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

[CocoDeMoll]

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?

They don't need to infiltrate threads on here. We're good enough at doing their marketing for them.

I don't think it is the formula companies, but the bf militia. I know BM is superior, most mothers do, but it does not always work the way you want. Comments like: formula has to be put on prescription, you did not try hard enough at bf etc that gets mothers backs up.

How are we marketing for formula companies Sandstorm, all I want yes is proper bf support, and safe alternative infant nutrition readily available when the parents need it. I have noway said formula is just as good as BM, it is a life saving alternative.

It is interesting that you honestly believe a multi billion pound industry would have less influence on mums than a relatively small group of women who are passionate about bf support (and therefore labelled bf gestapo/militia/nazis- waves to formula companies once again!)

Arewwehomeyet your waving is futile as I am not a formula company, just because I dare disagree with some of what you said.

Your sounding quite silly

And quite paranoid.

"Most women have never seen anyone bf until they try themselves" - is eminently plausible.

I would be very surprised if most women had spent significant amounts of time around other breastfeeding mothers before having her own baby (and hence attempting BF herself) - where would this happen? Many people don't have cause to spend time around babies before having their own. It tends to be usually if you've had a close family member breastfeed that you've seen it - and interestingly having close family members breastfeed, including having been breastfed yourself is one of the most strongly correlated indicators that you're more likely to be successful.

IME it's absolutely true most people haven't seen breastfeeding (beyond perhaps a glance view of a stranger in a café) before they have their own babies.

We don't really know why this is correlated but I'd theorise it's a mixture of having a bit more of a mental picture of "how it works", combined with the fact that if your close family member(s) have done it before they are likely to be able to support/advise you and the fact that the opposite is true - if people you know didn't BF then they may be more likely to make comments or suggestions which, while well meaning can dent your confidence or make you question things or even try things which end up undermining BF.

@aeroflotgirl thank you for saying I sound quite silly! I don’t think you are employed by a formula company, no. Do I think the formula companies are represented in mm? Yes. Silly me

Arewwehomeyetwomen are not idiots who cannot make their own minds up and are influenced by the formula companies, a lot just do not want to bf and have made that decision themselves for whatever reason. I don't agree with it, but it is their choice.

I was not breastfed. However other family members have breastfed their babies and I have seen it. So have my friends. Why would I not spend time around babies before having one? Odd.

On not in mn

@aeroflotgirl why do companies spend millions on advertising if not to influence our behaviour?

That's good Arewwehomeyet actually in !y previous life, I used to be a community worker helping adults with disabilities n the community, so far away from being a formula company rep as possible.

And tbh why do you give a shit how other people feed their babies? What impact does it have on your life?

What will raising breastfeeding rates in the UK actually achieve?

Of course women are influenced by formula companies- we're all influenced by advertising- which is why it's regulated.

There's been a lot of kick back against breastfeeding recently. Who else but formula companies would b behind that?

Why would I not spend time around babies before having one? Odd.

I hadn’t spent time around babies before having one. I was twenty, so no one else my age had kids, and I’m an only child so I had no experience of growing up with younger siblings and no older ones with kids. My dad is also an only child, and my cousins on mums side I rarely see, are a similar age to me and don’t have kids. I didn’t do NCT or any antenatal classes. So the first time I actually had experience with a baby was when I had one.

I can totally believe women have never seen it,

@flamingofridays

"What will raising breastfeeding rates in the UK actually achieve?"

Do you really think the NHS has been pushing it for no reason? Just to torture women, possibly?

Arewwehomeyet they do advertise their follow on milk as a way of advertising themselves to mothers.but many have made the choice not to bf before then for a manner of reasons: don't like it, it's icky, want my body to myself, need to get back to work asap!

That’s exactly the argument the tobacco industry used- only advertising the brand not smoking itself...

The difference between tabacco and formula, is that babies who are not bf need formula, people do not need to smoke. Maybe supermarkets need to make formula instead of the big companies.

flowersinmygarden no i asked a question. If you want to be helpful you could answer it instead of being sarcy.

The not advertising formula thing does annoy me a bit. It’s treating women like they’re stupid.

No one is going to think “oh! I really wanted to breastfeed but that cow and gate advert was so awesome! I’ve changed my mind now.”

Oh come on, you cannot have had a baby in the uk and not have had the benefits of breastfeeding explained to you.

@MrSpock

No, advertising is a bit more subtle than that.