NI. Didn't know where to find more up to date figures but I doubt alots changed in 4 years?

So your right most people don't go through 6 weeks of agony, most people just give up! And I don't think we should be viewing that as wrong as a society and try to brush the alternative under the rug. We should be recognising that women try it, don't like it, choose formula, and that its OK.

tobysmum, yes, I did use the word 'most' carefully - the implication in some people's posts is that 'six weeks of agony' is a normal experience, and a usual one, and its no wonder few women continue beyond that time, and I would prefer people to have better information than this...by 'better' I mean 'more accurate'.

The UK figures are these: 81 per cent of women start bf, and by 6 weeks, 55 per cent are. Obviously, this is a drop and eqally obviously, a lot of these women have had a hard time. But it still means that more than two thirds (or 'most') women who start bf are still doing it at six weeks.

You say 'I get very wound up by the self appointed online breastfeeding 'experts' as their narrow experience and attitudes although often well meaning are unhelpful and upsetting.'

I hope you are not referring to me....certainly it's not correct I have a narrow experience and attitude....far from it. You actually don't know what my experience has been.

I am fully aware of, and full of compassion for, mothers who have had horrible and scary experiences bf. I absolutely know it can affect mothers and babies in every way - emotionally and physically.

You say " It's about as many women bfing as possible and its natural anyone can do it. "

Now I know you cannot mean me. I have never thought like that or even hinted at it. Women do have bad experiences - but I don't think it is remotely helpful for anyone to present their experiences as general, as something everyone goes through, and that there is nothing to be done.

'Cos none of that is true.

Hamilties, cross posted....check your figures. Mine are correct. They are from the UK infant feeding survey.

www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB08694/Infant-Feeding-Survey-2010-Consolidated-Report.pdf

There you go - most women do not give up.

You are confusing exclusive breastfeeding with any breastfeeding.

Exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks is 23 per cent - these women have not given up.

And the exclusive breastfeeding at birth is 69 per cent.

All bf - that is, bf and non-excl bf together - at birth is 81 per cent.

All bf at 6 weeks is 55 per cent - a drop of about a third.

Yes, so if only 20 odd percent of women don't need formula at 6 weeks because they are exclusively breastfeeding, why cant the other 80% get to know that their local spar sells this type of formula at this price?

Which is what OP is about.

I'm just pro-choice at the end of the day and think new mothers should be given the facts and left to make their own mind up, as they are with everything else.

My experience is that lots of mums are told by their HVs that they should use top ups, even though they want to breastfeed, and that this is often around the four week growth spurt when babies feed more frequently. Mums worry that they haven't got enough milk to satisfy their babies, and lots of HVs sadly don't have the training to explain what is going on.

Also, aptamil provide free training about breastfeeding for health professionals... But that's another story!

The can know they sell it,what the problem is is being told its superior to another identical product in a different tin or that it's a superior product to actual breast milk or that if you don't use there perticular brand you are not giving your baby the 'closest' thing to breast milk.
Why don't we go the whole hog and go back to the times when they dressed up sales people as nurses To tell you that BM is never going to be enough then give you 6 weeks worth for free.
Because crap like that is the reason why they are not allowed to advertise the product

So you do see, Hamiltoes, you misreported those figures. Hope you are now clear :)

I have no objection to any retailer announcing that they sell formula - and it's not illegal either.

It's marketing and advertising that the law is about.

No one sensible objects to shared information.

tiktok- I can't see the difference between a retailer "announcing" that they sell formula and advertising that fact.
So if Morrisons put up posters with pictures and info about Aptamil- is that an advert or "announcement"?
Both are illegal as far as I can see- what's the difference?

No tiktok I wasnt referring to you, your posts are sensible, informed and balanced in my experience.

And I am thankfully aware that my experiences aren't what the majority face, as I would wish it on no one. But I am also not the only one either.

So what Bargain Booze did wasn't illegal after all? If they just said that they stock it? (Can't remember what the OP said the sign said now)

Phew, thanks, tobysmum :) :)

Yes it was against the law. Point of sale advertising is banned, including posters, banners etc. THese are marketing tools.

i don't think I misrepresend figures intentionally, haha, I just typed UK breastfeeding rates at 6 weeks into google and this came up on Unicef:

• The initial breastfeeding rate in 2010 was highest in England at 83% (compared with 74% in Scotland, 71% in Wales, and 64% in Northern Ireland). Exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks was 24% in England and 22% in Scotland, compared to 17% in Wales and 13% in Northern Ireland.

So most women who initially try breastfeeding aren't exclusively breastfeeding at 6 weeks, and therefor most women at 6 weeks are using formula.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/3521/regulation/23/made

Text of infant formula regulations related to advertising and promotion.

A poster outside a booze shop saying 'brand x formula on sale here' is not something I'd object to...I suggest a poster and pic in Morrison's window with the same thing is different but I can see it is a subtle distinction!

But not allowed to know its sold in whatever shop the threads about which might be open later than other shops and therefor might be really useful/ handy for parents who are caught short.

I think thats a discervice to parents.

No, you did not do this deliberately, Hamiltoes, as you did not realise what you were reading was the excl and non-excl bf rate at birth, but you then misrepresented the non-excl bf figure as women who have stopped bf (I do think that was a deliberate fudge on your part).

I disagree with your interpretation tiktok, as do presumably most supermarkets and formula companies. Otherwise such posters would ne commonplace- or indeed TV ads making "announcements" informing people where they can buy Aptamil.

advertise

describe or draw attention to (a product, service, or event) in a public medium in order to promote sales or attendance:

You think the board outside the booze shop was a simple altruistic public service announcement to help frantic parents who need to buy formula out of hours?
How caring.

Yes, you're probably literally right, full, and I would not like to see TV ads listing places where ppl can buy their brands....I suppose I am imagining a blackboard outside a shop where you would not guess formula would be on sale, and I can't get exercised about that!

My aunt lives opposite a house called "lambrini lodge" (little derail there)