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?

Cakeface- exactly.
For every £20 formula manufacturers spend on marketing milk, the government spend a paltry 14p on breastfeeding promotion. Give these companies an inch and they will take a mile. They need to be kept under check.

It's a long time since I looked at this but if I remember correctly, the non-promotion of formula is not just to encourage BF but is also to prevent parents switching formula brands based on price which is bad for a baby's developing digestion system. That is why there can be not special offers advertised, no nectar points etc.

I have not heard of that notanotherone. Any links?

I don't think it is a digestion issue. But since people don't like to chop and change, locking people into costly brands with short promotions could be. likewise long running promotions that fuck with household budgets when they end can lead to desperate measures like watering down (read a scary article about that in the US which I can't now find )

As I said, it's a long time ago so no links. If I remember correctly this was part of a discussion at an NCT conference as NCT have campaigned against the promotion of formulas.

No I don't really understand. I don;t understand why you are getting so hot under the collar.

You don't understand?

You posted this:-

If others don't understand the law or don't agree with it that's fine, but these laws do exist, I fully agree with them ( in fact I would like to see them further extended to follow on milk too).

You then posted

No, I have actively worked within the area of breastfeeeding for 14 years. What's more I get paid to do it.

You clearly don't like or support FF. Some people NEED to FF and you came across as gloating. Educate yourself on those that can't FF for various reasons. Why the hell shouldn't follow on milk be advertised? You live in a BF bubble with no thought, consideration or compassion to those that can't BF.

Before you or any others ask, yes I BF and I'm so glad I was open minded on the reasons hundreds of others didn't. I also didn't judge them or oppose the need for formula. I fully support formula being advertised. You have worked in the area of BF for 14 years? Then you should understand that some mothers can't BF. People like you make my teeth itch!

Formula milk can be a lifesaver. I fully support women's choices.

Why the hell shouldn't follow on milk be advertised?
Because it impacts on free choice and infact health.

The law upholds this view. You can disagree if you like but advertising first formula milk is against the law.
Take that up with your MP if you like.

The widespread use of formula also impinges on women's ability to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding skills have been lost. It is because I feel compassion towards the difficulties of breastfeeding women have that I feel motivated to stop the fat cat formula companies having an unfair advantage.

Sorry meantlaw upholds ban on first milk advertising-.

I would have a word with the shop op, they may well not realise they are breaking the law.

I can't believe how horrible people are being. I mix fed from day one so not anti formula, my baby couldn't latch on and was starving so I was very grateful to have it! But it is naive in the extreme to say advertising doesn't affect people's choices. If it didn't the formula companies wouldn't have such massive advertising budgets.

Formula use has also wiped out valuable cultural knowledge - maybe if my mum had breast fed she would have been able to help me when I was in agony, maybe if I had ever seen people bfing in public I wouldn't have been scared to go out and tempted to switch to formula.

The widespread use of formula also impinges on women's ability to breastfeed.

Tell that to anyone who is unable to BF due to health reasons, substance users, or anyone who simply CHOOSES to FF (as well as many other reasons). I'd be interested to see the responses.

Breastfeeding skills have been lost

Some people just can't though! How hard it it for you to understand it's not for everyone? As I said, compassion is a wonderful attribute. You have constantly not acknowledged my previous posts. Why is that I wonder? Having a blinkered view?

I must admit - if my local BB would have formula advertising poster up, my left eyebrow would rise. It would be unusual to see. However, I would never report them. I would just tell them that it's illegal and I do think you should do it and get some nice while you're at it

If advertising does not work why do they spend so much money on it?

grey are you actually reading full's posts they have almost no relation to the responses you are giving to them.

It's like two seperate conversations going on that coincidentally are about the same topic but the responder can't hear the original commenter

I feel compassion towards the difficulties of breastfeeding women have that I feel motivated to stop the fat cat formula companies having an unfair advantage.

Try having compassion to those that can't BF. When you feel motivated to stop the formula companies tell that as well to the women that can't BF for HUNDREDS of reasons. I'm disgusted that you think formula companies have an unfair advantage. Those formula companies save hundreds of babies lives a year of mums that can't BF. Get your head out of the clouds and realise not everyone can BF (or wants to) and learn to RESPECT other people's feeding choices.

how wonderfully benevolent these companies must be

If others don't understand the law or don't agree with it that's fine, but these laws do exist, I fully agree with them ( in fact I would like to see them further extended to follow on milk too)

Dear god, the worlds gone mad.

Lets just extend it so that anyone who has the audacity to walk out the house with a bottle in their hand should be publicly shamed!

Because we're not making them feel guilty enough already. Infact lets just ban all dirty formula in public!! Yaa, and if we ban advertising and lock it away behind the counter it'll only take a generation for people to foget it even exsists!!

My second baby couldn't be breastfed because I had to go into intensive care when she was two weeks old and my milk dried up. Why shouldn't I get offers on formula and see it advertised along with everything else I buy?? Or are you suggesting I employ a wet nurse?

nobody has said restrict limit or ban formula in any way shape or form.

Just that they stick to the WHO code or perhaps if they cannot cope with that then the law

If advertising does not work why do they spend so much money on it?

Really, you think everyone is that stupid?

