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?

Sorry- didn't mean to sound snappy tiktok.

*6 weeks of agony is not a common thing - I mean, it's not unusual, but it's far from the majority experience.

How do we know this?

By reading the UK Infant feeding surveys*

How about 3 months' of misery and depression with a topping up of being lectured and patronised by an NCT counselor telling me I just had to persevere?

You didn't sound snappy, full :)

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.

No, I think it was the buisness hoping to gain more custom.

What do you think the board outside the booze shop is?

Stilllost, no one should be told 'just persevere' and no one should be patronised, or judged, or criticised. I am sorry that happened to you :(

I don't see that your negative experience has anything to do with my statement that 6 weeks of agony, while real and horrible, is not the majority experience...am I missing something?

No but it kind of comes back to the point that support means different things to different people. The counsellor probably thought she did a great job as she stuck at it .

I don't see that your negative experience has anything to do with my statement that 6 weeks of agony, while real and horrible, is not the majority experience...am I missing something?

So what if its not a majority experience. As we've already gathered, using formula milk for whatever reason is the majority experience, and I don't think we should be pushing one as a society over the other, or making one out to be wrong and the other right. And if you do then I'd be interested to hear why.

Hm, at 6 weeks I had used a couple of cartons of formula. Then proceeded to use none until baby weaned at 16 months, where would I be in that survey I wonder? Do I count as not exclusive as I couldn't claim that at 6 weeks, but was exclusive from that time on?

And 6 weeks of agony occurred due to tongue tie and the time it takes for that to resolve once the snip has been done (twice!) and cracked nipples to heal. No agony for me and my first, no mastitis (or with second), no cracked nipples. She fed lovely and was on the 50% all the time I was bf, after low birth weight! Having had that first experience made me a lot more likely to seek help though, if it had been the other way round I may have gone the formula route for second child whatever.

smooshface the UK infant feeding survey would have classed you as exclusively breastfeeding if that's what you were doing at the points in time the survey records ; from memory this is birth, a week, three weeks, six weeks, four months, six months and nine months.

hamiltoes in the interests of accuracy I was explaining that the majority experience is not six weeks of agony.

This is important. If women are in agony, then they need to seek help, not just accept it as inevitable and as a consequence, either give up or struggle on in pain. Can't think why you would disagree with my insistence on this.

Of course the majority of mothers use formula at some point. This is one of the reasons why it should be marketed ethically. It's not just any old consumer product. It's actually the sole source of nutrition from birth for one in five babies, and a major or sole source for many other babies as they grow.

I don't think either breastfeeding or formula should be 'pushed' at mothers. I don't think either should be presented as 'wrong' or 'right', in that sort of judgmental, moralising way.

Formula is certainly pushed. Without legal restrictions on its marketing, it would be pushed even more (see USA, see UK pre law).

Breastfeeding support should not push bf - I don't think nice pics of bf mothers is 'pushing', and an antenatal discussion about why you might want to bf is not pushing either. Women don't often see bf close up if at all, and they are not usually aware of the health impact of infant feeding, so they do need info. This should not mean the mother does not have a free choice.

In fact, I wish infant feeding was a free choice. Too often it's not, as mothers who did not want to ff end up doing so without actually choosing to do it.

Sorry haven't read all the posts but I agree reporting it to Baby Milk Action is a good idea as it goes against the Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.

Formula milk should not be idealised of promoted according to the code, though in practise violations occur all the time even in the UK. All the more reason to report it!

It's not about breast vs bottle but about idealising and promoting a brand of formula milk which as others have said, flouts the rules. It's the reason that formula milk for under 6m is not allowed to be advertised on TV.

You are right to be concerned OP.

"So your right most people don't go through 6 weeks of agony, most people just give up"

Yes - in the UK, which has a very low rate of continuing breastfeeding. Not so in many other countries.

Apologies if it's already been mentioned but chopping and changing formula brands from week to week to save money is a bad idea as it could mask the onset of significant illness (ie, baby has the shits and vomiting, parent thinks it could be just new formula, so delays seeking medical advice). That on it's own is a good enough reason not to allow discounting and manipulative marketing of newborn formula.

OP - YANBU. It makes me to see all the formula with fecking cereal added on sale in our local Cost Cutter advertised from 4 months+. Formula is not like other foods - it's a sophisticated product intended for a vulnerable group, and needs to be sold in a properly regulated way.

Would add, that the outpouring or spite and defensiveness on this thread, mainly aimed at the OP - it's a bit fecking wearisome.

"Formula is certainly pushed."

Yes - find me a parenting/birth magazine with 8 full page ads idealising breastfeeding.

When you're done see how many tv adverts or tv sponsorships deals you can remember which promote breastfeeding.

Maybe look for a 'congratulations on your new baby' card with a picture of a baby at the breast (you'll find cards with bottles on)

Formula is 1000x more visible in the media than breastfeeding in the uk. Doesn't stop people whining about breastfeeding promotion though.

Well said beloved- the OP has had some very harsh comments.

Talking of which where is the OP?

The OP has probably taken fright at all the bitchy comments.

The outrage that anyone dare express concern about the illegal promotion of infant milks....

The OP knew she would get a flaming so I doubt she has taken fright
Obviously BF will not be promoted in the same way as FF so flagging that up is rather pointless. FF is manufactured, marketed and sold to consumers.

Well, thank god for formula is all I will say
And I am sure there will be a few parents who will be glad to find another outlet supplying it.

I don't think anyone whose views would be taken seriously would want formula not to be available, cantbelieve. It's an essential product for all babies who for whatever reason are not being/not being fully formula fed.

Making sure it is marketed honestly and ethically does not interfere with that, or should not.

Yes 'totally expecting a flaming here' does not indicate a delicate flower who would take fright. I am curious as to what they did though.

Sorry missed out 'widely' before available. I know you were not suggesting that some people here were advocating no availability :)

There should be laws against OPs disappearing, I want to know what happened with the report

Sorry I was away erm taking the baby out and stuff I did have a quiet word with the shop owner who was fine with it and that's it. Haven't seen if the sign has changed yet but will have a look, don't really want to report it further was never my intention.

I didn't come back earlier as it had totally gone off on a tangent which wasn't my intention. As for judgement on formula, I am only pissed off I can't get my ten month old to drink any, I have tried every single brand!

Thanks for coming back OP. 'Tis the way with any mn thread that mentions formula unfortunately!