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AIBU?

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Original poster

Bargin Booze advertising a specific brand of infant Formula

324 replies

Beatrixemerald · 09/04/2015 20:17

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?

OP posts:
fulltothebrim · 10/04/2015 08:01

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?

Your posts have been banging on about substance abuse for some reason- perhaps that is your area of concern. I am sure worthy but not really the issue on ths thread.
There are some women who can't breastfeed or choose not to, and the fact that we have safe formula is great.
No- one doubts that.

But we as a society have lost breastfeeding skills in part due to the over use of formula.
Many women attempting to breastfeed have never been in close contact with another woman breastfeeding. My own example echoes this. I had never seen any woman breastfeed- except at a distance or a fleeting meeting. None of my family had breastfed.

Breastfeeding support at best is timely and subtle. Having an experience family member can give a little touch of the elbow, suggest a cushion, help to move baby a little - these fine tuning skills can save weeks of discomfort, thrush, mastitis etc further down the line.

But we are ignorant- a couple of generations of formula feeding have effectively wiped out this community and family breastfeeding knowledge and landed in the lap of the NHS.

Formula companies are to blame for this.

While we can view formula as the solution- it is also part of the problem.

QueenFuri · 10/04/2015 08:05

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ChipDip · 10/04/2015 08:10

Oh fgs op, bigger and actually important things in life to worry about.

Caboodle · 10/04/2015 08:20

How has this become a FF vs BF thread? OP's post doesn't suggest that this was what she was asking.
It is illegal to advertise it...some will report, others will just be more 'meh' (my response).
Re another point...I take it Bargain Booze doesn't just sell booze? Is it a type of discount shop? If so, then I can't see a problem with them selling FF.

JessesGirl · 10/04/2015 08:23

OP what does the sign actually say?

PenguinsandtheTantrumofDoom · 10/04/2015 08:23

I think part of the problem on these threads is that, generally, when we ban advertising of a product it is because the product is bad/dangerous - .e.g. cigarettes.

Formula is different. It is a great product. But there are good reasons for banning advertising. Firstly that, at a societal level, advertising damages breastfeeding. But also that the companies have proved, time and time again, that they can't be trusted not to make misleading claims. They don't provide useful information for ffing mums.

Formula = good thing. Ban on advertising = good thing also.

HesBeenAVeryNaughtyBoy · 10/04/2015 09:05

FFS why can't people see what is going on here the formula companies are doing exactly the same as the government DIVIDE AND RULE get them women fighting between each so they don't realise what is really going on that formula is TOO EXPENSIVE and breastfeed support non existent.

I have FF fed one baby and BF another so have felt formula guilt and embarrassment of BF in public you can't win either way until we start supporting each other the only people that win are fat cat companies raking in massive profits or the fucking government getting away with putting peanuts into breastfeed support then telling us it's our fault we can't do it.

Instead of turning on each other let's support each other whatever choices we make.

Riceball · 10/04/2015 09:16

The law is quite right.

Formula is an essential product for many babies. And should be sold by the producers at a reasonable and consistent price.

It is very unscrupulous to place this product at the whim of market forces with BOGOF one week and price doubles the next. A few minor digressions by a small retailers only encourages larger retailers to follow suit!

Let us know how you get on.Smile

SoupDragon · 10/04/2015 09:55

I had no idea about formula so would have been handy to have some knowledge.

And you think advertising by formula companies would have given you that knowledge? You wouldn't get knowledge, you would get biased gobbledegook and unfounded claims like Aptamil's "closest to breastmilk" one.

Sparklingbrook · 10/04/2015 09:59

I bought Aptamil as the HV suggested it. They sold it very cheaply at the GPs. V handy!

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 10/04/2015 09:59

I really don't think the formula company are going against the advertising ban in this case though as seems to be being discussed. It sounds to me more like the shop owner doesn't know the law and has written a sign - a quiet word should do it.
Unless their latest tactic is to get small businesses to put up hand written signs...somehow I doubt it

fulltothebrim · 10/04/2015 11:37

The law concerning the marketing of formula also covers retailers though- and ignorance of the law is no defence.

Sparklingbrook · 10/04/2015 11:44

I think the owner of Bargain Booze should be sent to prison immediately in that case. Make an example of them.

Hamiltoes · 10/04/2015 11:47

While we can view formula as the solution it is also part of the problem.

The problem in this country is that its viewed as either!! It should be viewed as a CHOICE, just as breastfeeding should be viewed as a CHOICE. We are doing women and babies a disscervice to view one as a solition and one as a problem, be that formula or breastmilk. They are alternitive ways of feeding your baby.

tobysmum77 · 10/04/2015 11:48

unless their latest tactic is handwritten signs outside small businesses

Grin I fail to see how it is helpful to anyone's brand to be displayed outside bargain booze.

The ff/bf debates on here are super, but what about the babies that are neither? Sad

fulltothebrim · 10/04/2015 11:52

hamiltoers- the situation is not so simple.

You also misquote me- I did not say that one method is a problem and the other a solution- I said that formula is both a solution and a problem.

Sparklingbrook · 10/04/2015 11:59

For me formula was a solution that solved a problem.

fulltothebrim · 10/04/2015 12:02

I don't doubt that sparkling- but widespread formula use causes breastfeeding problems.
Countries with very high breastfeeding rates don't encounter as many problems as those who use a lot of formula.

Hamiltoes · 10/04/2015 12:03

Exactly, but it shouldn't be viewed as that. Until its viewed as a valid choice thats the mothers to take, we'll never be rid of the debate.

fulltothebrim · 10/04/2015 12:09

THe trouble is that formula use has swung too much in favour of the formula companies in the past few decades.
It's not a level playing field.
Knowing how to breastfeed has been forgotten, and formula is seen as the solution and often first choice.

Lets not forget that formula milk is not the healthiest food for babies. It may be the best choice for mothers, be we need to examine why that is the case.
All mothers want the best for their babies, but many choose or have no option to use formula- on the surface that seems nuts. Again simplifing. Until we start to pick apart the threads and examine what is really going on.

Sparklingbrook · 10/04/2015 12:11

FF was definitely not my first choice. Believe me I tried to BF. The problem is that nobody tells you before you have a baby how rubbish it can be.

fulltothebrim · 10/04/2015 12:13

I sympathise sparkling. Getting good support can be very difficult.

tiktok · 10/04/2015 12:13

Sparkling, can I ask where you are? It has been illegal for GPs and health clinics to actually sell formula at a discount for about 15 years now (haven't checked this - it's of that order of time, though). In fact, they are not allowed to sell it at all, or to exchange for Healthy Start vouchers.

Sparklingbrook · 10/04/2015 12:16

That's ok tiktok, DS1 will be 16 very soon, so my formula days are long ago....

LadyCatherineDeTurd · 10/04/2015 12:16

Characterising widespread formula use as a problem because it causes widespread bf problems is itself highly problematic. Of course women not breastfeeding reduces the numbers who can offer bf support and advice to others. The poster upthread who said if her mum had bf, she might have been able to help her solve her bf difficulties is right. She's just not entitled to view this as a reason why it would've been preferable for said mother to have bf. It simply isn't ok to feel that more women ought to bf because then they could help other women do it. When you do that, you're putting your own preferences and ideology on other women's tits. You don't get to do that.