I can watch an advert for make-up, food etc and think yeah I'll buy that - being it really has no impact on my life.

But bf and ff is a big and personal choice for women to make. Ff will never beat bf on price, and I don't believe a woman who wants to bf would see an advert and completely change her mind.

I feel compassion towards the difficulties of breastfeeding women have that I feel motivated to stop the fat cat formula companies having an unfair advantage.

Yes some women will find it difficult, of course I feel compassion towards them.

But your mentality seems to be - if you find it difficult and then decide to ff you are a failure.

If you decided to ff in the first place, well then you're the scum of the earth.

No one is trying to say formula feeding is bad, but where can companies draw the line on promotions? And as previous posters have said, if prices are constant and reliable then people don't get screwed by offers and then 'locked in' to a brand once the price shoots up again. Any other grocery product where you buy the same brand consistently will have wildly different prices all throughout the month

On mysupermarket they do little graphs of price changes. On selecting a different baby product (pampers size 4 nappies 120 box) - current price 12.97 at Asda. Price varies from that low price up to £19, and is usually £18. What if you buy it on that offer price, then they restore that old price. That is a lot more to be paying for formula each time, a costly mistake if you are then tied to a brand because of baby preference.

Also, by advertising, and trying to imply that it is a 'better' choice for your baby, they will encourage people that are able to breastfeed to think about entering into this contract that will cost them hundreds (thousands?) of pounds over their babies life, and this is assuming they have the facilities and wherewithal to make the bottles safely and accurately if they are using the powder.

It is great that formula feeding is there, fantastic, and i even used a bit with DD2 when I was really struggling to BF. If it hadn't been there neither me or my best friend would be here, neither of our mothers could feed us naturally. But these companies are not your friend.

And I think it's fine we are setting the example so they can't go and do this in other countries, the whole nestle boycott is very valid and incredibly upsetting, they shouldn't get away with this in any country.

And because you are so well informed and educated and can understand a sales pitch when you have just given birth, you are lucky. If they are allowed to let one bit of advertising go then what will start to stop them targeting wards, paying off people to shill their products to desperate vulnerable mothers, maybe with limited understanding of what is happening.

This is what happens in other countries, and children die. I am happy to stand with them and say no.

I feel compassion towards the difficulties of breastfeeding women have that I feel motivated to stop the fat cat formula companies having an unfair advantage.

And the mums like me who can't breastfeed (with my second)? Or any mum who chooses not to breastfeed for any reason they choose (with my first).

I breastfed my first for a bit and I bloody HATED it. I hated the fact that I could hear my husband snoring in bed next to me while I sat up in bed, absolutely exhausted, nipples cracked and sore, mattress soaking wet, boobs aching and engorged. But do you know what I hated even more? The guilt for making the choice to FF. Everyone in this country knows whats best for baby. But sometimes thats not best for the mother.

I don't think the FF companies do have an unfair advantage, I think nowadays its new mothers in general who have it unfairly because they are fed a lie about how wonderful breastfeeding is, they think its going to be a walk in the park and when it doesn't turn out like that, are totally unprepared to FF their baby because its treated the same way as cigarettes in this country, with all the guilt and dirtyness that comes with using cigarettes thrown in for good measure. We can advertise alcohol but not baby milk. Its absolutley mad.

And I understand the manufacturers can put down the RRP permenantly but offers and discounts happen when the supermarkets start to compete with eachother, and I'd like to see that in stores. Ooooh and I'd like to earn clubcard and boots points too. I couldn't BF my second and i'm paying £8.95 a carton for that, I'd at least like to earn some points too please

One of the reasons that formula can't be discounted is that the nutrients in it decay over time, so nearly out of date formula is not so nutritious. People on low incomes who need to shop around for bargains may be compromising their baby's health.

The point about brand switching is also a good one. I use whatever nappies are cheapest at the time, and grab any special offers I can. If I did this with formula, my baby's digestion would suffer for it.

I work as a breastfeeding supporter, and I don't have problem with women making an informed choice to use formula. What I do object to is having women diddled by the formula companies into thinking they must buy a certain brand because of advertised health benefits which certainly do not exist (such as the "immunofortis" rubbish which was banned recently for being totally untrue).

If I saw this sign, I would just quietly tell the shop about the rules, because I'm sure they didn't mean to break the law. If the sign was still up a day or so later, I would report it, because this kind of thing puts babies at risk.

Where is the evidence that babies digestion suffers? (i'm not doubting you, just genuinely interested!) i've changed both of mines over quite a few times depending on what shop we're in and what they have, or if i need a ready made carton and they only sell SMA etc. not noticed any negative effects?

But your mentality seems to be - if you find it difficult and then decide to ff you are a failure. *

jared- no- one has suggested this for a second, please stop trying to turn this into an argument.

I'm disgusted that you think formula companies have an unfair advantage.

littlegrey- this is a bizarre thing to say.

The infant ormula market in the UK generates millions. These companies make huge profits and plough a great deal of the revenue into marketing and adbertisisng.
Those financial resources give the formula companies a huge advantage when it come to promoting their milk over breastmilk.
There is no profit in breastmilk after all. To say you are disgusted by this ( true) fact seems a massive over reaction.