Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To believe that formula companies have PR agents working the BF/FF threads on here?

999 replies

CocoDeMoll · 02/08/2018 20:53

They are a multi million pound set of companies that are invested in keeping Britain’s low breastfeeding rates down and keeping their profit margins up.

Any positives about breastfeeding seem to be shot down in flames on here.

So much pro formula and anti breastfeeding rhetoric.

They can easily afford to and have the best at the jobs be it lawyers, pr teams or spin doctors on their sides and they’re not exactly renounced for their ethics are they (nestle?!?!).

Or am I just getting a bit tied up in conspiracy therorys? Grin

OP posts:
Pengggwn · 03/08/2018 21:10

AgentCooper:

Much better, yes.

mellongoose · 03/08/2018 21:12

I haven't rtft but I tried breastfeeding for 9 and a half agonising weeks. My baby vomited my blood fgs. Formula helped my combine feed for a further 3 months.

Mumsnet was responsible for making me feel like I had to hide my bottles when going to baby groups.

Now I'm past that stage (for now) I can look back with different eyes. Any new mum struggling the way I did should be hugged and given formula for respite if nothing else.

We are all just trying our best.

Elllicam · 03/08/2018 21:13

I have often wondered why mumsnet is so pro-formula feeding, on the majority of feeding posts there are always a lot of fed is best, formula is as good as breast milk, formula allows more sleep, formula lets dad’s bond better. People who try to show evidence for why breast milk is better tend to get shot down. It would certainly make sense from a marketing perspective for the formula companies to have fake mumsnet accounts. It’s free promotion.

Aeroflotgirl · 03/08/2018 21:15

Yeh 24/7 NHS and can't see a Dr or nurse when you need it. Some parts are 24/7, some are not and are just 8-5 on weekdays only.

Aeroflotgirl · 03/08/2018 21:19

As long as my dd was getting nutrition, I was happy and did not need to be hospitalised. Nobody prepares you for what happens when bf goes wrong. Where to go for support and what to do. All very well saying breast is best blah blah and BM superior to formula!a etc, but what about the Blooming support when things are not going right! NADA when dd was born. Midwife came, said she was severely j derweight,would have to be hospitalisedif it does not I prove, and go to the shop and get formula now.

Aeroflotgirl · 03/08/2018 21:22

With ds 6 i was more prepared and bought a hospital grade breast pump, and pumped until my supply stopped at 9 months. As well as giving formula if he needed extra.

Fickleflock · 03/08/2018 21:23

To the one who said ‘why can’t I talk about it openly without looking braggy’.... it’ called empathy, dear. Plus, you mention jealousy... when a woman’s instinct is to feed her baby and she can’t, and due to out of control hormones, feels absolutely devastated... if that’s what you describe as jealousy towards women who can then go for it. What a lovely person you are.

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:33

@pengggwyn I’ve never been accused of killing babies before! Rest assured I’m not in politics so wouldn’t be personally responsible for the death of your children.

If formula is one day put on prescription (again not by me!) do you think women would starve their babies rather than bf?

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 21:33

God some of us just like formula. Not all spies from nestle just people who didn't want their babies to starve to death.

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 21:34

And saying formula should be prescription only. Disgusting to be honest. Shall we take away the vote from women too while we're at it?

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 21:36

Also promotion of formula is illegal and I highly doubt nestle are stupid enough to enlist employees to do something illegal. It's not worth their while. I'm sure they have better things to do than argue with angry mumsnetters about how they kill babies.

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:37

@flamingofridays let’s just agree to increase women’s rights around the world and reduce infant mortality? It doesn’t need to be either or?

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:39

Angry mumsnetters, the world health organisation, unicef, nhs... all those extremists and more 😂

Aeroflotgirl · 03/08/2018 21:40

yes anyonewho does not agree with the bf militia, are spies from Nestle, how ludricous😂😂😂😂. Again. Arewwehomeyet you are failing to address the lack of bf support, and how-to help mothers who are unable to bf. You are making g bf seem like it is so easy, and that all mums should have no problems bf. I am here to tell you, that it's not! I hope to god that formula is not put on prescription. Italian!e the it Pharma, we still have to use their drugs to save our lives , or if we are ill,despite us disagreeing with it.

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:42

@asroflotgirl I agree that is exactly what needs addressing

Aeroflotgirl · 03/08/2018 21:46

I am lucky, I was better prepared the 2nd time. Ds was a sleepy baby. Had severe jaundice and had to behoslitalised, I was only allowed to feed him every 3 hours, who has goes against the demand bf. So I pumped my milk and fed him from a bottle?e by the time he was discharged he did not want to feed from me so I ended up expressing for 9 months.

Lacymacy123 · 03/08/2018 21:46

fickleflightI know some of my friends didnt want to breastfeed due to them losing out on sleep. If they can go on about the benefits of formula feeding, why cant I speak about my positive experience of breastfeeding? Ofcourse i would have sympathy for someone who genuinely struggled with breastfeeding.

Lacymacy123 · 03/08/2018 21:48

I ment to say fickleflockGrin

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:48

That is the very issue that formula companies are desperately trying to prevent being addressed. The issue the cash strapped nhs is reluctant to invest in. Instead we get follow on milk advertised and people on forums posting that actually formula is easier (if you want your baby to follow a routine, sttn, be fed by family, stop displaying normal behaviours of growth spurts etc). Mums criticised for feeding in public, feeding too long, not long enough. No support for mums with older children who are struggling to also bf. No support for mums who are struggling and don’t know why. If we only had support and no criticism and no big business interfering it would be very different I’m sure :(

PandaPieForTea · 03/08/2018 21:50

I think the no platforming of bf discussion on mn is frightening and much worse now

Where is the ‘no platforming’?

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:52

What formula companies are doing (incredibly effectively) is pitting breastfeeds against formula feeders. On forums like this. If you state facts such as increased infant mortality you are accused of being an idiot! But who does this actually benefit? Apart from the formula companies.

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 21:53

arewehomeyet putting formula on prescription will achieve neither of those things.

Aeroflotgirl · 03/08/2018 21:53

I agree with you Arewwehomeyet on the lack of support, bit disagree on the formula companies cashing in,it was an NHS midwife that told me I had to feed dd formula or she would be hospitalised, so I went to the shop and got some.

flamingofridays · 03/08/2018 21:55

I personally did think formula was easier. I breastfed for only 2 days because it was fucking impossible to get any milk down him. Would i attempt it again if I had another? Nope.

Arewehomeyet · 03/08/2018 21:55

@aeroflotgirl totally agree the nhs should do more. But at least they have the excuse of being cash strapped. But a lot of the blame lies with them/government policy imo

Swipe left for the next trending thread