No free parking for just formula

[SquawkFish]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3929020/Demonised-buying-baby-milk-Tesco-bans-mother-s-car-park-discount-bought-formula-milk-s-EU-rules.html

Just a bit shocked by this despite thinking I was quite pro breastfeeding. Would be interested to hear others views, particularly as the baby is being formula fed due to medical reasons.

Littlefuckers please do not beat yourself up about breast feeding vs formula. YOu did your best. Have you had any counselling about this?

In the Guardian article I read the mother was claiming she was being abused. Sorry, but not having free parking is not "abuse". Just pay up and go on with your life.

I know personally of three women who have had PND, one extremely seriously, after trying and "failing" to breastfeed, and I think I was lucky not to get it myself. How you feed your baby has become so emotive, with formula feeding so thoroughly painted as "second best" at every possible turn that many, many women feel incredibly guilty and that they've let their babies down when breastfeeding doesn't work out for them.

Then we need to work on stopping the ridiculous competitive baby feeding rhetoric.

Which leads you back to the company that started it in the first place! The company that has killed countless babies by spreading such crap... and continues to do so wherever, however it can.

Not having discounts does not prevent women in developed countries choosing to ff or switching to it if they can't bf comfortably / at all.

It doesn't even stop women in 3rd world countries having access to formula, should they need it.

It just reduced Nestle's opportunities to make the ff / bf debate even more emotionally fuelled, full of lies and, obviously, lining their corporate pockets!

www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly-resources/guidance-for-health-professionals/the-code/
worth a glance

www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf

I suppose I just see no promotions/offers as meaning no promotions/offers.

Trying to turn it into 'no promotions/offers except this one'' just seems wrong (assuming you actually believe in the principle of the ban, and the general idea of being 'all in it together')

"I am merely pointing out that it's very expensive to formula feed"

It would be less expensive if formula companies weren't spending gazillions of ££££ paying for multiple full page ads in baby magazines, sponsoring daytime tv, bus shelter advertising, tv advertising, setting up 'mum's clubs', sponsoring training events for health professionals etc.

We need to do what Norway has done - ban ALL marketing of ALL formula. They have a 99% breastfeeding initiation rate at birth there (with 95% of women still breastfeeding a month in). Sure there's at least at least some connection between these two facts.

It's not discrimination to maintain a standard price for something. It really detracts from actual discrimination in the world when people make silly claims about how they're being discriminated against because they can't have club card points for formula milk. No one gets club card points for it so there's no discrimination.

Limited time discount offers for formula milk are a terrible idea. All that would happen is that it would become harder for people to budget because they couldn't rely on a particular price. There's the issue of the companies seeking to get you stuck with their brand through discounts and then the price goes up. What about when your baby will only drink a brand that hasn't paid the supermarkets so that their product is promoted through a discount?

As others have said, the formula companies could seek to make less profit and charge a lower price for formula. It absolutely suits them to get people all riled up about 'discrimination' and the need for them to pursue aggressive marketing tactics.

The government are being totally disingenuous blaming this on 'EU rules'. But of course we live in an age where the bloody truth doesn't matter so long as you can convince people that those nasty EU bureaucrats are discriminating against them.

brat no counselling, just made to feel terrible when my newborn was blue lighted in to the hospital because she was literally dying at 10days old, I wasn't allowed to see her initially as they thought I had deliberately starved her . I kept away from all health professionals after that. But yes it's still a huge problem for me. I just get so upset when people go on about formula companies, of course it's terrible what they have done in the developing world, but without them my children would be dead. I just think people don't realise what they are saying. Anyway deep breath, and onwards with my day.

Yes mini I definitely gave up breastfeeding because I saw an advert for formula at a bus stop. That's totally it.

I give up.

"brat it may be a legal ban, still makes me feel like shit though, and 6 years on I fucking crying coz I couldn't breast feed my babies. So I am out now coz I still feel like a shit mother whose first born ended up with long term health problems due to me (and crappy midwives) starving her.
sad why the fuck did I come in this thread."

That's a real shame, poor you hope you get the support you need.

Did people know that formula companies like nestle sent sales representatives to families in africa dress up as health care professionals to convince them to formula feed their children rather than BF which was the norm in all developing countries. As a result babies died due to lack of clean water and possibility to sterilise equipment.
British post natal wards wer designed in collaboration with formula companies and 'rooming in' prevented by taking babies away from other straight after birth and popping them into infant nurseries. This way often the mother couldn't build up sufficient milk supply as physical proximity is needed to stimulated BM. the formal industry has had and still has a massive hold on its market. the code is there to protect mothers who do wish to BF from an all encompassing multi billion dollar marketing machine.

I disagree mini

FF should be seen and not squirrelled away as if it's a shameful secret. JUST like bf.

Not sure some posters care weaving

The idea is to provide safe infant formula in stores but to not promote it in stores or hospital.

The whole point is that marketing costs. If you ban marketing, you reduce the cost. It also reduces chopping and changing dependent on what is on offer. Of course formula saves lives, I'm very glad it exists. But for that reason I don't think it should be a money spinner.

I don't understand why she felt "shamed" by this policy. Lots of items, for example phone top up vouchers, are excluded from minimum spend offers but I don't think anyone would claim they were being "shamed" for having a pay as you go mobile!

Anyway, Tesco are utter hypocrites as they regularly violate other aspects of the law on marketing of formula. Sadly that doesn't tend to make the news though.

"It's not discrimination to maintain a standard price for something. It really detracts from actual discrimination in the world when people make silly claims about how they're being discriminated against because they can't have club card points for formula milk. No one gets club card points for it so there's no discrimination. '

great post

Littlefuckers was it the breast police that told you no ff that starved your dd?
I can imagine a little bit how you feel from my own experiences...xx

as an aside I am really getting sick of these Daily mail links on MN and the DM lifting threads to publish in the rag.

Who are the breast police?

Are they part of the breastapo and breastfeeding nazis?

"breast police"? sounds kinky, what the hell is the breast police?

have you never met the breast police?
I promise you they are out there...
HVs send them to women who are having problems BFing to tell them that they must be doing something wrong and that FFing is the devil's work...

Why is it ludicrous for Tesco to prioritise their own customers for town centre parking? As she was a Tesco customer, she shouldn't have to pay. She may have been at the edge of the time limit, so no time to rush around looking for other products up to the value needed. I think it was good that this was publicised as clarification of the law is needed.

Really? I only ever came across people telling BF was hard, get formula in just in case, midwives checking I had it with me when I checked in, zero advice on BF, formula feeding was fairer on husband etc.

Seems women can't win however they feed, and however well meaning their advice.

Well said Minifingers, Norway has it right. Formula should not be promoted, it's for people who can't breastfeed, not a lifestyle choice. Those who really need it will buy it anyway.

BF rates are high in norway also because they are less sexist, have an incredible amount of maternity and paternity leave and are generally ess squeamish about the female body. In the UK it's socially acceptable to show off your breasts and cleavage on a night out but not as acceptable to discreetly bf you baby in public. It's sexist attitudes if you ask me and people identifying themselves as consumers. Have a baby? Must buy the latest accessories, amazing pram, super mums' car and.... the 'best' formula not that there is such a thing.