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.

[minifingerz]

"that FFing is the devil's work."

By which you mean 'they tell mothers that there are risks to using formula'.

Which in 'internet speak' gets translated into 'they tell you that formula is the devil's jism and that you're a failure as a mother if you use it.

Someone needs to do a PhD researching the fantasy narratives women create for themselves to justify their feeding decisions, a feature of those narratives being the creation of villains, and epic, unscalable obstacles to breastfeeding.

I'd read it.

[RedStripeLassie]

mini that's amazing about Norway. It's the way forward for sure.

Better help with breastfeeding at the start (I had some amazing midwives who got me through the initial toe curling) and a ban on advertising formula.

[OurBlanche]

I worked with one of the Breast Police - she was a very softly spoken woman, very gentle in al of her mannerisms... until the topic of FF or bf came up.

Then she was bloody terrifying!

But I am not sure it can't also be a lifestyle choice... as elective CSections etc.

We should nationalise formula factories. Make sure that women who need / want it are given it, for free or at cost, for as long as they want to use it.

That would also destroy Nestle The Baby Killer's profits. Win : win!

[ScrambledSmegs]

I doubt that banning formula advertising and promotions would reduce its point of sale cost, sadly. The companies that manufacture and sell it would find something else to justify the high price. It's awful because there are babies who really do need it and their parents are being penalised heavily.

[weavingawickerbasket]

"Someone needs to do a PhD researching the fantasy narratives women create for themselves to justify their feeding decisions, a feature of those narratives being the creation of villains, and epic, unscalable obstacles to breastfeeding. " Love the idea, very much!!

[Namechangeemergency]

little wtf are you on about?
You quoted a phrase about formula companies not being our friends and now this is all about you?

Did I miss someone telling you that you are shit mother and should be sterilised?

The post was that F companies are not our friends so you qouting them and then adding that your children would have died without them was a bit weird if you were not implying that they are your friends.

Or is this thread just an opportunity for you to come and be a victim of the breast nazis or whatever other ridiculous names will be used on here?

So you FF your babies. Big deal. Sorry to disappoint but I couldn't care less.

[weavingawickerbasket]

it's not a secret btw that UK formula are all over MN posting as 'mothers'.

[minifingerz]

"It's sexist attitudes if you ask me and people identifying themselves as consumers"

Yes, this. ^^

Culturally infant feeding is presented primarily as a consumer choice rather than a health issue, except by health bodies.

It's sad, the more we talk about choice the more unhappy women are.

Apparently in Norway there is little discussion of choice. The assumption is that everyone will breastfeed, and lo and behold, almost everyone does.

[weavingawickerbasket]

*UK formula companies. It's part of their aggressive and dishonest social media marketing strategy. They probably offer free formula to mothers who post here to trash BF.

[minifingerz]

"it's not a secret btw that UK formula"

It's news to me!

Who are 'UK Formula'?

[Soubriquet]

it's not a secret btw that UK formula are all over MN posting as 'mothers'.

So now it's a conspiracy

[OurBlanche]

It all went "wooooo"

[LunaLoveg00d]

I totally agree with the "give them an inch and they'll take a mile". Since the international agreement to restrict infant formula sales came in the formula companies have:

• introduced a follow-on milk which is very similar in branding and packaging to advertise that instead and get round the regulations.
  
• started "mums clubs" or "feeding advice websites" which give away free cuddly toys or will helpfully send you weekly emails about your pregnancy (and of course remind you of the company's branding every time you see it)
  
• Been banned from promoting their products as "closest to breastmilk" and other claims they can't back up
  
• not allowed to use a baby under 6 months in their ads so they choose the youngest possible and have the "mother" feed them lying flat or in their arms, as you would a newborn.
  
• introduced logos which are intended to mimic the breastfeeding symbol (looking at you, SMA)
  

And this is all in the UK where we have strict law enforcement. Just take a few minutes to read about what Nestle and the rest of them got up to in developing world.

I'm proud to boycott Nestle, and have been for about 20 years.

[Soubriquet]

It really did Blanche

[Camomila]

They do seem fairly all knowing, I get all sorts of adverts on facebook for C&G and Aptamil and I have never bought formula or any baby food. Though I have bought nappys, wipes and a sippy cup etc. so they 'know'

Mind you I get adverts for lots of baby things.

