formula

[Emma2506]

Ok so I don't want to turn this into a whole ff vs bf war but I find it highly offensive to ff mums who can't collect advantage points/clubcard points, shops aren't allowed to have any offers on etc for formula. I understand it's the LAW but why is it acceptable to have deals on alcohol yet ff mums are penalised for choosing to ff or not being able physically able to bf? I know the excuse is shops promote breast feeding but I'm struggling to get my head around why a bf mum would buy formula just because it's on offer if she is doing well bf and it's FREE!

Oh we've done this one. Search it. You can't have loyalty points on formula because formula companies would exploit it. It's better to stick to one type of formula, special offers might make people change between brands which is not supposed to be good.

The comparison to alcohol is not valid really, how would that effect bottle feeding?

I would suggest you read The Politics of Breastfeeding and educate yourself about the actions of formula companies.

BF mums can't get points on their breast milk either

In what way are formula feeders being penalised ?

ghosty

Can't make the most of offers on alcohol either!

You're not being penalised, you're just not being rewarded.

If you got points on formula, and I don't get points on my breasts, that would be unfair, wouldn't it?
This way we are even.

So nothing to moan about.

I ff and don't expect to get cheap deals, points etc. I don't feel penalised. Yes it is more expensive than bf, but it's bound to be because bf requires no products or equipment.

You're not being penalized.

Second the suggestion of reading Politics Of Breastfeeding. A huge eye opener to how much things like this aren't about BF 'vs' FF.

'highly offensive'

Really?

It's illegal to promote breastmilk substitutes for infants (0-6 months). It's reasonable that this should include in-store promotions, including loyalty points.

Formula companies spend millions on marketing. It's also reasonable therefore that breastfeeding be promoted and protected wherever possible by the government and by the NHS.

You have the very great fortune to live in a country where safe, effective breastmilk substitutes are available to any woman who can't, or does not want to, breastfeed her child. The same laws which prevent the marketing of formula also tightly control the composition of that formula milk to ensure that it is safe for your child. You have access to safe drinking water to make up that milk; think for a moment of the parents in Flint, Michigan, who have recently learnt that they have been unwittingly using unsafe water to feed their babies and give them lead poisoning.

You are not being penalised.

I understand your point on this.

DD was FF from birth. Formula is very expensive and its costly in the first 6 months.

I think its wrong that its so expensive.

My friend breast fed her ds. She really suffered and struggled with breastfeeding but she persisted as she couldnt afford formula.

I do think some people may choose to FF if there is an advantage to it like points etc.

I agree with a PP who said that your just not getting rewarded for buying it like you do for buying other products.

I do believe they should be able to have offers on it like 3 for 2 etc but when they put the offer on, it has to be at the same time as the same offer is on the other milks to avoid mums swapping milks as there is a better deal on another brand

Nothing to do with breastfeeding, plenty to do with how naughty formula companies can be.

Reward points and offers aren't a right, just an indication of how overpriced produce usually is.

Having offers on it like 3 for 2 would be horrendous - all stores would have their shelves cleared in hours, then what would happen to mums who came in late or didn't know about the offer? Tough love, no milk for your baby. It happened in Australia a couple years back iirc. Loads of mums had no milk

People on a low income do get discounts on formula, via healthy start vouchers. Bf mums can use them on fruit and vegetables. That's about as equal as things can be made I think?

Oh ffs "offensive" really?

Have my first ever

You do realise if points and offers were allowed on formula then that would just push the prices up anyway. So people wouldn't really be saving much in the first place.

As for not being able to afford it, most people receive child benefit, there are also healthy start tokens for those on really low incomes.

I get healthy start vouchers so don't pay for mine!

I agree with OP - and my 11 week old is EBF. I do understand about not allowing the discounting of specific brands to discourage people from swapping unnecessarily and to avoid formula companies from 'competing' for customers. However, I can't see how that is relevant to not being allowed to accrue loyalty points in stores. It's almost like the government are implying that a few Boots Advantage points are going to affect a woman's decision whether to BF or not. This is quite patronising. And I think that when you can get Nectar points on whisky but not formula it gives a pretty shitty message to the many women who struggle with BF that there really is something 'wrong' with FF.

And for the PPs who commented that we don't get points on our BM - that's because we don't pay for it! I won't say it's 'free' because it's not (time, lanisoh, nursing bras / clothes, drinks you don't need in cafés so you can sit and feed there etc.) but that's for another thread...

The stores/companies would simply inflate the prices of formula if they offered loyalty points on them.

Of course the law isn't implying people "that a few Boots Advantage points are going to affect a woman's decision whether to BF or not."

It is about formula companies having historically proved themselves fucking untrustworthy and likely to exploit any inch of leeway you give them - for evidence, see the ridiculous invention of follow on milk and the adverts they trot out (bassinet buggy in the background for a product supposedly six months and up etc).

Formula is expensive. It's not expensive because companies aren't allowed promotions.

Formula companies could, perfectly legally, compete for customers by permanently lowering their prices. They just don't want to. They want to give the illusion of value without really delivering it (bit like whether there is a single person out there who still believes that full price in the 'real' price of a DFS sofa).

Formula is a great product. Formula companies are unscrupulous bastards.

I only disagree with no points on infant milk and then points on follow on milk as follow on milk doesn't have any other benefits apart from avoiding the regulations on infant milk, as far as I'm aware.

I can safely say that boots advantage points and cost were in no way part of my decision about how to feed my baby.

You are right that formula milks are unnecessarily expensive. That's because the companies make huge profits on it and spend lots on marketing ( marketing the follow on milks, baby clubs etc to build brand awareness because they are not allowed to promote first milks by law )

They could be a lot cheaper. But the companies don't want it to be cheaper.

No one is being penalised by a lack of club card points, but that's already been covered.

It's almost like the government are implying that a few Boots Advantage points are going to affect a woman's decision whether to BF or not. This is quite patronising.

No. The law makes it perfectly clear that the government does not trust or expect formula manufacturers to put the demands of the shareholders below the best interests of formula feeding mothers and babies, and nor should any of us. The law is there to protect us all. If you believe that women should not have infant formula marketed at them even more aggressively than it currently is, then that has to include in-store promotions and loyalty points.

Incidentally, it's interesting to note how we regard loyalty points. They are not 'free' - you pay for them by giving companies access to very valuable data about your demographic, shopping habits and lifestyle.

Its not offensive and no one is being penalised. You say its an excuse to promote bf.

You are unnecessarily upset and defensive about the whole thing. Its no big deal. Some people bf and some ff.
In the old days some people bfed and some people had a goat or wet nurse.

Oh FFS.

You are not being penalised. As ghosty said, breastfeeding mums don't get points either.

It is totally right to not incentivise formula feeding. Not penalised, not incentivised. Just another choice.

Oh, it is also worth saying that, if loyalty card points were allowed, formula companies would push retailers to work with them to discount indirectly - 300 extra advantage card points with your purchase of X first milk anyone?