[RedStripeLassie]

Yes, it's about sexist attitudes and also I think it's a problem that breastfeeding is seen as a middle class things you aspire to Instead of a default normal way to feed a child. Im not mc (no degree holders on our house) and I breastfed for many reasons one being that it's cheap and once it was working well it was easy too!

[BertieBotts]

The law exists to protect FF parents and babies. Yes it seems like a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but that's actually what it takes to stop them squirreling around and finding loopholes. It has to be a blanket ban which unfortunately also means things like parking and clubcard points are included.

The ban on promotions is to stop companies from offering heavily discounted formula to entice people who can't really afford it normally and then pulling away the offer, mother's breast milk supply has dwindled, they are now dependent on formula and must spend a large proportion of their income on it. Of course, we have milk tokens in this country to prevent against this but they don't reach everyone, and it doesn't harm to have the extra legislation protecting families.

If you look at the US for example where the Code is not part of their law, formula companies give out free samples all the time.

[weavingawickerbasket]

'So now it's a conspiracy" nope not according to the Lancet.

www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation-Policy/Infant-formula-marketing-The-Lancet-calls-for-total-social-media-ban


also worth a read

www.thealphaparent.com/2011/10/15-tricks-of-formula-companies.html

[roundaboutthetown]

Oh, ffs. Free parking if you spend at least £5 or £10 in that particular supermarket is promoting the supermarket, not what you buy in it - unless a supermarket selling formula milk in the first place is counted as promoting the product by virtue of it being on their shelves, in which case, Tesco is breaking the law with or without the discount and formula milk should not be on sale at all...

[minifingerz]

"Then she was bloody terrifying!"

I got banned from Bounty for posting (on the debates board) a link to a leaflet setting out the risks of formula feeding. The leaflet was produced by the Midwives Information Digest, and endorsed by the RCOG, UNICEF, the WHO and the NHS.

According to posters on Bounty the information in the leaflets was 'scaremongering' and 'rubbish'.

That's the level of censorship there is over this issue.

Formula use is so entrenched in the U.K. that it's become politically incorrect to point out to mothers that there can be risks and disadvantages to using it. You are not 'allowed' to discuss it publicly without being characterised as 'a nazi' or 'critical of mothers who don't/can't breastfeed'.

The only acceptable narrative is the one which involves formula being presented as a completely unproblematic, risk free choice, and breastfeeding as the optional extra 'gold standard'. Which is crazy - we shouldn't be idealising breastfeeding in this way. And formula is a commercial product which we should apply the same standards to as other products intended for children. It's not right that discussing the risks of using one particular commercial product has become socially unacceptable.

[ivykaty44]

Stop reading the daily mail and your life will turn around for the better

[OurBlanche]

Oh! I understood much of that before I met her, mini

I meant she underwent a physical transformation, think mogwai to gremlin in less than 2 seconds!

Smile, smile --> TEETH!

[Soubriquet]

My issue with BF is, when I was pregnant with my first, no one told me how hard it can be

It was all "it's completely natural. Easy to do. Cheaper etc etc"

Until I tried it, I never knew how hard it was. And then I felt like a failure

So feel free point out the downsides of FF...but people need to be warned how hard BF can be too

[Namechangeemergency]

we should apply the same standards to as other products intended for children

This is a very good point.

Why is there a massive panic if a product for a child is even slightly linked to accident, injury or illness but discussing standards for formula companies is forbidden because its mean and judgy

I honestly do not give a toss if people FF or BF (which makes me pretty unpopular on MN because you are supposed to hate one group and fit into the other).
But who would't care about how mothers are targeted by unscrupulous corporations? Why is it assumed by the majority that large businesses are in it for the money and have to be watched yet formula companies (who don't just make formula) are somehow exempt from this caution?

They do not develop and market their product to stop babies dying.
They do it to make money and they prey on the guilt and fears of women to do so.

Follow on milk and toddler milk are accepted as necessary now. What a load of rubbish.

I swear to God that if they could get away with saying 'feed this to your baby or you are rubbish and if they die it will be your fault' they would.

Most companies would love to use that strap line for their products. Why would someone who is trying to shift baby milk think any differently?